Related provisions for COBS 19.2.4
1 - 17 of 17 items.
6In this section ‘giving advice, or providing services, to an employer in connection with a group personal pension scheme or group stakeholder pension scheme’ includes:(1) giving advice or assistance to an employer on the operation of such a scheme;(2) taking, or helping the employer to take, the steps that must be taken to enable an employee to become a member of such a scheme; and(3) giving advice to an employee, pursuant to an agreement between the employer and the adviser,
12This section does not apply to: (1) 12giving advice, or providing services, to an employer in connection with a group personal pension scheme or group stakeholder pension scheme where that scheme is a qualifying scheme; or(2) 12a firm in relation to MiFID, equivalent third country or optional exemption business (but see COBS 2.3A (Inducements relating to MiFID, equivalent third country or optional exemption business)).
A firm must not pay or accept any fee or commission, or provide or receive any non-monetary benefit, in relation to designated investment business12 carried on for a client other than:(1) a fee, commission or non-monetary benefit paid or provided to or by the client or a person on behalf of the client; or(2) a fee, commission or non-monetary benefit paid or provided to or by a third party or a person acting on behalf of a third party, if:(a) the payment of the fee or commission,
5COBS 6.1A (Adviser charging and remuneration), COBS 6.1B (Retail investment product provider and operator of an electronic system in relation to lending and platform service provider 10requirements relating to adviser charging and remuneration), COBS 6.1C (Consultancy charging and remuneration) and COBS 6.1D (Product provider requirements relating to consultancy charging and remuneration) set out specific requirements as to when it is acceptable for a firm to pay or receive commissions,
(1) 1This evidential provision applies in relation to a holding in, or the provision of credit to, a firm which holds itself out as making personal recommendations to retail clients on retail investment products or P2P agreements10, except where the relevant transaction is between persons who are in the same immediate group.55(2) A retail investment product provider5 or operator of an electronic system in relation to lending10 should not take any step which would result in it:5(a)
5Where a retail investment product provider or operator of an electronic system in relation to lending, 10or its associate, provides credit to a retail client of a firm making personal recommendations in relation to retail investment products or P2P agreements10 or giving advice, or providing services, to an employer in connection with a group personal pension scheme or group stakeholder pension scheme6, this may create an indirect benefit for the firm and, to the extent that
(1) 1In relation to the sale of retail investment products,5 the table on reasonable non-monetary benefits (COBS 2.3.15 G) indicates the kind of benefits which are capable of enhancing the quality of the service provided to a client and, depending on the circumstances, are capable of being paid or received without breaching the client's best interests rule. However, in each case, it will be a question of fact whether these conditions are satisfied. 5(2) The guidance in the table
5In interpreting the table of reasonable non-monetary benefits, a firm that provides a personal recommendation in relation to a retail investment product to a retail client or gives advice, or provides a service, to an employer in connection with a group personal pension scheme or a group stakeholder pension scheme6 should be aware that acceptance of benefits on which the firm will have to rely for a period of time is more likely to impair compliance with the client's best interests
To prepare a comparison, a7firm must: (1) compare the benefits likely (on reasonable assumptions) to be paid under the ceding arrangement7 with the benefits afforded by the proposed arrangement7;5555(2) ensure that that comparison includes enough information for the retail client7 to be able to make an informed decision;(3) give the retail client7 a copy of the comparison, drawing the retail client's7 attention to the factors that do and do not support the firm'spersonal recommendation7,
In particular, the comparison should: (1) take into account all of the retail client's relevant circumstances;(2) have regard to the benefits and options available under the ceding arrangement7 and the effect of replacing them with the benefits and options under the proposed arrangement7; 3(3) explain the assumptions on which it is based and the rates of return that would have to be achieved to replicate the benefits being given up; 35(4) be illustrated on rates of return which
When a firm carries out the comparison7 it must:
5555- (1)
assume that:
(a) the annuity interest rate is the intermediate rate of return appropriate for a level or fixed rate of increase annuity in 2COBS 13 Annex 2 3.1R(6)2 unless COBS 19.1.4B R applies3 or the rate for annuities in payment (if less);3
444 2.5%
