Related provisions for PERG 8.11.3
1 - 20 of 30 items.
The Treasury, responding to consultation on the draft Financial Promotion Order, stated its intention that only communications containing a degree of incitement would amount to ‘inducements’ and that communications of purely factual information would not. This is provided the facts are presented in such a way that they do not also amount to an invitation or inducement. This was made clear both in the Treasury’s consultation document on financial promotion and during the passage
Such advertisements are almost invariably intended to create awareness, hopefully generating future business. So they may or may not be inducements. This depends on the extent to which their contents seek to persuade or incite persons to contact the advertiser for details of its services or to do business with it. Merely stating past achievements with no contact details will not be enough to make such an advertisement an inducement. Providing contact details may give the advertisement
Links on a website may take different forms. Some will be inducements. Some of these will be inducements under section 21 and others not. Links which are activated merely by clicking on a name or logo will not be inducements. The links may be accompanied by or included within a narrative or, otherwise, referred to elsewhere on the site. Whether or not such narratives or references are inducements will depend upon the extent to which they may seek to persuade or incite persons
Journalism can take many forms. But typically a journalist may write an editorial piece on a listed company or about the investments or investment services that a particular firm provides or the controlled claims management activity that it carries on8. This may often be in response to a press release. The editorial may or may not contain details of or, on a website, a link to the site of the company or firm concerned. Such editorial may specifically recommend that readers should
Tables or other forms of list may identify products with their relevant features such as interest rates, redemption periods and charges. Again, provided that the tables amount to purely factual information enabling comparison of products they will not be inducements. This includes such things as electronic systems that allow users to programme in their requirements and find details of the products that meet them. Producers of the table or list may, to some extent, expect that
A decision tree (or flow chart) will generally be used in one of two ways. Either it will be an educational tool (for instance, where an employer wishes to help his employees understand their pension options) or a promotional tool. As an educational tool which does no more than enable a person to identify generic investment options it will not be an inducement. But if its use is intended to procure business for an investment firm then it is likely to be an inducement. For example,
These will be advertisements that contain encouragement to contact the advertiser. They are likely to be inducements to do business with him or to get more information from him. If so, they will be inducements to engage in investment activity or to engage in claims management activity8 if they seek to persuade or incite persons to buy or sell investments or to get investment services or services which constitute a controlled claims management activity8. See PERG 8.4.7 G for more
(1) Introductions may take many forms but typically involve an offer to make an introduction or action taken in response to an unsolicited request. An introduction may be an inducement if the introducer is actively seeking to persuade or incite the person he is introducing to do business with the person to whom the introduction is made. So it may fall under section 21 if its purpose is to lead to investment activity or controlled claims management activity8. For example, if a
A person may be distributing financial promotions which have been issued or approved by an authorised person. This may be by displaying copies or delivering them or handing them out whether or not on request. PERG 8.6 explains when such a person will be communicating the financial promotions. Where this is so, the exemption for mere conduits in article 18 of the Financial Promotion Order may apply (see PERG 8.12.18 G). But article 18 will not apply if the distributor creates his
Trading methods and techniques, such as traded options training courses and software-based or manual trading tools will, in many cases, be too remote from any eventual investment dealing activities to be inducements to engage in investment activity. Promotions of such things will be inducements (or invitations) to receive training and general trading tips and techniques. However, such things may be sold on the basis that they are almost certain to produce profits from the trading
An explanation of the terms of an agreement or of the consequences of taking a particular course of action can be merely factual information unless it includes or is accompanied by encouragement to enter into the agreement or take the course of action. The mere fact that the explanation may present the investment in a good light or otherwise influence the recipient will not make it an inducement. Where such communications are financial promotions they may fall under one of the
A person ('A') may enquire:(1) whether another person is certified as a high net worth individual or a sophisticated investor so that A may determine whether an exemption applies; or(2) whether a person has received material sent to him; or(3) how a person might propose to react to a take-over offer. or8(4) whether a person has been involved in an accident.8Enquiries of this or a similar kind will not amount to inducements to engage in investment activity or to engage in claims
Persons may sometimes be asked to send material which has not been prepared for use as a financial promotion to a person who is interested in making an investment. For example, a prospective participant in a Lloyd’s syndicate may ask for a copy of the business plan or forecast prepared by the managing agent to comply with Lloyd’s requirements. As another example, a prospective purchaser of, or investor in, a company may wish to see a valuation report, a due diligence report or
A person ('P') may be engaged, typically by investment product companies, to provide telephone services. Where such services require P to seek to persuade or incite prospective customers to receive investment literature or a personal call or visit from a representative of his principal they will frequently involve inducements to engage in investment activity. This is so whether the inducement results from P making unsolicited calls or by his raising the issue during a call made
Employers and their contracted service providers 6may communicate with employees on matters which involve controlled investments. For example, work-related insurance, staff mortgages,6personal pension schemes (including stakeholder schemes) and other employee benefit schemes other than occupational pension schemes. Interests under the trusts of an occupational pension scheme are not a controlled investment (see paragraph 27 (2) of Schedule 1 to the Financial Promotion Order).In
Although the restriction in section 21 addresses all forms of financial promotion, it is necessary to distinguish between particular types of financial promotion as these are treated differently under the Financial Promotion Order. This regime recognises two types of financial promotion. These are real time and non-real time financial promotions. Real time financial promotions are then divided into solicited or unsolicited real time financial promotions.
