Principles and Rules As Set Out In The Regualtory Framework Flashcards
What is the general rule of Prohibition set out by the financial services and Markets Act (FSMA)
No one should undertake a regulated activity without being authorised or exempt.
Who is exempt from the general Prohibition rule? 5
Appointed representative of an authorised firm.
Members of a designated professional body undertaking regualted activity as an incidental part of their buisness. (Solicitors/accountants)
Central banks
Local authorities
Certain governmental bodies.
Describe a task that a solicitor may undertake that would not need to be authorised?
When an accountant advises a client, they should make a pension contribution to reduce their tax bill.
They would only need to be authorised to then go on and set up the pension.
Describe a situation where a solicitor would not need authorisation?
To undertake encashment and distribution of assets as per the terms of a will.
They would need to be authorised to arrange investments into new financial instuments for a will beneficiary.
What is a firm that is authorised?
Authorised Professional Firm (APF)
Why has authorisation become more relevant recently for local authorities?
Due to now offering edeferred payment arrangements for long-term care recipients property.
In this case, the local authority is required to point the care toward independent advice.
Who are applications made to?
The relevant authority PRA or FCA using part 4a permission.
What should a firm do to find out if an activity is authorised?
Check the FCA handbook in block 9
Perimeter Guidance (PERG)
What will happen when a larger firm applies for authorisation?
They will apply to the PRA, and they will assess the firms capital adaquacy.
The FCA will assess their fitness from a conduct perspective.
What happens with smaller firms applying for authorisation?
They apply only to the FCA who do all their checks.
What are the time scales for application for authorisation?
6 months if the application is in full.
12 months if not (hence taking great care)
What is meant by great care when applying for authorisation?
It is a requirement of any firm applying for permission to undertake regulated activity that they disclose all information about which the regulator could reasonably expect to be informed.
What is the most basic condition for making and application for authorisation?
That the person be ‘fit and proper’ as set out in the FIT section of the FCA handbook.
What will happen if an application for authorisation is accepted?
The firm will be issued with a scope of permissions notice, which sets out what the permission covers.
At this point, the activity is now legal.
(It is not before this)
If refused, the firm recalls, and they have a right to appeal to the Upper Tribunal (Tax and Chandery Chamber)
What is the authorisation consequence for changing the status of a business?
It will need to apply for new authorisation except in the circumstance where a member of a two person partnership dies as this can then carry on but as a sole trader.
What are the responsibilities of being authorised?
Compliance with the regulator’s regulations.
Ensuring the firm has sufficient capital to meet adaquacy requirements.
Ensuring that anyone in a controlled function role has the necessary permissions.
Must not employ the services of an individual prohibited by the FCA/PRA
(Generally, because they have made a serious breach of regulations and standards laid out by the regulating authorities)
Who has the responsibility of ensuring the responsibilities of authorisation are met?
The firms compliance officer.
What is an authorised person?
Not a person but an authorised firm unless they are a sole-trader.
What is an approved person?
An individual approved by the regualtor to do a controlled function.
(A person who acts in a senior capacity or gives advice to customers)
Who is covered by the Senior Management and Certification Regime (SM&CR)?
Who is still on the approved person’s regime?
Most senior staff in a vast majority of firms.
Appointed representatives as they did not get moved to SM&CR.
What are the key aims of SM&CR?
Clarity of responsibility
Improved corporate governance & accountability for decision-making
Ensure firms don’t rely on collective board responsibility
Clarity of who runs the business
Give FCA a framework for enforcement when issues occur
Placing emphasis of responsibility on firms, not the FCA
What are the 3 types of firms SM&CR identifies for the application of requirements?
Limited scope - usually smaller businesses.
Core - subject to baseline regime
Enhanced - large, complex businesses which are subject to enhanced requirements
Why does SM&CR devided firms into 3 categories for application of requirements?
So, the requirements imposed on businesses are proportionate to the risk posed.
What is the purpose of SM&CR?
To make sure personal filling senior roles have personal responsibility for the actions of their business area.
Meaning they have prescribed roles, joined together into an overall organisational responsibility map.
This allows a joined up picture of the organisation, who holds what responsibility and identifies gaps.
What must a senior manager hold before taking up their role.
Preauthorisation from the regulator.
Name a prescribed responsibility within an investment firm.
A nominated compliance officer (SMF 16)
In the new certification regime, what is required of the broader selection of staff members?
An annul fit and proper test for key members.
Pretty much everyone is held to conduct responsibilities within authorised firms.
Only exceptions are ancillary staff, i.e. cleaners
What does holding every staff member to conduct requirements mean?
