Related provisions for IPRU-INV 13.1.16
1 - 20 of 125 items.
(1) Under the section heading "What you have told us", the illustration must state the information that has been obtained from the customer under MCOB 9.4.6 R and MCOB 9.3.12 R (apart from MCOB 9.4.6 R(1) and MCOB 9.4.6 R(5) which are provided for in Section 5 of the illustration ), and can include brief details of any other information that has been obtained from the customer and used to produce the illustration.(2) Where the customer requests an additional illustration showing
Under the section heading "What fees must you pay?" the illustration must:(1) itemise all the fees that are included in the calculation of the APR in accordance with MCOB 10 (Annual Percentage Rate), excluding any charges for insurance set out in Section 12 in accordance with MCOB 9.4.72 R; and1(2) include a statement at the end of the section using the following text:"You may have to pay other taxes or costs in addition to any fees shown here.".
An example of a fee that would be included in Section 11 would be an administrative charge to redeem thelifetime mortgage.7 An example of a fee that would not be included would be a fee payable by the customer to insure their property elsewhere (however this would need to be stated in the separate "Insurance" section as required by MCOB 9.4.72 R). Where fees are payable only on early repayment of thelifetime mortgage.7 they should not be stated here (however these fees would need
(1) Under the section heading "Insurance" the illustration must include details of:(a) insurance which is a tied product and(b) insurance which is required as a condition of the lifetime mortgage7 which is not a tied product7(2) Under this section heading a firm may also provide details of insurance which is optional for the customer to take out.(3) It must be clear to the customer which products he is required to purchase under which circumstances (for example, where both a tied
Under the sub-heading 'Insurance you must take out through [insert name of mortgage lender or where relevant the name of the mortgage intermediary, or both]' the following information must be included if the lifetime mortgage7 requires the customer to take out insurance that is a tied product either through the mortgage lender or where relevant the mortgage intermediary:7(1) details of which insurance is a tied product;(2) for how long the customer is obliged to purchase the insurance;(3)
If the lifetime mortgage7 does not require the customer to take out insurance as a tied product, the sub-heading "Insurance you must take out through [insert name of mortgage lender and where relevant the name of the mortgage intermediary] "must be retained and a statement must be provided under this heading that the customer is not obliged to take out any insurance through the mortgage lender or, where relevant, the mortgage intermediary.7
The following information must be included under the sub-heading "Insurance you must take out as a condition of this mortgage but that you do not have to take out through [insert name of mortgage lender or where relevant the name of the mortgage intermediary, or both]":(1) if the lifetime mortgage7 requires the customer to take out an insurance policy (other than that which is a tied product which the customer is obliged to purchase through the mortgage lender or where relevant
Under the sub-heading "Insurance you must take out as a condition of this mortgage but that you do not have to take out through [insert name of mortgage lender or where relevant the name of the mortgage intermediary, or both]", the illustration should not include any insurance policy that may be taken out by a mortgage lender itself to protect its own interests rather than the customer's interests, for example, because of the ratio of the loan amount to the property value.1
If the cost of any insurance that the mortgage lender might take out to protect its own interests because of the ratio of the loan to the property value is passed on to the customer, it will be shown elsewhere in the illustration, for example as a higher lending charge or in the interest rate charged.
A firm may include in the illustration, under the sub-heading "Optional insurance", quotations (estimated where necessary) for any insurance products (other than the insurance products covered elsewhere in the illustration in accordance with MCOB 9.4.72 R and MCOB 9.4.76 R) that the firm issuing the illustration wishes to sell to the customer.