The terms real time financial promotion and non-real time financial promotion are defined in article 7 of the Financial Promotion Order (Interpretation: real time communications). Article 7(1) defines a real time financial promotion as a financial promotion made in the course of a personal visit, telephone conversation or other interactive dialogue. A non-real time financial promotion is one that is not a real time financial promotion. Article 7(5) states that financial promotions
In the FCA's view, a communication which may exist in enduring form will be a non-real time communication. Examples of this include videos, audio cassettes, bulletin boards, websites and recorded telephone messages. Messages placed on Internet chat-rooms will also be non-real time. Radio or television programmes or teletext services may contain communications that involve an interactive dialogue. For example, a communication made by the broadcaster and addressed to an interviewee
Article 8(1) of the Financial Promotion Order (Interpretation: solicited and unsolicited real time communications) states that a real time financial promotion is solicited where it is made in the course of a personal visit, telephone conversation or other interactive dialogue which was initiated by or takes place in response to an express request from the recipient. An express request for these purposes may have been made before section 21 entered into force. An unsolicited real
Article 8(3) of the Financial Promotion Order clarifies that a person will not have expressly requested a call, visit or dialogue merely:(1) because he does not indicate that he does not wish to receive any or any further visits or calls or to engage in any or any further dialogue; or(2) because he agrees to standard terms that state that such visits, calls or dialogue will take place, unless he has signified clearly that, in addition to agreeing to the terms, he is willing for
Article 8(3) of the Financial Promotion Order also has the effect in broad terms that financial promotions made during a visit, call or dialogue will be solicited only if they relate to controlled activities or controlled investments or controlled claims management activities1 of the kind to which the recipient envisaged that they would relate. In determining whether this is the case, account must be taken of all the circumstances when the call, visit or dialogue was requested
PERG 8.6.9 G explains that article 6 of the Financial Promotion Order has the broad effect that a communication is made to another person where it is addressed to a particular person or persons. It also states that a ‘recipient’ of a communication is the person or persons to who it is made (that is to whom it is addressed). This takes on importance where certain exemptions which apply to real time financial promotions made to a person are concerned. It appears to the FCA that,
Rights under an agreement for qualifying credit are a controlled investment.Qualifying credit is defined in paragraph 10 of Schedule 1 to the Financial Promotion Order (Controlled activities) as credit provided pursuant to an agreement under which:(1) the lender is a person who carries on the regulated activity of entering into a regulated mortgage contract (whether or not he is an authorised or exempt person under the Act); and(2) the obligation of the borrower to repay is secured
Arranging qualifying credit is a controlled activity under paragraph 10A of Schedule 1 to the Financial Promotion Order; that is, making arrangements:(1) for another person to enter as borrower into an agreement for qualifying credit; or(2) for a borrower under a regulated mortgage contract entered into on or after 31 October 2004 or a borrower under a legacy CCA mortgage contract7 to vary the terms of that contract in such a way as to vary that person’s7 obligations under that
Advising on qualifying credit is8 a controlled activity under paragraph 10B of Schedule 1 to the Financial Promotion Order; that is, advising a person if the advice is:8(1) given to the person in his capacity as a borrower or potential borrower; and(2) advice on the merits of that person’s7 doing any of the following:(a) entering into an agreement for qualifying credit; or(b) varying the terms of a regulated mortgage contract entered into by that person’s7 on or after 31 October
The exemptions in Part IV of the Financial Promotion Order (Exempt communications: all controlled activities) will apply to financial promotions about qualifying credit . Some of the exemptions in Part VI of the Financial Promotion Order (Exempt communications: certain controlled activities) will also apply. Those of particular note are referred to in PERG 8.17.10 G to PERG 8.17.12 G.2
4Rights under a relevant credit agreement are also a controlled investment. A relevant credit agreement is a credit agreement other than a regulated mortgage contract or a regulated home purchase plan. Entering into a relevant credit agreement as lender, or exercising or having the rights to exercise the rights of the lender under such an agreement, is a controlled activity under paragraph 10BA of Schedule 1 to the Financial Promotion Order, except where the agreement is for the
The word ‘communicate’ is extended under section 21(13) of the Act and includes causing a communication to be made. This means that a person who causes the communication of a financial promotion by another person is also subject to the restriction in section 21. Article 6(d) of the Financial Promotion Order also states that the word ‘communicate’ has the same meaning when used in exemptions in the Order. Article 6(a) also states that the word ‘communication’ has the same meaning
The Financial Promotion Order contains an exemption for mere conduits in article 18. It does not follow that all persons who provide services for facilitating the distribution of financial promotions are communicating. Where persons of this kind would normally be unaware of the fact that they may be distributing financial promotions or are indifferent as to whether they are doing so, or both, they will not be regarded as communicating them. This may, for example, include:(1) postal
A general point arises about causing and communicating on whether a particular exemption that applies to a communication made by a specified person also applies to a person who is causing that communication to be made. For example, article 551 of the Financial Promotion Order (Communications by members of professions)1 applies only to a communication by an exempt professional firm.1 This exemption may apply where a person ('P') requests an exempt professional firm ('E') to1communicate
1The position of an unauthorised person (‘U’) who, in the course of business, causes an authorised person to communicate a financial promotion is somewhat different. This is because the authorised person (‘A’) is not subject to section 21 of the Act and so will not necessarily be communicating the financial promotion in circumstances in which an exemption would apply. To avoid any doubt about the application of section 21 to U, a specific exemption is provided in article 17A of