(c) the average earnings index and the rate for section 1487 orders is
4.0%
(d) for benefits linked to the RPI,4 the pre-retirement limited price indexation revaluation is
2.5%
(e) the annuity interest4 rate for3 post-retirement limited price indexation based on the RPI4 with maximum pension4 increases less than or equal to 3.5% or with minimum pension4 increases more than or equal to 3.5% is the rate in (a) above allowing for increases at the maximum rate of pension increase4; otherwise it is the rate in (f) below;3
433 (f) the index linked annuity interest4 rate for pension benefits linked to the RPI4 is the intermediate rate of return in 2COBS 13 Annex 2 3.1 R (6)2 for annuities linked to the RPI4 unless COBS 19.1.4B R applies;3
44(g) the mortality rate used to determine the annuity is based on the year of birth rate derived from each of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries’ Continuous Mortality Investigation tables PMA086 and PFA086 and including mortality improvements derived from each of the male and female annual mortality projections models, in equal parts;3
4(h) for benefits linked to the CPI, the pre-retirement limited price indexation revaluation is
2.0%
4(i) the index linked annuity interest rate for pension benefits linked to the CPI is the intermediate rate of return in COBS 13 Annex 2 3.1R(6) for annuities linked to the RPI plus 0.5% unless COBS 19.1.4B R applies in which case it is the annuity rate in COBS 19.1.4B R plus 0.5%;
4(j) the annuity interest rate for post-retirement limited price indexation based on the CPI with maximum pension increases less than or equal to 3.0% or with minimum pension increases more than or equal to 3.5% is the rate in (a) above allowing for increases at the maximum rate of pension increase; where minimum pension increases are more than or equal to 3% but less than 3.5% the annuity rate is the rate in (a) above allowing for increases at the minimum rate of pension increase otherwise it is the rate in (i) above;
or use more cautious assumptions;
[Note: section 148 orders are orders made by the Secretary of State under section 148 of the Social Security Administration Act 1992. Section 148(7) of this Act provides that orders made previously under section 21 of the Social Security Pensions Act 1975 will be treated as orders made under section 148.]7
- (2)
calculate the interest rate in deferment; and
- (3)
have regard to benefits which commence at difference times.
4An open market options statement must include:(1) the Money Advice Service fact sheet "Your pension: it's time to choose" available on www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk or a statement provided by a firm that gives materially the same information;(2) a summary of the retail client's open market options, which is sufficient for the client to be able to make an informed decision about whether to exercise, or to decline to exercise, open market options;(3) information about the retail
(1) 4When a firm communicates with a retail client about the retail client'spersonal pension scheme, stakeholder pension scheme, FSAVC, retirement annuity contract or pension buy-out contract which is provided by the firm, unless the circumstances in (2) apply, the firm must:(a) refer to the availability of the pensions guidance;(b) offer to provide the client with information about how to access the pensions guidance; and(c) include a recommendation that the client seeks appropriate
3(1) This section applies to a long-term insurer, unless, at the time of application, the client, other than an EEA ECA recipient, was habitually resident:3(a) in an EEA State other than the United Kingdom; or(b) outside the EEA and he was not present in the United Kingdom.(2) In addition, COBS 16.6.8 R applies to an operator of a personal pension scheme or stakeholder pension scheme in relation to a retail client who elects to make income withdrawals.3
1At intervals no longer than 12 months from the date of an election by a retail client to make income withdrawals or one-off, ad-hoc or regular uncrystallised funds pension lump sumpayments6, the relevant operator of a personal pension scheme or stakeholder pension scheme3must:53(1) provide the retail client with such information as is necessary for3 the retail client to review the election, including where relevant the information required by COBS 13 Annex 2 2.9R3; and3(2) inform
When a firm prepares a suitability report it must:(1) (in the case of a personal pension scheme), explain why it considers the personal pension scheme to be at least as suitable as a stakeholder pension scheme; and(2) (in the case of a personal pension scheme, stakeholder pension scheme or2FSAVC) explain why it considers the personal pension scheme, stakeholder pension scheme or2FSAVC to be at least as suitable as any facility to make additional contributions to an occupational
When a firm promotes a personal pension scheme, including a group personal pension scheme, to a group of employees it must:(1) be satisfied on reasonable grounds that the scheme is likely to be at least as suitable for the majority of the employees as a stakeholder pension scheme; and(2) record why it thinks the promotion is justified.
