Regulation

Around 200,000 HSBC customers who bought investments after being advised by sales staff in high street branches could be in line for compensation after a mystery shopping exercise by investigators from the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has banned an IFA and fined him £10,000 for giving poor advice, including on high risk products.

The Association of Professional Financial Advisers (APFA) has recorded a surplus of more than £117,000 for the year ended 30 June, thanks to a programme of cost reductions.

Two traders working at Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) have been suspended in connection with an investigation surrounding the possible manipulation of foreign exchange (forex) rates, according to reports.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has set out plans to cut regulatory fees by reallocating advisers who have permissions to hold client money or safeguard and administer assets to different fee blocks.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is launching a study of the cash savings market, examining how accounts are sold and obstacles to switching among other aspects.

Some asset management and platform firms are displaying "common weaknesses" in their defences against money laundering, bribery and corruption, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has said.

REAR-VIEW

More than a quarter of advisers saw preparation and implementation of the Retail Distribution Review (RDR) as the "toughest" period in their professional life, a survey has found.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is writing to clients of advisers who reported a below average opt-in rate for its Arch Cru redress scheme - to ask if they believe they had been properly informed.