Section 21(1) of the Act refers only to the communication of an invitation or inducement. It says nothing about communications being 'made to' or 'directed at' persons or about who the 'recipient' of a communication will be. These facts are determined by the following sequence:(1) section 21(13) of the Act indicates that communications are 'made';(2) article 6 of the Financial Promotion Order (Interpretation: communications) indicates that communications are made by being 'addressed
In the FCA's opinion, the matters in PERG 8.6.9 G have the following effects.(1) Any one particular communication will either be real time or non-real time but not both. This is because:(a) a real time communication is one made in the course of an interactive dialogue (see PERG 8.10.2 G for guidance on the meaning of real time);(b) those exemptions which concern real time communications apply only to communications which are made to persons and not those which are directed at
The exemption applies whether or not the financial promotion is made from the United Kingdom. However, there is the exception that, if it is an unsolicited real time financial promotion, it must be made from a place outside the United Kingdom and be for the purposes of a business carried on entirely outside the United Kingdom. 922
Articles 12(3) and (4) of the Financial Promotion Order (subject to article 12(5) – see PERG 8.12.8 G) have the effect that, where a financial promotion is directed from a place outside the United Kingdom, it will be conclusive proof that it is not directed at persons in the United Kingdom even if it is received by a person in the United Kingdom, if:(1) the financial promotion is not referred to in or directly accessible from another communication (for example, an advertisement
There is no definition in the Financial Promotion Order of what ‘proper systems and procedures’ are, and the matter will ultimately be for the courts to determine. This is unsurprising as systems and procedures may take many different forms depending upon the precise circumstances in which financial promotions are made. But it is clear that persons seeking conclusive proof that the exemption applies must consciously make arrangements to prevent their dealing with certain recipients
In any case, some but not all of the conditions referred to in PERG 8.12.5G (1) to PERG 8.12.5G (2) and PERG 8.12.7G (1) to PERG 8.12.7G (2) (or the additional condition that the communication is included in a website, newspaper or periodical publication which is principally accessed in or intended for a non-UK market or in a radio or television broadcast or teletext service transmitted principally for reception overseas) may be met. In these cases, those conditions being satisfied
The effect of PERG 8.12.27G (1) is that a journalist will not breach section 21 by not disclosing a financial interest, providing that the publication, service or broadcast concerned operates proper systems and procedures. As with the exemption in article 12 of the Financial Promotion Order (see PERG 8.12.6 G), what proper systems and procedures are will be a matter ultimately for the courts to determine and may vary according to the medium used. It will depend upon all the circumstances
The FCA considers the effect of each of the conditions in PERG 8.14.3G (1) to PERG 8.14.3G (3) to be as follows.(1) The first condition requires the financial promotion to be made, so ruling out any financial promotions which are directed at persons. The effect of article 6(b) and (e) of the Financial Promotion Order is that a communication is made to a person when it is addressed to him and that person to whom the financial promotion is addressed is its recipient. This means
There are a number of exemptions in the Financial Promotion Order relating to financial promotions sent into the United Kingdom by an overseas communicator who does not carry on certain controlled activities in the United Kingdom. These exemptions apply in addition to any other exemptions which may apply to any particular financial promotion by an overseas communicator. The article 30-33 exemptions do not apply to any communications in respect of controlled claims management
A self-certified sophisticated investor is an individual who has signed a statement in the form prescribed in Part II (Statement for certified sophisticated investor) of Schedule 5 to the Financial Promotion Order. This requires the individual to certify that one or more of the following statements apply to him:(1) he is a member of a network or syndicate of business angels and has been so for at least the last six months prior to the date on which the certificate was signed;
The exemption in article 62 of the Financial Promotion Order applies to any financial promotioncommunicated by or on behalf of a body corporate, a partnership, an individual or a group of connected individuals. The financial promotion must relate to a transaction which is one to acquire or dispose of shares in a body corporate and either:(1) it is the case that:(a) the shares, in addition, where appropriate, to any shares already held by the buyer, amount to 50% or more of the
A group of connected individuals is defined in article 62(4) of the Financial Promotion Order as being a group of persons each of whom is (for sellers) or is to be (for buyers):(1) a director or manager of the body corporate;(2) a close relative of such a person; or(3) a person acting as trustee for a person as referred to in (1) or (2)
Several exemptions, including article 43 of the Financial Promotion Order (Members and creditors of certain bodies corporate), apply only in relation to relevant investments being shares or debentures or alternative debentures7 in the body corporate or a member of its group, or warrants or certificates representing certain securities relating to such shares or debentures or alternative debentures.7 In the FCA's view, an exchangeable debt security which is partly a debenture or
The exemptions for bearer instruments (articles 41 and 42 of the Financial Promotion Order) relate to financial promotions made to or directed at persons entitled to bearer instruments. For clarity, the FCA takes the view that persons who hold bearer instruments through a clearing system such as Euroclear or Clearstream are persons entitled to those instruments for the purposes of articles 41 and 42.
The various exemptions in the Financial Promotion Order are split into three categories:(1) exemptions applicable to all controlled activities (Part IV of the Order);(2) exemptions applicable only to controlled activities concerning deposits and contracts of insurance other than life policies (Part V of the Order); and(3) exemptions applicable to any other types of controlled activity (Part VI of the Order).