(1) 4An operator should ensure that it is aware of, and acts fully in accordance with, any attachment or earmarking orders made in respect of any members of that scheme by a court.(2) In particular, an operator should be mindful of its obligations under an attachment order to give notices to other parties, including transferee operators and relevant former spouses, where relevant events occur, such as transfers and significant reductions in benefits.(3) A firm, when advising a
A firm must follow the steps specified in this section at the point when the retail client has decided (in principle) to take one of the following actions (and before the action is concluded):(1) buy a pension decumulation product; or(2) vary their personal pension scheme, stakeholder pension scheme, FSAVC, retirement annuity contract or pension buy-out contract to enable the client to:(a) access pension savings using a drawdown pension; or(b) elect to make one-off, regular or
In the FCA's view, other examples of:(1) 'initial service agreement' include:(a) subscribing to an investment trust savings scheme; or(b) concluding a life policy, personal pension scheme or stakeholder pension scheme that includes a pre-selected option providing for future increases or decreases in regular premiums or payments; and(2) 'operations' include:(a) successive purchases or sales of shares under an investment trust savings scheme; and(b) subsequent index-linked changes
1A firm that agrees to facilitate3 the payment of an adviser charge or consultancy charge, or an increase in such a charge, from a new or3 in-force packaged product, must prepare sufficient information for the retail client to be able to understand the likely effect of that facilitation, in good time before it takes effect2.2
When the rules in this chapter require a key features illustration to be prepared, it must not take the form of a generic key features illustration:33(1) unless 3there are reasonable grounds for believing that it3 will be sufficient to enable a retail client to make an informed decision about whether to invest; or3(2) if it is part of a3direct offer financial promotion which contains a personal recommendation; or33(3) if a personal pension scheme or a stakeholder pension scheme
(1) A firm that holds clientdesignated investments or client money for a client must send that client at least once a year a statement in a durable medium of those designated investments or that client money unless:4(a) 4such a statement has been provided in a periodic statement; or(b) 4the firm: (i) 4provides the client with access to an online system, which qualifies as a durable medium, where up-to-date statements of a client’sdesignated investments or client money can be easily
A1firm must retain its records relating to suitability for a minimum of the following periods:(1) if relating to a pension transfer, pension conversion, 4pension opt-out or FSAVC, indefinitely;(2) if relating to a life policy,2personal pension scheme2or stakeholder pension scheme, five years; and5(3) [deleted]5(4) in any other case, three years.
A firm is not required to prepare:(1) a document, if another firm has agreed to prepare it; or(2) a key features document for:(a) a unit in a regulated collective investment scheme8; or 3(b) [deleted]833(c) [deleted]8(d) a stakeholder pension scheme, or personal pension scheme that is not a personal pension policy, if the information appears with due prominence in another document; or(e) an interest in an investment trust savings scheme; or8(3) 2 a key features illustration:32(a)
(1) When a firm sells, personally recommends or arranges1 the payment of an AVC contribution by a member of an occupational pension scheme to be secured by a packaged product purchased by the scheme trustees, it must give the trustees sufficient information to pass to the relevant member for that member to be able to make informed comparisons between the AVC and any alternative personal pension schemes and stakeholder pension schemes available.1(2) This rule applies to an AVC