2nd September 2016
Remuneration is often a challenge for many intermediary firms principally to get the balance right between paying for results and retaining advisers and staff. The FCA and their predecessors, the FSA, have published guidance – see the article above – but how in practice should you go about setting and
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1st August 2016
The FSA's Final Guidance (FG13/01) was published in January 2013. The FCA more recently (in March 2014) published an updated Paper, Thematic Review 14/4 entitled: "Risks to customers from financial incentives - an update".
The temptation for intermediaries, in particular smaller intermediaries, is to think that the guidance does not apply to
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17th July 2016
The outcome of the vote will have a significant effect on intermediaries, providers and fund managers and the FCA, whilst politically neutral on the issue of Brexit, confirmed in a statement on 24th June 2016 following the vote that: Brexit "has significant implications for the UK".
It pointed out that much
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15th July 2016
Buyers and sellers are now generally more knowledgeable and savvy having witnessed the outcomes of previous intermediary firm acquisitions over the last decade or more. It is not just the immediate transaction itself that needs to be considered but the impact of earn-outs for the seller and the ease of integration
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15th July 2016
The need for intermediaries to be confident that their processes are robust and deliver consistent outcomes has never been greater. The FCA's steady stream of Papers (for the most part very readable despite comments from some to the contrary) is worth studying, in particular a number published since 2014:
15th July 2016
Culture and conduct have been two of the most hotly debated terms in the financial services industry during the last few years. It is no longer sufficient merely to comply with the rules. The FCA now expects firms to take responsibility for establishing an ethical culture that entrenches good conduct
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12th July 2016
Is it "business as usual" in your firm or is this the year that you want “to make it happen" - be that changes/improvements in your firm, a change in your lifestyle or even perhaps a decision to start to plan for an eventual sale?
My point is that businesses are
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7th June 2016
The two most angst ridden areas for intermediary firms are IT (principally back office systems) and compliance. If not appropriately configured and resourced, both can hold firms back from achieving their potential. In some instances, they threaten a firm’s very existence. This article focuses on the challenge of compliance but
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9th March 2016
For most us there comes a time when we begin to think about retiring or at least doing less. For those of you running an advice firm there are other people to think about: your fellow directors or partners (if you are not operating on your own), your advisers and
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8th December 2015
The pressures placed upon the owners and senior managers of personal investment firms have continued to grow as a result of changes brought about by regulation. What some have failed to appreciate is what the consequences could be as a result of not paying attention to the detail when dealing
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