In a few instances, the requirements of a particular exemption may affect the practicality of its being combined with another. These are article 12 (Communications to overseas recipients) and article 52 (Common interest group of a company). Article 12, for example, requires that financial promotions must be made to or directed only at overseas persons and certain persons in the United Kingdom. This presents no difficulty with article 12 being combined with other exemptions in
A number of exemptions require that a financial promotion must be accompanied by certain indications. Article 9 of the Financial Promotion Order states that indications must be presented in a way that can be easily understood and in such manner as is ‘best calculated’ to bring the matter to the recipient’s attention. In the FCA's opinion, the expression ‘best calculated’ should be construed in a sensible manner. It does not, for instance, demand that the indication be presented
The exemptions in Part V of the Financial Promotion Order concern financial promotions relating to deposits and contracts of insurance2. The exemptions may be combined with exemptions in Part IV and1 Part VI (see PERG 8.11.3 G (Types of exemption under the Financial Promotion Order).1 The exemptions in Part V do not apply to life policies or structured deposits.21
Part V provides two kinds of exemption of a general nature and one specific exemption. The exemptions of a general nature are:(1) any form of real time financial promotion (articles 23 (Deposits: real time communications) and 26 (Relevant insurance activity; real time communications)); and(2) non-real time financial promotions containing certain specified information including the name, country of incorporation (if relevant) and principal place of business of the deposit-taker
PERG 8.21.4 G to PERG 8.21.21 G set out the FCA's views on the potential relevance of certain exemptions to company statements and briefings. The exemptions are referred to in the same order as the Financial Promotion Order. In the FCA's view, these exemptions (whether alone or, where applicable, in combination) should enable most statements and briefings which involve financial promotions to be made by the company concerned without the need for approval. In particular, the FCA
Where statements or briefings are only available to analysts who are, or who work for, authorised persons (including overseas persons who would need to be authorised if they were conducting their business in the United Kingdom), article 19 will exempt any financial promotion that may be made (see PERG 8.12.21 G). Furthermore, where a financial promotion is made in the course of an interactive dialogue with an analyst and is addressed to him, the financial promotion will be regarded
Article 67 exempts any financial promotion other than an unsolicited real time financial promotion which relates to shares, debentures, alternative debentures3, government and public securities, warrants or certificates representing certain securities which are permitted to be traded or dealt in on a relevant market. A relevant market for the purposes of article 67 is one which meets the criteria in Part I of, or is specified in or established under the rules of an exchange specified
Article 68 applies where the financial promotion relates to securities which have not yet been admitted to trading but for which application has been or is to be made. It exempts a non-real time or a solicited real-time financial promotion which a relevant EEA market requires to be communicated before admission to trading can be granted. A relevant EEA market for this purpose is a market with its head office in an EEA State and which meets the conditions in Part I of5 Schedule
