6 Flashcards
What is the Bank of England’s (BoE) primary function? (3)
- Maintain monetary/financial stability
- Lender of last resort
- Custodian of UK gold reserves
What does the Bank of England (BoE) do in terms of regulation? (2)
- Oversees the FCA, PRA and FPC
- Implements changes in financial industry via FPC
Who are the nine members of the MPC?
- The Governor
- Three Deputy Governors
- BoE’s Chief Economist
- Four external members appointed directly by the Chancellor
What does the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) do? (2)
- Set inflation target and interest rate
- Measured by CPI
Who is the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) a committee of?
Official committee of the BoE
How many times does the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meet each year?
8
Who is the Financial Policy Committee (FPC) a committee of?
Official committee of the BoE
What does the Financial Policy Committee (MPC) do? (3)
- Fix macroeconomic and financial issues
- Enhance resilience of UK financial system
- Make recommendations to FCA and PRA
How many times does the Financial Policy Committee (FPC) meet each year?
4
Where does the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) sit?
Sits within the Bank of England
How does the PRA promote the safety and soundness of PRA-authorised firms? (3)
- Avoid instability
- Reduce potential adverse effects of firms on the financial system
- Ensures firms maintain sufficient capital
What is the link between the PRA and FPC? (2)
- PRA implements FPC recommendations ‘comply or explain’
- PRA assists FPC with macroprudential supervision
In terms of regulation, what does the ‘Twin Peaks’ model entail?
Banks, building societies, insurers and major investment firms are supervised by PRA & FCA
Who regulates firms that does not need dual authorisation?
those that do not are solely supervised by the FCA
What does the PRA and FCA do in the ‘Twin Peaks’ model? (2)
- The PRA - focusing on high-level controls
- The FCA - focusing on protecting consumers and markets
How is the FCA structured? (2)
- Private company limited by guarantee
- Financed by the financial services industry via a fee structure
What power does the treasury have over the FCA’s operations?
To commission inquiries into aspects of the FCA’s operations
What power does treasury have over the FCA’s members?
The power to appoint or dismiss the FCA’s Board and Chairman
How is the FCA accountable to the treasury? (2)
- Annual report
- AGM so the public can review its activities
What is the strategic objective of the FCA? (2)
- Ensure financial markets works well
- Customers get fair deal from financial firms
What are the operational objectives of the FCA? (3)
- Protection for consumers
- Enhance integrity of UK financial system
- Promote effective competition
What are the FCA broad outcomes? (3)
- Services and products meet consumer needs
- Firms compete effectively
- Markets are stable and resilient
What is involved in the protecting consumers objective of the FCA? (3)
- Base appropriateness on consumers’ circumstances
- Identify groups based on specific characteristics
- Understand they’re at more risk to particular products and services
To achieve its ‘enhancing market integrity’ objective, the FCA ensures: (4)
- Senior management are accountable
- Proactively manage COI
- Clients’ best interests at heart of business
- Firms mitigate harm transmitted to clients
How does the FCA want the firms they regulate to update their business plan to be more adaptive? (2)
- Constantly learning
- Adjust approach markets evolve
How does the FCA want the firms they regulate to update their business plan to be more assertive?
Engage with partners and test limits of its powers
How does the FCA want the firms they regulate to update their business plan to be more innovative?
Taking advantage of technology to increase ability to act decisively in the interests of consumers
Why does the FCA promote effective competition? (2)
- So consumers can ‘shop around’ for best deal
- FTOC ensures customers receive a fair deal
What should be considered when applying cross-cutting rules?
The financial understanding of the target market
What are the principles for business?
ISMFM 5C RC
- Integrity
- Skill, care and diligence
- Management and control
- Financial prudence
- Market conduct
- Customers’ interests
- Communications with clients
- Conflicts of interest
- Customers: relationship of trust
- Clients’ assets
- Relations with regulators
- Consumer Duty
What is the aim and scope of consumer duty?
Good outcomes for RC when purchasing products or services
In consumer duty, what are the cross-cutting rules? (3)
- Act in good faith
- Avoid foreseeable harm
- Enable and support financial objectives
For cross cutting rules, what is acting in good faith?
Honest, fair and consistency in approach
For cross cutting rules, what is avoiding causing foreseeable harm to RC? (3)
- Disclose inherent risks
- Be proactive to avoid foreseeable harm
- Do not exploit vulnerabilities
For cross cutting rules, what is enable and support RC to pursue financial objectives?
Use information disclosed by client, be trusted and reliable
On which firms does the Senior Manager and Certification Regime (SM&CR) apply?
To dual-regulated and single regulated firms
What does the Senior Manager and Certification Regime (SM&CR) aim to do? (3)
- Raise the standards of governance
- Increase individual accountability
- Reinforce consumer confidence
The FCA will assess the success of a firm’s Consumer Duty against whch four outcomes?
- Products and services outcome
- Price and value outcome
- Consumer services outcome
- Customer understanding outcome