Unit 2 Flashcards
Name the three operational objectives of the FCA
Protect consumers
Enhance integrity of the UK financial system
Maintain competitive markets and promote competition in the interests of consumers
What is the difference between Rules and Guidance in the FCA handbook?
Rules create binding regulations whereas guidance provides assistance in understanding how to abide by the rules
How according to the ‘Principles for Business’ must authorised firms behave in their dealings with their regulators?
In an open and co-operative way, disclosing anything that the FCA or PRA might reasonably expect to be told
What, according the the FCA, must be ‘embedded into the culture and day to day operations’ of authorised firms?
The principle of TFC
Whose rights are protected by the Public Interest Disclosure act 1998?
- Borrowers for fall into arrears
- Whistle-blowing employees
- Bank deposit account holders
Whistle-blowing employees
What are the two forms of market abuse defined by the EU?
- Insider dealing
- Market manipulation
Which of the following is NOT a ‘regulated investment’ under the Financial Services and Markets act 2000?
- Works of art
- Funeral plans
- Insurance policies
Works of art
What is ‘Basel 2’?
An international standard for the capital adequacy requirements of financial institutions
‘The risk of losses from failed or inadequate internal processes, people and systems, or from external events.’ What is this a description of?
Operational risk
What European legislation determines the capital adequacy requirements of investment businesses?
The capital requirements directive (CRD)
In relation to the FCA’s enforcement powers, explain the difference between ‘restitution’ and ‘redress’
Restitution is the FCA’s power with a court order to require a person of firm to forfeit any profit made from contravening an FCA rules.
Redress is an identifiable customer has made a loss as a result of contravention of a rule and the FCA with a court order can require the loss to be made good
The role of Financial advisor is a ‘controlled function’ Which category of controlled function is it?
Customer function
During what hours can an unsolicited sales call be made be a financial advisor?
At an appropriate time (between 9am - 9pm Monday to Saturday) to an existing client.
What is an eligible counter party?
Someone who is ‘in the business’ i.e. someone who transacts the same kind of business for their own customers as they are proposing to transact for themselves.
An advisor has just sold a personal pension plan to a client. What is the minimum period for which the fact find and related information must be retained?
5 years
If the current BoE base rate is 4.5%, what is the minimum rate of interest that can be offered on a stakeholder cash deposit scheme?
- 1.5%
- 2.5%
- 3.5%
3.5%
Transferring criminally obtained money through different accounts is not the only action treated as money laundering. What other activities are also defined as money laundering?
- Concealing the true nature or source of property that you know to result from criminal activity.
- Acquiring or using property that you know to result from criminal activity.
- Aiding or abetting any of type of money laundering activity
What is the name of the international body that co-ordinates the fight against Money laundering?
The Financial Action Task Force (FATF)
What is the transaction level above which firms must obtain evidence of identity of the client?
15,000 EUROS
How often must a Money Laundering Reporting Officer provide a report to their firm’s senior management?
Once a year
What is tipping off?
Disclosing to a person who is suspected of money laundering that they are under investigation
How long must evince of identification be retained for anti-money laundering purposes?
Five years after the relationship with the client has ended
If a Money Laundering reports Officer suspects a case of attempted money laundering, to whom must this be reported?
The National Crime Agency (NCA)
Which types of financial services employees must be given training about money laundering?
Anyone who handles transactions that could involve money laundering
The FCA expects firms to aim to resolve complaints within?
8 weeks
A customer has received a final response letter in which the firm he has complained to declines to uphold his complaint. What is the time limit for the customer to refer the matter to the FOS?
6 months
A customer has lost £35,000 as a result of the insolvency of an investment firm. How much compensation can she receive from the Financial Services Compensation Scheme?
£35,000
If an investor looses her £100,000 deposit when a building society collapses, how much compensation can she receive from the Financial Services Compensation Scheme?
£85,000
What type of complaints can be dealt with by the Pensions Ombudsman?
Complaints about maladministration of pension schemes. The pensions ombudsman can also deal with disputes about facts or the interpretation of the law
What is the correct term for an individual whose personal information held and used by a commercial organisation?
Data subject
What are the main categories of ‘sensitive data’ under the date protection act 1998?
Racial origin, religious beliefs, political persuasion, physical and mental health, criminal proceedings
What is the difference between a data controller and a data processor?
A data controller is is the person or organisation who determines why and how the data will be processed. The data processor is the person who processes the data on behalf of the data controller
What is the time limit for the supply of a copy of information held, following a written request by a data subject?
- 14 days
- 30 days
- 40 days
40 days
Which body enforces the terms of the Dead Protection Act 1998?
The Office of the Information Commissioner
What is the purpose of an ‘information notice’, issued in the relation to the Data Protection Act 1998?
It is issued to indicate that a data controller has failed to comply with some aspect of the law and requires the data controller to specify what steps will be taken to ensure compliance
What is the correct term for the process by which a data controller registers the fact that personal information is being held and processed?
Notification
The powers of the Pensions regulator fall into three main categories. What are they?
Investigating schemes, putting things rights and acting against avoidance
What is the maximum level of compensation the Pension Protection Fund can pay to someone who is an existing pensioner?
100% of the pension benefits
What is the maximum level of compensation the Pension Protection Fund can pay to someone who is a scheme member but has yet to retire yet?
90% of pension benefits subject to a cap
How is the compensation from the Pension Protection fund paid for?
By taking over the assets of pension schemes with insolvent employers and by applying a levy on all private sector defined benefit schemes and the defined benefit element of hybrid schemes
The Pensions Regulator has jurisdiction over work-based pension schemes. What constitutes ‘work-based’ schemes?