This appears to give a potentially broad jurisdictional scope to section 21. It seems clear that a communication which originates overseas will be capable of having an effect in the United Kingdom if it is an invitation or inducement to engage in investment activity which is communicated to a person in the United Kingdom. It would seem that communications made in other circumstances may also be capable of having an effect in the United Kingdom. However, the exemption for communications
Table Application of Exemptions to Forms of Promotions
Financial Promotion Order |
Applies to |
|||
Article No. |
Title and PERG 8 reference (where applicable) |
Unsolicited real time |
Solicited real time |
Non-real time (solicited or unsolicited) |
12 |
Communications to overseas recipients (8.12.2G) |
*1 |
* |
* |
13 |
Communications from customers and potential customers (8.12.9G) |
* |
* |
* |
14 |
Follow up non-real time communications and solicited real time communications (8.12.10G) |
* |
* |
|
15 |
Introductions (8.12.11G) |
* |
* |
*1 |
16 |
Exempt persons (8.12.12G) |
*2 |
*3 |
*3 |
17 |
Generic promotions (8.12.14G and 8.21.4G) |
* |
* |
* |
17A1 |
Communications caused to be made or directed by unauthorised persons (8.6.7AG) |
* |
* |
* |
18 |
Mere conduits (8.12.18G) |
* |
* |
* |
18A |
Outgoing electronic commerce communications: mere conduits, caching and hosting (8.12.18G)1 |
* |
* |
* |
19 |
Investment professionals (8.12.21G and 8.21.5G) |
* |
* |
* |
20 |
Communications by journalists (8.12.23G) |
* |
||
20A |
Promotion broadcast by company director etc (8.12.23G and 8.21.6G) |
* |
* |
* |
22 |
Deposits : non-real time communications (8.13) |
* |
||
23 |
Deposits : real time communications (8.13) |
* |
* |
|
24 |
Relevant insurance activity : non-real time communications (8.13) |
* |
||
25 |
Relevant insurance activity : non-real time communications : reinsurance and large risks (8.13) |
* |
||
26 |
Relevant insurance activity : real time communications (8.13) |
* |
* |
|
28 |
One-off non-real time communications and solicited real time communications (8.14.3G) |
* |
* |
|
28A |
One-off unsolicited real time communications (8.14.11G) |
* |
||
28B1 |
Real time communications: introductions in connection with qualifying credit (8.17.12G) |
* |
* |
|
29 |
Communications required or authorised by enactments |
* |
* |
* |
30 |
Overseas communicators: solicited real time communications (8.14.15G) |
* |
||
31 |
Overseas communicators: non-real time communications to previously overseas customers (8.14.17G) |
* |
||
32 |
Overseas communicators: unsolicited real time communications to previously overseas customers (8.14.16G) |
* |
||
33 |
Overseas communicators: unsolicited real time communications to knowledgeable customers (8.14.16G) |
* |
||
34 |
Governments, central banks etc |
* |
* |
|
35 |
Industrial and provident societies |
* |
* |
|
37 |
Financial markets |
* |
* |
|
38 |
Persons in the business of placing promotional material |
* |
* |
* |
39 |
Joint enterprises (8.14.19G) |
* |
* |
* |
40 |
Participants in certain recognised collective investment schemes |
* |
* |
|
41 |
Bearer instruments: promotions required or permitted by market rules (8.14.42G) |
* |
* |
|
42 |
Bearer instruments: promotions to existing holders (8.14.42G) |
* |
* |
|
43 |
Members and creditors of certain bodies corporate (8.14.41G and 8.21.8G) |
* |
* |
|
44 |
Members and creditors of open-ended investment companies |
* |
* |
|
45 |
Group companies |
* |
* |
* |
46 |
Qualifying credit to bodies corporate (8.17.10G)1 |
* |
* |
*10 |
1046A |
Promotions of credit etc. for business purposes (8.17-A.10G) |
* |
* |
* |
47 |
Persons in the business of disseminating information (8.21.10G) |
* |
* |
* |
48 |
Certified high net worth individuals (8.14.21G) |
* |
* |
|
49 |
High net worth companies, unincorporated associations etc (8.14.25G) |
* |
* |
* |
50 |
Sophisticated investors (8.14.27G) |
* |
* |
* |
50A |
Self-certified sophisticated investors {8.14.28AG) |
