Related provisions for MCOB 4.11.4C
21 - 40 of 165 items.
3For supervisory notices (as defined in section 395(13)) which have taken effect, decision notices and final notices, section 391 of the Act requires the FCA to publish, in such manner as it considers appropriate, such information about the matter to which the notice relates as it considers appropriate. Section 391 prevents the FCA from publishing warning notices, but the FCA may publish such information about the matter to which a warning notice falling within section 391(1ZB)
3The FCA will take the following initial steps in considering whether it is appropriate to exercise this power: (1) It will consider whether it is appropriate to publish details of the warning notice in order to enable consumers, firms and market users to understand the nature of the FCA’s concerns. The FCA will consider the circumstances of each case but expects normally to consider it appropriate to publish these details. (2) Where the FCA considers it is appropriate to publish
3However, as required by the Act (see paragraph 6.2.1 above), the FCA will not publish information if publication of it would, in its opinion, be unfair to the person in respect of whom the action is taken or prejudicial to the interests of consumers, or detrimental to the stability of the UK financial system. It may make that decision where, for example, publication could damage market confidence or undermine market integrity in a way that could be damaging to the interests of
3It is important that the FCA maintains an accurate public record. One of the ways the FCA does this is by publishing1 the reasons for variations of Part 4A permission, the imposition of requirements,5 variations of the approval of SMF managers and the imposition and variation of directions under regulation 74C(5) of the Money Laundering Regulations5. The FCA will always aim to balance1 the interests of consumers and the possibility of unfairness to the person subject to the
In determining its charging structure and adviser charges a firm should have regard to its duties under the client's best interests rule. Practices which may indicate that a firm is not in compliance with this duty include:(1) varying its adviser charges inappropriately according to provider or, for substitutable and competing retail investment products, the type of retail investment product; or(2) allowing the availability or limitations of services offered by third parties
In order to meet its responsibilities under the client's best interests rule and Principle 6 (Customers’ interests), a firm should consider whether the personal recommendation or any other related service7 is likely to be of value to the retail client when the total charges the retail client is likely to be required to pay are taken into account.
A firm is unlikely to meet its obligations under the fair, clear and not misleading rule and the client's best interests rule unless it ensures that:(1) the charging structure it discloses reflects, as closely as is practicable, the total adviser charge to be paid; for example, the firm should avoid using a wide range; and(2) if using hourly rates in its charging structure, it states whether the rates are indicative or actual hourly rates, provides the basis (if any) upon which
1(1) COBS 3 (Client categorisation)2 applies to a firm intending to conduct, or conducting, designated investment business 2(other than giving basic advice),8ancillary activities relating to designated investment business and to a firm intending to carry on, or carrying on, insurance risk transformation and activities directly arising from insurance risk transformation8. Any client categorisation2established in relation to such business will be applicable for the purposes of Principles
(1) 6Paragraph (2) applies in relation to an individual who:(a) has provided, or is to provide, a guarantee or an indemnity (or both) in relation to a regulated credit agreement, a regulated consumer hire agreement or a P2P agreement; and (b) is not the borrower or the hirer.(2) If the individual is not a customer, they are to be treated as if they were a customer for the purposes of Principles 6 and 7.(3) For the purposes of this rule, a guarantee does not include a legal or
(1) 1A firm must act honestly, fairly and professionally in accordance with the best interests of its client (the client's best interests rule).(2) This rule applies6:(a) in relation to designated investment business carried on6 for a retail client; 7(b) in relation to MiFID, equivalent third country or optional exemption business5, for any6client; and7(c) in relation to insurance distribution, for any client.7(3) For a management company, this rule applies in relation to any
(1) In order to comply with the client's best interests rule, a firm should not, in any communication to a retail client relating to designated investment business:(a) seek to exclude or restrict; or(b) rely on any exclusion or restriction of;any duty or liability it may have to a client other than under the regulatory system, unless it is honest, fair and professional for it to do so.(2) The general law, including the Unfair Terms Regulations (for contracts entered into before