(1) If any quotations for insurance are included in the illustration in accordance with MCOB 9.4.73 R(3), MCOB 9.4.76 R(1) or MCOB 9.4.79 R, the illustration:(a) must include a brief description only of the type of insurance (full details of the insurance cover may however be provided separately); and(b) (i) must include the total price to be paid by the customer in a column on the right hand side of the illustration under the heading "[insert frequency of payments quoted] payments";
MCOB 9.4.111 R(3) would require, for example, a reference to the fact that the overall cost takes into account mortgage payment protection insurance where this is required as a condition of the lifetime mortgage7 to which the illustration relates. The requirement to take out such insurance must be stated in Sections 5 and 12 of the illustration in accordance with MCOB 9.4.24 R(7), MCOB 9.4.72 R or MCOB 9.4.76 R.7
(1) 8Under the section heading "What you have told us", the illustration must state the minimum information a firm must obtain from the customer (apart from details of the plan that the customer is interested in, which is in Section 5 of the illustration), and can include brief details of any other information that has been obtained from the customer and used to produce the illustration.(2) For an instalment reversion plan, where the customer requests an additional illustration
8Under the section heading "What fees must you pay?" the illustration must: (1) itemise all the fees that the customer must pay, excluding any charges for insurance set out in Section 10 of the illustration; and(2) include a statement regarding taxes and costs using the following text: "You may have to pay other taxes or costs in addition to any fees shown here.".
(1) 8Under the section heading "Insurance" the illustration must include details of:(a) insurance which is a tied product; and(b) insurance which is required as a condition of the home reversion plan which is not a tied product.(2) Under this section heading a firm may also provide details of insurance which is optional for the customer to take out.(3) It must be clear to the customer which products he is required to purchase under which circumstances (for example, where both
8The following information must be included if the home reversion plan requires the customer to take out insurance that is a tied product either through the reversion provider or the reversion intermediary:(1) details of which insurance is a tied product;(2) the name of the firm imposing the requirement for the insurance;(3) for how long the customer is obliged to purchase the insurance;(4) an accurate quotation or a reasonable estimate of any payments the customer needs to make
8The following information must be included if the insurance required, as a condition of the home reversion plan, is not a tied product:(1) a brief statement of the type of insurance the firm requires; a quotation for such insurance may be included in the illustration, estimated where necessary; and(2) if a charge is made if the customer does not arrange insurance through the reversion provider or the reversion intermediary, this must be stated, together with the amount of the
(1) 8If any quotations for insurance are included in the illustration it:(a) must include a brief description of the type of insurance; (b) must include the total price to be paid by the customer in a column on the right hand side of the illustration under the heading "[insert frequency of payments quoted] payments"; and(c) may refer the customer to the relevant insurance product disclosure documentation.(2) If the customer has asked to deduct any insurance premiums or insurance-related
(1) Under the section heading 'What you have told us', the illustration must state the information that has been obtained from the customer under MCOB 5.6.6 R (apart from MCOB 5.6.6 R(1) which is provided for in Section 4 of the illustration), and can include brief details of any other information that has been obtained from the customer and used to produce the illustration.(2) If the amount on which the illustration is based includes the amount that the customer wants to borrow
Under the section heading 'What fees must you pay?' the illustration must:(1) itemise all the fees that are included in the calculation of the APR in accordance with MCOB 10 (Annual Percentage Rate), excluding any charges for insurance set out in Section 9 in accordance with MCOB 5.6.73 R; and1(2) include a statement at the end of the section using the following text:'You may have to pay other taxes or costs in addition to any fees shown here.'
An example of a fee that would normally be included in Section 8 would be a fee to re-inspect a property after completion of works if it is known that this fee will be charged at the time the illustration is produced. An example of a fee that would not be included would be a fee payable by the customer to insure their property elsewhere (however this would need to be stated in Section 9 of the illustration 'Insurance', as required by MCOB 5.6.77 R(2)). Fees payable upon repayment
(1) Under the section heading 'Insurance' the illustration must include details of:(a) insurance which is a tied product; and(b) insurance which is required as a condition of the regulated mortgage contract which is not a tied product.(2) A firm may also provide details of insurance which it is optional for the customer to take out under this section heading.(3) It must be clear to the customer which products he is required to purchase under which circumstances (for example, where
Under the sub-heading 'Insurance you must take out through [insert name of mortgage lender or where relevant the name of the mortgage intermediary, or both]' the following information must be included if the regulated mortgage contract requires the customer to take out insurance that is a tied product either through the mortgage lender or where relevant the mortgage intermediary:(1) details of which insurance is a tied product;(2) for how long the customer is obliged to purchase
If the regulated mortgage contract does not require the customer to take out insurance as a tied product, the sub-heading 'Insurance you must take out through [insert the name of the mortgage lender, and where relevant the name of the mortgage intermediary]' must be retained and a statement must be provided under this heading that the customer is not obliged to take out any insurance through the mortgage lender or, where relevant, the mortgage intermediary.