Worked based pension schemes mean all occupational schemes, and also any stakeholder and personal pension schemes, where employees have direct payment arrangements
If the Pension Protection Fund issues a contribution notice to an employer, what action is the employer obliged to take?
To make good the amount of any debt either to the scheme or to the PPF
What are the two main elements of the pension protection levy, by which the Pension Protection Fund is funded?
An element based on risk factors, such as under-funding, credit rating and investment strategy. A pension protection levy based of scheme factors, such as the numbers of active and retired members
What are the common forms of credit institution in the UK?
Banks and Building societies
What are the four categories of business, defined by European life assurance directives?
- Life Assurance
- Annuities
- Income protection insurance
- Personal injury, incapacity for employment and accidental death
A UK insurance company provides insurance in France. The insurance is a type that is compulsory under french law. Which regulatory authorities are responsible for regulating that insurance business?
The French regulatory authorities
What activities are included under the EU definition of ‘insurance mediation’?
Introducing, proposing or other work preparatory to the taking out of insurance policies, or assisting in the administration and performance of policies, particularly claims.
Insurance intermediaries are required by EU law to be of ‘good repute’ What does this mean?
They must not have been convicted of a serious criminal offence relating to crimes against property of other financial crimes, or declared bankrupt
What is the maximum arrangement fee that can be charged for a CAT-standard discounted variable-rate mortgage?
- £0
- £100
- £150
£0
Under the terms of the lending code, how will banks treat customers who are experiencing financial difficulty
Sympathetically and positively
The section within the FCA handbook covering specialist sourcebooks includes arrangements for?
- Individual responsibilities
- International trading
- Product derivatives
- Professional firms
Professional firms
Which body is responsible for the FOS?
FCA
One of the six outcomes for retail consumers in relation to TCF requires that firms ensure that there are no unreasonable barrier to:
- Accessing products, receiving suitable advice, or complaining
- Accessing products, switching product or provider or making a claim
- Switching product or provider, receiving suitable advice or making a claim
- Switching product or provider, making a claim, or complaining
Switching product or provider, making a claim or complaining
Miranda is an approved person in a customer function. Which of the following principles does not specifically apply to her role?
- She must act with due skill, care and dillgence
- She must act with integrity
- She must observe proper standards of market conduct
- She must take reasonable steps to ensure that the whole business complies with the regulations
She must take reasonable steps to ensure that the whole business complies with the regulations
The FCA requires that a firm’s systems and controls must:
- Be agreed by the FCA before implementation
- Be notified to customers
- Be reviewed regularly
- Meet an agreed industry standard
Be reviewed regularly
Which statement best describes the relationship between the ‘fit and proper’ test and approved persons?
- A ‘fit and proper’ test is recommended by the FCA for anyone applying for a role in a controlled function
- A satisfactory ‘fit and proper’ test is necessary before an individual can fulfil a role in a controlled function
- The ‘fit and proper’ test is mainly designed to establish the creditworthiness of an authorised person
A satisfactory ‘fit and proper’ test is necessary before an individual can fulfil a role in a controlled function
Under the definitions of market abuse, which of the following is specifically covered?
- Dishonesty
- Insider dealing
- Money laundering
- Pricing
Insider dealing
Which of the following is not one of the FCA’s principles for business?
- To act with due skill, care and diligence
- To act with integrity
- To have a clear chain of responsibility
- To observe proper standards of market conduct
To have a clear chain of responsilbity
Which of the following is exempt from the Consumer Credit Act 2006?
- A credit card account with a limit of £15,000
- A further advance for £15,000 for home improvements, from the existing lender
- A second-charge loan for £20,000, secured on property, for a car purchase
- An unsecured personal loan of £10,000
A further advance for £15,000 for home improvements, from their existing lender
When John received his monthly payslip on 21 June, his normal occupational pension scheme contribution of £250 had been deducted by his employer. What is the latest date that his employer should pass this contribution to the scheme?
19 July (19th day of the following month)
The maximum loan size, if any, regulated by the Consumer Credit Act 2006 is?
Unlimited
A firm of stockbrokers is conducting MiFID business. When giving advice to their clients, for what minimum period must they keep the records of that advice?
5 years
Which of the following statements would be the correct definition of the solvency margin required of a life assurance company
- The excess of the company’s assets over its mathematical provisions
- The excess of the company’s assets over the projected monthly mortality rate
- The excess of the company’s mathematical provisions over its assets
The excess of the company’s assets over its mathematical provisions
In the context of FCA supervision of firms, there term ‘flexible portfolio’ means?
Firms supervised by a team of sector specialists
Mark sold an investment bond in 2007 and receives trail commission. In June 2014, he advised that the client make an additional investment into the bond. How should Mark be paid?
The trail commission may continue but the additional investment must be paid under adviser charging
If the FCA discovers a contravention of its rules, one of the steps it may take is to vary a firm’s permissions;
This mean that the firm;
- May have its authorisation withdrawn
- May have one of its regulated activities removed or restricted
- Will be forced to transact business that it does not wish to conduct
May have one of its regulated activities removed or restricted
For dual-regulated firms, which of the following controlled functions is approved as a required function by the PRA?
- Appointed actuary
- Chief executive officer
- Director
- Head of internal audit
Appointed actuary
Which of the following individuals roles in a regulated firm would be classified by the FCA as a ‘customer function’
- Barry, who is in charge of the risk assessment department
- David, a non-executive director of a multi-national insurer
- George, who is a pension transfer adviser
George
What specific FCA financial promotions rules requirements apply to direct offer financial promotions?
- Records must be retained for 7 years
- The promotion must be approved by a director of the firm
- The promotion must contain the name of the conduct regulator, the FCA
The promotion must contain the name of the conduct regulator, the FCA