Changes to the U.K.’s Financial Ombudsman Service, which enables consumers to pursue financial services firms for compensation for unfair treatment, will place greater weight on firms’ compliance. The changes have been prompted in part by the scandal surrounding poor-value car loans provided via dealers.
Ruth Prickett
Ruth Prickett graduated from Cambridge University with a BA hons in History and has specialized in business and finance journalism for the past 20 years. She was editor of Financial Management, the magazine for the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants, for many years before relaunching and editing Audit & Risk magazine for the Chartered IIA. She has written for a wide range of specialist business titles and drafted white papers and reports for clients including HSBC and Vodafone.
Posted inRegulatory Policy
EU and U.K. asset managers must adapt for T+1 settlement now to start testing in 2027
On Oct. 11, 2027, the EU, U.K., and Switzerland will move to T+1 securities settlement. The date may seem distant, but the challenges are considerable.
Posted inRisk Management
Geopolitical risks and global threats drive emerging national security compliance teams
Geopolitical uncertainty is becoming the defining feature of the decade, and global powers are increasingly using geo-economic power to promote national interest and defend their critical interests. Meanwhile, cross-border threats to critical infrastructure are becoming more varied and powerful. Multinational companies, consultants, and global law firms are responding by setting up dedicated national security teams. […]
Posted inAnti-Bribery
How to establish an anti-corruption and anti-bribery compliance program
The U.K. unveiled a new Anti-Corruption Strategy in December 2025, just as the EU unveiled its first Anti-Corruption Directive. Both jurisdictions have signalled that they are keen to push back on rising risks of corruption. But many organizations have no formal anti-corruption measures. Where should compliance start?
Posted inRisk Management
Gavin Proudley, SVP Risk & Compliance at Dow Jones, on compliance challenges from divergent rules and geopolitics
Diverging global rules, sanctions, and tariffs being “weaponized,” and more have made compliance complex even before the U.S. strikes on Iran. We asked Gavin Proudley, SVP Risk & Compliance at Dow Jones, what this means for compliance managers and how they can stay ahead of shifting geopolitics and tighter regulations.
Posted inFinancial Services
Bank of England tightens liquidity requirements for UK banks
U.K. banks must reassess how quickly they could monetize their assets in the event of a crisis under new rules proposed by the Bank of England’s regulatory body, the Prudential Regulation Authority. The proposals are the first changes to the liquidity rules since these were updated in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis.
Posted inAnti-Bribery
Long-running corruption scandal adds €25.8m fine to billions already paid globally
The Netherlands Public Prosecution Office has fined a company linked to a U.S.-sanctioned Israeli businessman €25.8 million ($29.9 million) for bribing officials in the Congo. The case began in 2018 and relates to bribes paid in 2010-2011, demonstrating the slow and complex process often involved in such investigations.
Posted inEurope
Compliance must focus on corruption as EU and U.K. seek to tackle rising risks
Corruption isn’t something that happens somewhere else, in other countries and committed by other people. Nowhere is corruption-proof, and new rules being introduced in the EU and the U.K. aim to focus compliance officers on the full gamut of risks in all jurisdictions and every sector.
Posted inEurope
U.K. and EU commit to extending Russian sanctions and strengthening enforcement
As the U.S. relaxes some Russian sanctions to ease oil flows, the U.K. government has published a new Strategic Approach to Sanctions Enforcement, indicating that it does not intend to relax its focus on prosecuting sanctions breaches.
Posted inTechnology
Compliance must future-proof AI projects to meet evolving regulations
AI implementations are surging, but many new systems are being abandoned after companies have invested in expensive projects. Now evolving AI regulation is adding to the list of reasons why new systems may fail. Compliance must watch emerging regulatory developments and ensure that any new AI tools are capable of providing the interventions, insights, and audit trails that will be required to meet rules when they come into force.