The following information must be included under the sub-heading 'Insurance you must take out as a condition of this mortgage but that you do not have to take out through [insert the name of the mortgage lender, or where relevant the name of the mortgage intermediary, or both]':(1) if the regulated mortgage contract requires the customer to take out an insurance policy (other than that which is a tied product which the customer is obliged to purchase through the mortgage lender,
Under the sub-heading 'Insurance you must take out as a condition of this mortgage but that you do not have to take out through [insert name of mortgage lender or where relevant the name of the mortgage intermediary, or both]' the illustration should not include any insurance policy that may be taken out by a mortgage lender itself to protect its own interests rather than the customer's interests, for example, because of the ratio of the loan amount to the property value.1
If the cost of any insurance that the mortgage lender might take out to protect its own interests, because of the ratio of the loan amount to the property value, is passed on to the customer, it will be shown elsewhere in the illustration, for example, as a higher lending charge or in the interest rate charged.
A firm may include in the illustration, under the sub-heading 'Optional insurance', quotations (estimated where necessary) for any insurance products (other than the insurance products covered elsewhere in the illustration in accordance with MCOB 5.6.74 R and MCOB 5.6.77 R) that the firm issuing the illustration wishes to promote to the customer.
(1) If any quotations for insurance are included in the illustration in accordance with MCOB 5.6.74 R(3), MCOB 5.6.77 R(1) or MCOB 5.6.80 R, the illustration:(a) must include a brief description only of the type of insurance (full details of the insurance cover may however be provided separately); and(b) (i) must include the total price to be paid by the customer in a column on the right hand side of the illustration under the heading '[insert frequency of payments quoted] payments';
(1) In calculating example cash amounts in accordance with MCOB 5.6.84 R(1)(f), it must be assumed that:(a) the regulated mortgage contract is repaid in full;(b) unless the original amount borrowed is used, that all payments due on the regulated mortgage contract are actually paid;(c) additional fees and charges such as insurance premiums have been paid; and(d) no underpayments or overpayments have been made.(2) If:(a) cashbacks or other incentives need to be repaid; or(b) fees
Where an insurance transaction
involves more than one firm acting
in a chain such that for example money is
transferred from a "producing" broker who has received client money from a consumer5 to an intermediate broker and thereafter to an insurance
undertaking, each broker firm will
owe obligations to its immediate client to
segregate client money which
it receives (in this example the producing broker in relation to the consumer5and the intermediate broker in relation to the
If it is prudent to do so to ensure that client money is protected (and provided that
doing so would otherwise be in accordance with CASS
5.5.63 R (1)(b)(ii)),2 a firm may pay into, or maintain in, a client bank account money of its own, and
that money will then become client money for the purposes of CASS 5 and the client money (insurance)
distribution rules.