They can not say they were just following orders, and they take personal responsibility for their actions.
What is expected under the old approved person’s regime?
Only those operating in controlled roles need to be approved and subject to checks on their fitness for the role.
This still applies to appointed representatives.
What are the 3 sections the SM&CR splits into?
The Senior Managers Regime
The certification regime
The conduct rules.
Fes tibe the Senior Managers Regime section of SM&CR
Covers senior roles
Can be withdrawn if failing to pass fit and proper test.
Can be fixed or prohibited from working within a regulated firm
Each prescribed responsibility under this regime should be held by one person.
Each senior manager will have a statement of responsibilities and a corresponding duty of responsibility.
Describe the certification regime
Covers material risk takeovers such as customer facing roles
Responsibility for the oversight of these roles is very much passed over to the authorised firm.
Firms must report names of individuals performing these roles to the FCA. They are published in a central directory.
Describe the conduct rules section of SM&CR
Applies virtually to everyone within the business.
Covers basic good conduct and the requirement for sufficient training.
Replaced the approved person’s regime.
Does not cover appointed representatives.
No one to be approved unless they pass a fit and proper test.
Holds individuals and firms accountable for their actions.
Acountability remains even after classing to be approved with no statue of limitations.
Action must be taken within 3 years of discovering wrongdoing.
Why is there no reason for appointed representatives (AR) to be authorised by the FCA?
The principle will be authorised instead.
Describe some situations where the worker is an appointed representative?
A financial advisor tied to an authorised employer.
An advisory network where the network is authorised and the individual firms are ARs.
What should the principle check with regards to their ARs?
Whether there is any conflict of interest
Are they fit and proper
Whether the principle has the necessary system controls to be responsible for the ARs conduct and actions.
Is there a written agreement for the principle to accept responsibility for the actions of the AR.
Is a written agreement necessary between principle and AR
Yes, and the FCA must be notified within 10 days of this coming into force.
In the case of an AR having two principles, what must happen?
There must be a written agreement between the two principles, and one must agree to act as lead, for instance, to handle complaints.
What must firms be aware of for training?
Recruiting from the right level of training and experience.
Staff should demonstrate their competence before being allowed to opperate. (Supervision/on board training)
Makesure staff competence is maintained
Managers undertake gap analysis and rectify findings
No one to opperate in specialist roles without correct training.
What are some examples of specialist training?
Adivising on long-term care.
Advising on equity release
Pension transfer specialist (requires level 6 paper, CII’s AF7)
What is the requirement for financial advisors to start their role?
Must complete a level 4 standard qualification within 48 months of starting. (e.g. CII Diploma in Regualted Finance)
What is the minimum qualification for mortgage advisors?
Must hold a level 3 qualification with no prescribed time limit.
What is the minimum requirement for advisors CPD?
35 over a rolling 12 month period.
21 being structured CPD
What is structure/unstructured CPD?
Structured has specific learning outcomes, i.e. training courses.
Unstructured is anything else.
What time scale should MiFID and non-MiFID competencies be kept for after an employees period of employment?
5 years MiFID
3 years non-MiFID
How long must records of Pension Transfer Specialists training be kept?
Indefinitely
This is in line with the records they keep of the advice they give.
What should happen with breaches of training and competence?
They should be reported to the FCA. i.e., failing to meet the 48-month deadline to level 4 or in the view of a firm becomes incompetent.
What are firms forbidden from doing?
Giving any inducement that might cause a conflict with their responsibility to the consumer.
Give examples of what is and isn’t acceptable inducements.
Ok- Provision of a software package to all customer firms as part of an IT project.
Not ok- A bespoke piece of software produced for one customer firm.
Ok- Production of product literature (also necessary)
Not ok- putting the customer firms name on the literature.
Ok- some hospitality
Not ok- lavish hospitality exceeding the test of reasonable value.
Ok- providing training facilities for a customer firm to use
Not ok- only making training facilities available to the customer firm
What inducements are not allowed?
Under the table (trips to the races, lavish lunches)
Trail commission paid to someone other than the original advisor except under special conditions (further adis3 being given to a customer under another firms name)
What must happen with fee only arrangements?
Trail commission must be transferred to the client.
How long must inducement records be kept for?
5 years and must be recorded. (If in doubt, record it)
What are the timescales for record keeping?
Indefinitely - pension transfer, freestanding AVC (FSAVC) contracts, pension opt-outs. (Due to high risk)
Six year - financial promotions relating to life and pensions products.
Five year - Most other records.
What system does the FCA use for regulation?
RegData