*5 |
* |
* |
51 |
Associations of high net worth or sophisticated investors (8.14.29G) |
* |
* |
|
52 |
Common interest group of a company (8.14.30G) |
* |
* |
|
53 |
Settlors, trustees and personal representatives |
* |
* |
* |
54 |
Beneficiaries of trust, will or intestacy |
* |
* |
* |
55 |
Communications by members of professions (8.15.1G) |
* |
* |
|
55A |
Non-real time communication by members of the professions. (8.15.5G) |
* |
||
56 |
Remedy following report by Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration |
* |
* |
* |
57 |
Persons placing promotional material in particular publications |
* |
* |
* |
58 |
Acquisition of interest in premises run by management companies |
* |
* |
|
59 |
Annual accounts and directors' report (8.21.11G) |
* |
* |
* |
60 |
Participation in employee shares schemes |
* |
* |
* |
61 |
Sale of goods and supply of services |
* |
* |
|
62 |
Sale of body corporate (8.14.35G) |
* |
* |
* |
64 |
Takeovers of relevant unlisted companies |
* |
* |
* |
65 |
Takeovers of relevant unlisted companies: warrants etc |
* |
* |
* |
66 |
Takeovers of relevant unlisted companies: application forms |
* |
* |
* |
67 |
Promotions required or permitted by market rules (8.21.13G) |
* |
* |
|
68 |
Promotions in connection with admission to certain EEA markets (8.21.16G) |
* |
* |
|
69 |
Promotions of securities already admitted to certain markets (8.21.17G) |
* |
*1 |
|
701 |
Promotions included in listing particulars etc (8.21.20G)1 |
*1 |
||
711 |
Material relating to prospectus for public offer of unlisted securities |
*1 |
||
721 |
Pension products offered by employers (8.14.40AG8) |
* |
* |
* |
872A |
Pension product offers communicated to employees by third parties (8.14.40AAG) |
* |
* |
* |
872B |
Insurance product offers communicated to employees by employers (8.14.40ABG) |
* |
* |
* |
872C |
Insurance products offers communicated to employees by third parties (8.14.40ACG) |
* |
* |
* |
872D |
Staff mortgage offers communicated to employees by employers (8.14.40ADG) |
* |
* |
* |
872E |
Staff mortgage offers communicated to employees by third parties (8.14.40AEG) |
* |
* |
*10 |
1072F |
Credit agreements offered to employees by employers |
* |
* |
* |
731 |
Advice centres (8.14.40B) |
* |
* |
* |
1 in limited circumstances only – see article 12(2) of the Financial Promotion Order |
||||
2 for the purpose of article 16 (2) only |
||||
3 for the purpose of article 16 (1) only1 |
||||
Article 55 of the Financial Promotion Order contains a specific exemption for professional firms allowing them to make solicited or unsolicited real time financial promotions. This is provided the financial promotion is made:(1) by a person who carries on a regulated activity without needing authorisation under the Part XX exemption; and(2) to someone who has already (that is, before the financial promotion is made) engaged the person making the financial promotion to provide
One of the effects of the requirements in PERG 8.15.2 G concerns financial promotions which relate to an activity which is not a regulated activity as the result of an exclusion in the Regulated Activities Order. In this case, a professional firm using the Part XX exemption cannot make a real time financial promotion relying on article 55 of the Financial Promotion Order unless the exclusion is provided by article 67 of the Regulated Activities Order. Neither can a professional
Article 55A of the Financial Promotion Order exempts non-real time financial promotions where the financial promotion:1(1) is made by a person who carries on a regulated activity without needing authorisation under the Part XX exemption (referred to in PERG 8.15.6 G and PERG 8.15.7 G as ‘Part XX activities’); and(2) contains a specified statement and is limited in its content to the matters referred to in PERG 8.15.6 G.