A firm can
hold client money in either
a general client bank account (CASS 5.5.38 R) or a designated client bank account (CASS 5.5.39 R). A firm holds all client money in general
client bank accounts for its clients as
part of a common pool of money so
those particular clients do
not have a claim against a specific sum in a specific account; they only have
a claim to the client money in
general. A firm holds client money in designated
client bank accounts for those clients who
requested
(1) A firm may draw down commission from
the client bank account if:(a) it
has received the premium from
the client (or from a third party premium finance
provider on the client's behalf);2 and(b) this
is consistent with the firm'sterms of business which it maintains with
the relevant client and 2the insurance undertaking to
whom the premium will become2 payable;and the firm may
draw down commission before
payment of the premium to the insurance undertaking, provided that the
conditions
(1) As
soon as commission becomes due
to the firm (in accordance with CASS
5.5.16 R (1)) it must be treated as a remittance which must be withdrawn in
accordance with CASS
5.5.16 R (2). 2The procedure required by CASS 5.5.16 R will also 2apply where moneyis 2due and payable 2to the firm in
respect of fees due from clients (whether to the firm or
other professionals).(2) Firms are reminded that money received
in accordance with CASS
5.2 must not,
except where a firm and an insurance
If client
money is received in accordance with CASS 5.5.19 R,
the firm must ensure that its appointed representatives, field representatives or other agents keep client money (whether in the form of premiums, claims money or premium refunds) separately identifiable
from any other money (including
that of the firm) until the client money is paid into a client bank account or sent to the firm.
(1) CASS 5.5.23 R allows a firm with appointed representatives, field representatives and other agents to
avoid the need for the representative to
forward client money on a daily
basis but instead requires a firm to
segregate into its client money bank account amounts
which it reasonably estimates to be sufficient to cover the amount of client money which the firm expects
its representatives or agents
to receive and hold over a given period. At the expiry of each such period,
the
A firm may
hold client money with a bank
that is not an approved bank if
all the following conditions are met:(1) the client money relates to one or more insurance
transactions which are subject to the law or market practice of a jurisdiction
outside the United Kingdom;(2) because
of the applicable law or market practice of that overseas jurisdiction, it
is not possible to hold the client money in
a client bank account with an approved bank;(3) the firm holds the money with
such
The client
money resource, for the purposes of CASS
5.5.63 R (1)(a),2 is:(1) the
aggregate of the balances on the firm's client money
bank accounts, as at the close of business on the previous business day and, if held in accordance with CASS
5.4, designated investments (valued
on a prudent and consistent basis) together with client
money held by a third party in accordance with CASS 5.5.34 R;
and(2) (but
only if the firm is comparing
the client money resource with
its client's
The individual client balance
for each client must be calculated
as follows:(1) the
amount paid by a client to the firm (to include all premiums);
plus(2) the
amount due to the client (to
include all claims and premium refunds);
plus(3) the
amount of any interest or investment returns due to the client;(4) less
the amount paid to insurance undertakings for
the benefit of the client (to
include all premiums and commission due
to itself) (i.e. commissions that
are due but have not
A firm's client money (accruals)
requirement is the sum of the following:(1) all
insurance creditors shown in the firm's business
ledgers as amounts due to insurance undertakings, clients and other persons;
plus(2) unearned commission 2being the amount of commission 2shown as accrued (but not shown
as due 2and payable) as at the date of
the calculation (a prudent estimate must be used if the firm is
unable to produce an exact figure at the date of the calculation).
