8. Regulation And The Buying Process Flashcards
Who can make financial promotions? (2)
- FCA approved firms/individuals
- Appointed reps of FCA approved firms
What types of financial promotion are exempt from FCA rules?
Ones which only contian general info about the firm, not advertising a particular mortgage or service
What 3 things must all financial promotions be?
- Clear
- Fair
- Not misleading
Do the rules apply to real time promotions or non real time promotions?
Both
What are real time promotions?
Anything through interactive dialogue, eg face to face, phone calls
What are non real time promotions?
Anything not through interactive dialogue, eg, adverts, email, letters, SMS
How long must records be kept of non-real time promotions?
12 months from their last use
What must be included in non real time promotions? (6)
- Company details
(name, contact details) - Risk of Repossession statement
- APRC
(if the promotion contains info on prices) - Interest rate
(specifying if variable or fixed) - Total amount payable
- Representative Example
What constitutes as a representative example?
If 51% or more of those responding to the promotion would be charged APRC quoted or lower
Are competitor comparisons allowed in financial promotions?
Yes if they are like-for-like
No allowed to discredit/disparage competitor or take unfair advantage of their reputation
When are real time promotions NOT permitted?
Sundays and 9pm-9am any other day.
Also when firms know you don’t want to due to personal reasons or religious observations
Are unsolicited phone calls permitted?
No, must have previously agreed to be contacted
What must you do during real time promotions? (3)
- Identify yourself and firm
- check that the person want to continue
- if they don’t want to continue, terminate the conversation
Which part of MCOB can info on marketing be found?
MCOB 3 - Financial promotions
Which part of MCOB can rules on initial disclosure be found?
MCOB 4 & 4A - Advising and Selling Standards
When must the Initial Disclosure Document be provided to the customer? Who provides it? What type of information does it provide?
After the fact find. Provided by either the broker or lender. Gives info on firm and it’s status.
What are the relevant markets (2) and how does this affect the initial disclosure document?
- Regulated mortgages
- Non-reg/commercial
Firms must describe their services in each type of market they operate in. Firms which operate within both must give info on both
What must be included in the initial disclosure document? (3)
- Limitations on the range of products offered
- Renumeration
- Alternative finance options, for custs looking to increase borrowing on a property which already has regulated mtg
Initial disclosure documents have to be provided in a durable medium. What does this mean?
In a format which can be stored away for future reference, where info cannot be changed, e.g. Paper/PDF
When providing information on the limitations of their range of products, the firm needs to specify whether they offer:
1. Unlimited range
2. Limited Range
3. Single Lender
What do these mean?
- firm selects from range of products that REPRESENT WHOLE OF MARKET, e.g. all of regulated mortgages. Cannot be unlimited if just lending for bridging loans etc.
- Selected from a LIMITED RANGE, e.g. PANEL
- Products from SINGLE LENDER
What must firms not offering unlimited lending do?
List all the names of lenders who’s products it offers & clearly explain limitations of this
What does the IDD need to disclose regarding renumeration? (3)
- fees the firm charges
- when the fees are due
- are proc fees being received, how much? (if amount not disclosed here, has to be disclosed in ESIS)
What are the three alternative finance options that should be disclosed in the IDD for those who already have a mortgage and are looking to remortgage?
- FA
- Second charge lending
- Unsecured borrowing
What alternative finance option should be included in the IDD for those interesting in retirement I/O mortgages?
Lifetime mortgages
What section of MCOB is related to providing advice?
MCOB 4 - Advising and selling standards