1It is not possible to provide an exhaustive list of the situations that will give rise to such serious concerns, but they are likely to include one or more of the following characteristics: (1) information indicating significant loss, risk of loss or other adverse effects for consumers, where action is necessary to protect their interests; (2) information indicating that a firm's conduct has put it at risk of being used for the purposes of financial crime, or of being otherwise
1The FCA will consider the full circumstances of each case when it decides whether an urgent variation of Part 4A permission or an imposition of a requirement is appropriate. The following is a non-exhaustive list of factors the FCA may consider. (1) The extent of any loss, or risk of loss, or other adverse effect on consumers. The more serious the loss or potential loss or other adverse effect, the more likely it is that the FCA’s urgent exercise of own-initiative powers will
When considering entering into a first charge regulated mortgage contract2 or varying a first charge regulated mortgage contract2 or home purchase plan, a firm need not apply the rules in MCOB 11.6.2 R to MCOB 11.6.18 R inclusive (as modified by MCOB 11.6.25 R to MCOB 11.6.31 R and MCOB 11.6.33 R to MCOB 11.6.38 R, where applicable) if it has established, acting reasonably, that the following conditions are satisfied:2(1) the customer has: (a) an existing first charge regulated
In accordance with its obligation under Principle 6 to treat its customers fairly, a firm should not treat a customer with whom it enters into or varies a regulated mortgage contract or home purchase plan pursuant to this section 11.7 less favourably than it would treat other customers with similar characteristics, for example by offering less favourable interest rates or other terms.
Under PRIN 3.3.1 R, the territorial application of a number of Principles to a UK MiFID investment firm is extended to the extent that another applicable rule or EU regulation6 which is relevant to an activity has a wider territorial scope. Under PRIN 3.1.1 R, the territorial application of a number of Principles to an EEAMiFID investment firm is narrowed to the extent that responsibility for the matter in question is reserved to the firm'sHome State regulator. These modifications
(1) Certain requirements under MiFID are disapplied for:(a) eligible counterparty business;(b) transactions concluded under the rules governing a multilateral trading facility between its members or participants or between the multilateral trading facility and its members or participants in relation to the use of the multilateral trading facility;(c) transactions concluded on a regulated market between its members or participants.(2) Under PRIN 3.1.6 R, these disapplications may
1Regulation 10(8) of the ECD Regulations provides that if the FCA makes a direction, it may publish, in such manner as it considers appropriate, such information about the matter to which the direction relates as it considers appropriate in furtherance of any of the objectives referred to in paragraph 19.9.3(1) of this guide. However, under Regulation 10(9), the FCA may not publish information relating to a direction if publication would, in the FCA's
opinion, be unfair
1When deciding what information, if any, to publish and the appropriate manner of publication, the FCA will consider the full circumstances of each case. The FCA anticipates that it will generally be appropriate to publish relevant details of a direction, in order to protect and inform consumers. However, in accordance with the Regulation 10(9) prohibition, it will not publish information if it considers that publication would be unfair to the provider or prejudicial to the interests
(1) 2Where a regulated credit agreement or a P2P agreement does not incorporate the terms of a continuous payment authority, CONC 7.6.2AR enables a continuous payment authority to be put in place (for example, for a repayment plan) without necessarily requiring an amendment to the agreement. But CONC 7.6.2AR applies only where the customer is in arrears or default, and the creation of the continuous payment authority supports the fair treatment of the customer and facilitates
Whether exercising rights under a continuous payment authority is reasonable, proportionate and not excessive (as regards the frequency or period of collection attempts), will depend on the circumstances, including:(1) whether the firm is aware or has reason to believe that the customer is in actual or potential financial difficulties which the exercise of rights under a continuous payment authority may exacerbate; and(2) whether the customer has been notified of the failure to