UK-based persons must obtain Part 4A permission in relation to their insurance distribution activities5 in the United Kingdom as one of the following:(1) a body corporate whose registered office is situated in the United Kingdom; or(2) a partnership or unincorporated association whose head office is situated in the United Kingdom; or(3) an individual (that is, a sole trader) whose residence is situated in the United Kingdom.5
The meaning of contract of insurance is set out in article 3(1) of the Regulated Activities Order (Interpretation). It does not include benefit-in-kind funeral plans, which are specified in article 60 of the Regulated Activities Order (plans covered by insurance or trust arrangements). Such funeral plans (to the extent that they are insurance) are also excluded from theSolvency II Directive.7 It covers some contracts which might not otherwise be viewed as insurance in the United
Some of the exclusions referred to in the Solvency II Directive7 mirror exclusions in the Regulated Activities Order. So, the exclusion for breakdown insurance in article 6 of the Solvency II Directive7 is matched by a slightly narrower exclusion in article 12 of the Regulated Activities Order (Breakdown insurance). The separate treatment of benefit-in-kind funeral plans under the Regulated Activities Order (see SUP App 3.10.4 G) is matched by their exclusion on a slightly wider
Under the Act and the Regulated Activities Order, the activities of effecting and carrying out contracts of insurance are treated as being carried on in the United Kingdom on the basis of legal tests under which the location of the risk is only one factor. If the risk is located in the United Kingdom, then (other relevant factors being taken into account) the activity will, in the vast majority of cases, also be viewed as carried on in the United Kingdom. There are exceptions,
Medical schemes under which an employer operates or contributes to a fund, from which the employee has a right to a benefit (for example, a payment) on the occurrence of a specified illness or injury, are likely to be insurance schemes. This will be the case whether the employee makes any contribution to the fund, or the scheme is funded by the employer as an emolument. The scheme would not be insurance, however, if the employer has an absolute discretion whether or not to provide
Under a simple manufacturer's or retailer's warranty the purchase price of the goods includes an amount, in consideration of which the manufacturer undertakes an obligation (the warranty) to respond (without further expense to the purchaser) to specified defects in the product that emerge within a defined time after purchase. When the warranty operates, the manufacturer or retailer provides repairs or replacement products in response to a defined event (the emergence of a latent
A manufacturer or retailer may undertake an obligation to ensure that the customer becomes a party to a separate contract of insurance in respect of the goods sold. This would include, for example, a contract for the sale of a freezer, with a simple warranty in relation to the quality of the freezer, but also providing insurance (underwritten by an insurer and in respect of which the customer is the policyholder) covering loss of frozen food if the freezer fails. The FCA is unlikely
The FCA distinguishes the contract in PERG 6.7.15 G from a contract under which the manufacturer or retailer assumes the obligation to provide the customer with an indemnity against loss or damage if the freezer fails, but takes out insurance to cover the cost of having to provide the indemnity to the customer. The obligation to indemnify is of a different nature from the seller's or supplier's usual obligations as regards the quality of goods or services and is an insurance obligation.
The following are examples of typical warranty schemes operated by motor dealers. Provided that, in each case, the FCA is satisfied that the obligations assumed by the dealer are not significantly more extensive in content, scope or duration that a dealer's usual obligations as to the quality of motor vehicles of that kind, the FCA would not usually classify the contracts embodying these transactions as contracts of insurance.(1) The dealer gives a verbal undertaking to the purchaser
The activity in article 25(1) is carried on only if the arrangements bring about, or would bring about, the transaction to which the arrangement relates. This is because of the exclusion in article 26 of the Regulated Activities Order (Arrangements not causing a deal). Article 26 excludes from article 25(1) arrangements which do not bring about or would not bring about the transaction to which the arrangements relate. In the FCA's view, a person would bring about a contract of
Article 25(2) may, for instance, include activities of persons who help potential policyholders fill in or check application forms in the context of ongoing arrangements between these persons and insurance undertakings. A further example of this activity would be a person introducing customers to an intermediary either for advice or to help arrange an insurance policy. The introduction might be oral or written. By contrast, the FCA considers that a mere passive display of literature