Operating an electronic system in relation to lending is a controlled activity. For the purposes of this controlled activity, the controlled investment of rights under a relevant credit agreement includes rights under an agreement within paragraph 4C(4) of Schedule 1 to the Financial Promotion Order (which is similar to an agreement within article 36H of the Regulated Activities Order, guidance on which is given in PERG 2.7.10 G).
Financial promotions about relevant consumer credit or consumer hire are subject to the exemptions in Part IV of the Financial Promotion Order (Exempt communications: all controlled activities). A number of the exemptions in Part VI of the Financial Promotion Order (Exempt communications: certain controlled activities) also apply. Guidance on some of these (which apply to financial promotions about both qualifying credit and relevant consumer credit) is given in PERG 8.17.10 G
(1) Article 46A of the Financial Promotion Order exempts a communication which relates to the controlled activities of operating an electronic system in relation to lending, providing relevant consumer credit or providing consumer hire. (2) This exemption applies only if the communication: (a) indicates clearly that a person is willing to engage in the investment activity for the purposes of another person's business; and (b) does not indicate (by express words or otherwise) that
The basic restriction on the communication of financial promotions is in section 21(1) of the Act. Sections 21(2) and (5) disapply the restriction in certain circumstances. Their combined effect is that a person must not, in the course of business, communicate an invitation or inducement to engage in investment activity unless:(1) he is an authorised person; or(2) the content of the communication is approved for the purposes of section 21 by an authorised person; or(3) the communication
In particular, this guidance covers:(1) invitations and inducements (see PERG 8.4);(2) meaning of 'in the course of business' (see PERG 8.5);(3) meaning of 'communicate' (see PERG 8.6);(4) meaning of 'engage in investment activity' (see PERG 8.7);(4A) meaning of ‘engage in claims management activity’ (see PERG 8.7A);2(5) meaning of 'having an effect in the United Kingdom' (see PERG 8.8);(6) circumstances where the restriction in section 21 does not apply (see PERG 8.9);(7) types
This guidance is issued under section 139A of the Act. It represents the FCA's views and does not bind the courts. For example, it would not bind the courts in an action for damages brought by a private person for breach of a rule (see section 138D of the Act (Actions for damages)), or in relation to the enforceability of a contract where there has been a breach of sections 19 (The general prohibition) or 21 (Restrictions on financial promotion) of the Act (see sections 26 to
The application of section 21 of the Act and of exemptions in the Financial Promotion Order to invitations or inducements about insurance distribution activities1 will vary depending on the type of activity. The implementation of the IDD1 has not led to any changes in the definitions of a controlled investment or a controlled activity under the Financial Promotion Order. So:(1) rights under any contract of insurance are a controlled investment;(2) rights to or interests in rights
This means that an insurance intermediary will not be communicating a financial promotion:(1) where the only activity to which the promotion relates is assisting in the administration and performance of a contract of insurance; or(2) purely by reason of his inviting or inducing persons to make use of his advisory or arranging services where they relate only to general insurance contracts or pure protection contracts or both.But as regards (2), an intermediary will be communicating
Article 10 of the Financial Promotion Order (Application to qualifying contracts of insurance) precludes any of the exemptions from applying to a financial promotion which invites or induces a person to enter into a life policy with a person who is not:(1) an authorised person; or(2) an exempt person who is exempt in relation to effecting or carrying out contracts of insurance of the class to which the promotion relates; or(3) [deleted]2(4) a company authorised in one of the following