The purpose of MCOB 2.3.2 R(2) is to prevent the requirement in MCOB 2.3.2 R(1) being circumvented by an inducement being given or received by an unregulated associate. There may be circumstances, however, where a firm is able to demonstrate that it could not reasonably have knowledge of an associate giving or receiving an inducement. It should not, however, direct business to another person on the instruction of an associate if this is likely to conflict with the interests of
(1) One aspect of conducting a firm's business with due skill, care and diligence under Principle 2 is that a firm should ensure that it gives appropriate advice to customers residing in the different countries of the UK. Failure to pay proper regard to the differences in options for debt solutions available to those customers and to the differences in enforcement actions and procedures is likely to contravene Principle 2 and may contravene other Principles. [Note: paragraph 3.23d
5References to distributions in COBS 20 includes distributions of distributable profits arising, namely any permanent addition to policy benefits made at the firm's discretion based on the investment or other experience in the fund or more generally. Distributions include those relating to expected payments for which allowance has been made in the technical provisions or to a firm's other liabilities arising from its regulatory duty to treat customers fairly, and not just distributions
(1) If a with-profits fund has an excess surplus, and to retain that surplus would be a breach of Principle 6 (Customers' interests), the firm should make a distribution from that with-profits fund.22(2) Compliance with (1) may be relied on as tending to establish compliance with Principle 6 (Customers' interests).(3) Contravention of (1) may be relied on as tending to establish a contravention of Principle 6 (Customers' interests).
If FCA2 staff recommend that action be taken and they consider that the
decision falls within the responsibility of a senior
staff committee:2(1) in general the FCA2 staff's recommendation will go before the senior
staff committee;2(2) in urgent statutory
notice cases for which a senior
staff committee is responsible, the decision to give the statutory notice may be taken by the chairman
or, if he is unavailable, a deputy chairman of the senior
staff committee, and, if it is practicable,
(1) MCOB 6 amplifies Principle 6 and Principle 7. The purpose of MCOB 6 is to ensure that a customer receives a clear offer document to enable him to check the features and price of thehome finance transaction1 before he enters into it. The offer document should include an updated and suitably adapted illustration (for a regulated mortgage contract) or financial information statement (for a home purchase plan)1 so that the customer can compare it with the one1 he received before
In an exceptionally urgent case the decision to give a supervisory notice may be taken by a member of the FCA's1 executive of at least director of division level if:1(1) FCA1 staff consider that the action should be taken before a recommendation to the Chairman or a Deputy Chairman of the RDC can be made; and1(2) an urgent decision on the proposed action is necessary to protect the interests of consumers.
The Principles
1 Integrity |
A firm must conduct its business with integrity. |
2 Skill, care and diligence |
A firm must conduct its business with due skill, care and diligence. |
3 Management and control |
A firm must take reasonable care to organise and control its affairs responsibly and effectively, with adequate risk management systems. |
4 Financial prudence |
A firm must maintain adequate financial resources. |
5 Market conduct |
A firm must observe proper standards of market conduct. |
6 Customers' interests |
A firm must pay due regard to the interests of its customers and treat them fairly. |
7 Communications with clients |
A firm must pay due regard to the information needs of its clients, and communicate information to them in a way which is clear, fair and not misleading. |
8 Conflicts of interest |
A firm must manage conflicts of interest fairly, both between itself and its customers and between a customer and another client. |
9 Customers: relationships of trust |
A firm must take reasonable care to ensure the suitability of its advice and discretionary decisions for any customer who is entitled to rely upon its judgment. |
10 Clients' assets |
A firm must arrange adequate protection for clients' assets when it is responsible for them. |
11 Relations with regulators |
A firm must deal with its regulators in an open and cooperative way, and must disclose to the FCA1 appropriately anything relating to the firm of which that regulator would reasonably expect notice. |
(1) The steps that an SMCR firm3 must take to ensure3 that its conduct rules staff understand how the rules in COCON apply to them include the provision of suitable training.(2) Suitable training should always ensure that those who are subject to the rules in COCON have an awareness and broad understanding of all of the rules in COCON, and that they also have a deeper understanding of the practical application of the specific rules which are relevant to their work.(3) For example:(a)