In the FCA's view, 'incidental' in this context means that the activity must arise out of, be complementary to or otherwise be sufficiently closely connected with the profession or business. In other words, there must be an inherent link between the activity and the firm's main business. For example, introducing dental insurance may be incidental to a dentist's activities; introducing pet insurance would not be incidental to his activities. In addition, to be considered 'incidental',
This exclusion applies to a person whose profession or business does not otherwise consist of regulated activities. In the FCA's view, the fact that a person may carry on regulated activities in the course of the carrying on of a profession or business does not, of itself, mean that the profession or business consists of regulated activities. This is provided that the main focus of the profession or business does not involve regulated activities and that the regulated activities
The exclusion may1 be of assistance to introducers who would otherwise be carrying on the regulated activity of making arrangements with a view to transactions in investments.1 Introducers may also find the guidance at PERG 5.9.2 G (The regulated activities: agreeing to carry on a regulated activity) and PERG 5.6.4BG to PERG 5.6.4EG1 helpful. PERG 5.6.17 G (Exclusion from article 25(2) for introducing) has guidance to assist persons to1 determine whether their introducing
(1) 2Writing new insurance business into a with-profits fund is not, of itself, automatically adverse to the interests of with-profits policyholders. For example, new insurance business which defers the emergence or distribution of surplus to a limited extent for a number of policyholders, or which leads to a marginal change in the equity backing ratio, may, subject to satisfying the guidance in COBS 20.2.60 G and COBS 20.2.29 G, reasonably be considered not to have an adverse
2(1) When a firm prices the new insurance business that it proposes to effect in an existing with-profits fund, it should estimate the volume of new insurance business that it is likely to effect and then build in adequate margins that will allow it to recover any acquisition costs to be charged to the with-profits fund.2(2) COBS 20.2.28 R requires firms to obtain appropriate analysis and evidence and this should include at least a profitability analysis on a marginal cost ba
When a firm sets a target volume for new insurance business in an existing with-profits fund, it should pay particular attention to the risk of disadvantage to existing with-profits policyholders. Those policyholders might be disadvantaged, for example, by the need to retain additional capital to support a rapid growth in new business, when that capital might have been distributed in the ordinary course of the firm's existing business.
2A firm must contact the FCA as soon as is reasonably practicable to make arrangements to discuss what actions may be required to ensure the fair treatment of with-profits policyholders if, in relation to any with-profits fund it operates:(1) the firm reasonably expects, or if earlier, there has been, a sustained and substantial fall in either the volume of new non-profit insurance contracts, or in the volume of new with-profits policies (effected other than by reinsurance), or
(1) Reattribution and insurance business transfer costs (excluding policyholder advocate costs) should be met from shareholder funds. A firm may present alternative arrangements if it can show good reasons for doing so.(2) Shareholders should pay a reasonable proportion of the policyholder advocate's costs.(3) If a reattribution proposal is not successful, the FCA would expect the costs of the policyholder advocate to be met by the person initiating the proposal. That will usually
(1) CASS
5.6 (the client money (insurance)
distribution rules) applies to a firm that
in holding client money is subject
to CASS
5.3 (statutory trust) or CASS
5.4 (Non-statutory trust) when
a primary pooling event or a secondary pooling event occurs.(2) In
the event of there being any discrepancy between the terms of the trust as
required by CASS
5.4.7 R (1)(c) and the provisions of CASS
5.6,
the latter shall apply.
(1) The client money (insurance) distribution rules have
force and effect on any firm that
holds client money in accordance
with CASS
5.3 or CASS
5.4. Therefore, they may apply to a UK branch of a an overseas firm3. In this case, the UK branch of the firm may
be treated as if the branch itself
is a free-standing entity subject to the client
money (insurance) distribution rules.(2) Firms that act in accordance with CASS
5.4 (Non-statutory trust) are reminded that the client
money
The client
money (insurance) distribution rules seek to ensure that clients who have previously specified that
they are not willing to accept the risk of the bank that has fails, and who therefore requested that their client money be placed in a designated client bank account as a different
bank, should not suffer the loss of the bank that has failed.
