Equiniti Group plc, a leading provider of technology led solutions to clients with complex and regulated administration needs, recently announced that it has completed the acquisition of KYCnet BV (KYCnet). KYCnet is an experienced Know-Your-Customer (KYC) technology and services provider which helps organisations verify and on-board their customers.

Continue reading…

by Tony de Bree

One of my favourite books on change is this book ‘The Fat Firm’. Why? Because the book mainly uses cartoons to demonstrate the behaviour of employees and managers in large corporates (‘Dinosaurs’ or like in the case of Banking ‘Jurassic banks’). Corporate culture is a hot topic again in large organisations and in management circles. With special attention focus on how managers and employees in large corporates can start to behave like managers and employees in startups. That is why in this column, I will help you in finding the correct ‘levers of change’ for your corporate culture and to transform your organisation from a ‘boss-centric’ one to an organisation with a ‘client-centric’ corporate culture. What is corporate culture?

Continue reading…

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has today published a report proposing a series of measures aimed at enhancing the UK’s debt listing regime.  In November 2015, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) launched an initiative whereby it began a series of meetings with a specially convened group of stakeholders in UK primary debt capital markets, the UK Debt Market Forum (the Forum). The Forum brought together a wide range of experts from the UK-listed primary bond listed debt markets.

Continue reading…

The Financial Conduct Authority has today published a consultation on its proposed rules and guidance for the secondary annuity market. In March 2015 the Government announced that it would extend the pension freedoms to those who had already bought an annuity with the proceeds of their defined contribution pension savings. The government proposes to do this by changing the tax consequences that currently apply to a person wishing to sell their annuity income, with effect from April 2017.  Continue reading…

In a judgment issued today, the Supreme Court confirmed that Asset Land had been operating an unauthorised collective investment scheme (CIS) in the course of operating a land bank which involved the selling of small plots of land to investors at hugely inflated prices. The Supreme Court found that, although investors were the legal owners of their individual plots of land, in reality the arrangements of the scheme were that investors did not have control over their investment and Asset Land was the central operator of the scheme.
Continue reading…

by Evert-Jan Lammers

Nobody wants to be spied upon and then reported to the authorities like it happened during the war. Whistleblowers provoke war traumas even to those who have never experienced war. However, whistleblowers are not war-heroes but peace-heroes. No drama then?
Continue reading…

The Basel Committee on Banking Supervision has today issued for consultation Prudential treatment of problem assets – definitions of non-performing exposures and forbearance. At present, banks categorise problem loans in a variety of ways and there are no consistent international standards for categorising problem loans.
Continue reading…

Tracey McDermott, Acting Chief Executive of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has today announced that she is to leave the organisation on 1 July 2016. On 7 January 2016 Tracey announced that she decided in early December 2015 to withdraw from the process to appoint the permanent Chief Executive of the FCA but would continue as Acting Chief Executive until a permanent replacement was in post.  Continue reading…

by Kieran Beer

The Panama Papers are justifiably grabbing headlines based on the number of “A-list” politicians and celebrities, as well as the handful of notorious criminals, that they name. And their sheer volume—11.5 million documents—represents an unparalleled look at the machinations involved in the use and abuse of shell companies, in this case those created by Panama-based law firm Mossack Fonseca. But it’s important to step back and have a little perspective: the use of shell companies for tax evasion, the proceeds of corruption and other crimes detailed in the papers are outrageous, but sadly nothing new.
Continue reading…