The Regulated Activities Order, which sets out the activities for which authorisation is required, does not attempt an exhaustive definition of a 'contract of insurance'. Instead, it makes some specific extensions and limitations to the general common law meaning of the concept. For example, it expressly extends the concept to fidelity bonds and similar contracts of guarantee, which are not contracts of insurance at common law, and it excludes certain funeral plan contracts, which
The best established of these descriptions appears in the case of Prudential v. Commissioners of Inland Revenue [1904] 2 KB 658. This case, read with a number of later cases, treats as insurance any enforceable contract under which a 'provider' undertakes:(1) in consideration of one or more payments;(2) to pay money or provide a corresponding benefit (including in some cases services to be paid for by the provider) to a 'recipient';(3) in response to a defined event the occurrence
A firm that enters into a lifetime mortgage1 with a customer where interest payments are required (whether or not they will be collected by deduction from the income from an annuity or other linked investment product) must provide the customer with the following information before the customer makes the first payment under the contract:1(1) the amount of the first payment required;(2) the amount of the subsequent payments;(3) the method by which the payments will be collected
A firm that enters into a lifetime mortgage1 which is a drawdown mortgage, with fixed payments to the customer, must provide the customer with the following information before the first payment is drawn down by the customer:1(1) the amount of the first payment to be made;(2) the amount of subsequent payments, if different; (3) the method by which the payment will be made (for example, by transfer to the customer's bank account) and the date of issue of the first and subsequent
Where the lifetime mortgage1 is a drawdown mortgage and the customer can choose the amount and frequency of the payments they receive, or the amount and frequency of payments can vary for other reasons (for example in line with interest rates) the firm must provide the customer with the following information before the first payment is drawn down by the customer:1(1) (a) where the customer can choose the amount and frequency of the payments they receive, details of any limitations
Where thelifetime mortgage1 provides for a lump sum payment to be made to the customer, and all or part of the interest will be rolled up during the life of the mortgage, the firm must provide the customer with the following information before the customer makes the first payment under the contract, or if no payments are required from the customer, within seven days of completion of the mortgage:1(1) if no payments are required from the customer, confirmation that no payments
Contracts, under which the amount and timing of the payments made by the recipient make it reasonable to conclude that there is a genuine pre-payment for services to be rendered in response to a future contingency, are unlikely to be regarded as insurance. In general, the FCA expects that this requirement will be satisfied where there is a commercially reasonable and objectively justifiable relationship between the amount of the payment and the cost of providing the contract
Contracts under which, in consideration for an initial payment, the provider stands ready to provide services on the occurrence of a future contingency, on condition that the services actually provided are paid for by the recipient at a commercial rate, are unlikely to be regarded as insurance. Contrast PERG 6.7.21 G (Example 7: solicitors' retainers) with PERG 6.7.22 G (Example 8: time and distance cover).
Under most commercial contracts with a customer, a provider will assume more than one obligation. Some of these may be insurance obligations, others may not. The FCA will apply the principles in PERG 6.5.4 G, in the way described in (1) to (3) to determine whether the contract is a contract of insurance.(1) If a provider undertakes an identifiable and distinct obligation that is, in substance an insurance obligation as described in PERG 6.5.4 G, then, other things being equal,
The following factors are also relevant.(1) A contract is more likely to be regarded as a contract of insurance if the amount payable by the recipient under the contract is calculated by reference to either or both of the probability of occurrence or likely severity of the uncertain event.(2) A contract is less likely to be regarded as a contract of insurance if it requires the provider to assume a speculative risk (ie a risk carrying the possibility of either profit or loss)
If the transferee is not (and will not be) authorised and will not be7 a Swiss general insurance company, then the appropriate regulator8 will need to consult the transferee's8 insurance supervisor in the place where the business is to be transferred. The appropriate regulator8 will need confirmation from this supervisor that the transferee will meet his solvency margin requirements there (if any) after the transfer.888
The scheme report should comply with the applicable rules on expert evidence and contain the following information:(1) who appointed the independent expert and who is bearing the costs of that appointment;(2) confirmation that the independent expert has been approved or nominated by the appropriate regulator8;8(3) a statement of the8independent expert's professional qualifications and (where appropriate) descriptions of the experience that fits him for the role;(4) whether the
A transfer may provide for benefits to be reduced for some or all of the policies being transferred. This might happen if the transferor is in financial difficulties. If there is such a proposal, the independent expert should report on what reductions he considers ought to be made, unless either:(1) the information required is not available and will not become available in time for his report, for instance it might depend on future events; or(2) otherwise, he is unable to report
The assessment is a continuing process, starting when the scheme promoters first approach the appropriate regulator8 about a proposed scheme. Each regulator will have an interest in assessing the scheme.8Among the considerations that may be relevant to both the depth of consideration each gives to, and each regulator's8 opinion on, a scheme are:88(1) the potential risk posed by the transfer to its statutory objectives8;8(2) the purpose of the scheme;(3) how the security of policyholders'
(1) Principle 8 requires a firm to manage conflicts of interest fairly. SYSC 10 also requires an insurance intermediary to take all reasonable steps to identify conflicts of interest, and maintain and operate effective organisational and administrative arrangements to prevent conflicts of interest from constituting or giving rise to a material risk of damage to its clients. 1(2) [deleted]11(3) If a firm acts for a customer in arranging a policy, it is likely to be the customer's
When considering utilising insurance, a firm should consider:(1) the time taken for the insurer to pay claims (including the potential time taken in disputing cover) and the firm's funding of operations whilst awaiting payment of claims;(2) the financial strength of the insurer, which may determine its ability to pay claims, particularly where large or numerous small claims are made at the same time; and(3) the effect of any limiting conditions and exclusion clauses that may
Article 21 of the Regulated Activities Order (Dealing in investments as agent) makes dealing in contracts of insurance as agent a regulated activity. The activity is defined in terms of buying, selling, subscribing for or underwriting contracts as agent, that is, on behalf of another. Examples include:(1) where an intermediary, by accepting on the insurance undertaking's behalf to provide the insurance, commits an insurance undertaking to provide insurance for a prospective policyholder;
Intermediaries with delegated authority to bind insurance undertakings are likely to be dealing in investments as agent. It should be noted, in particular, that this is a regulated activity:(1) whether or not any advice is given (see PERG 5.8 (The regulated activities: advising on contracts of insurance); and(2) whether or not the intermediary deals through an authorised person (for example, where he instructs another agent who is an authorised person to enter into a contract
If a firm holds money as agent of an insurance
undertaking then the firm'sclients (who are not insurance
undertakings) will be adequately protected to the extent that
the premiums which it receives
are treated as being received by the insurance
undertaking when they are received by the agent and claims money and premium refunds
will only be treated as received by the client when
they are actually paid over. The rules in CASS
5.2 make provision for agency agreements between firms
(1) Agency
agreements between insurance intermediaries and insurance undertakings may be of a general
kind and facilitate the introduction of business to the insurance
undertaking. Alternatively, an agency agreement may confer on
the intermediary contractual
authority to commit the insurance undertaking to
risk or authority to settle claims or handle premium refunds
(often referred to as "binding authorities"). CASS 5.2.3 R requires
that binding authorities of this kind must
(1) A firm must not agree to:(a) deal in investments as agent for an insurance undertaking in connection with an insurance distribution activity3; or(b) act
as agent for an insurance undertaking for
the purpose of settling claims or handling premium refunds;
or(c) otherwise
receive money as agent of an insurance undertaking;unless:(d) it
has entered into a written agreement with the insurance
undertaking to that effect; and(e) it
is satisfied on reasonable grounds that the terms
Neither assisting in the administration nor assisting in the performance of a contract alone will fall within this activity. Generally, an activity will either amount to assisting in the administration or assisting in the performance but not both. Occasionally, however, an activity may amount to both assisting in the administration and performance of a contract of insurance. For example, where a person assists a claimant in filling in a claims form, in the FCA's view this amounts
More generally, an example of an activity that, in the FCA's view, is likely to amount to assisting a policyholder in both the administration and the performance of a contract of insurance is notifying a claim under a policy and then providing evidence in support of the claim, or helping negotiate its settlement on the policyholder's behalf. Notifying an insurance undertaking of a claim assists the policyholder in discharging his contractual obligation to do so (assisting in the
Where a person receives funds on behalf of a policyholder in settlement of a claim, in the FCA's view, the act of receipt is likely to amount to assisting in the performance of a contract. By giving valid receipt, the person assists the insurance undertaking to discharge its contractual obligation to provide compensation to the policyholder. He may also be assisting the policyholder to discharge any obligations he may have under the contract to provide valid receipt of funds,