Financial Planning Corporation is a regulated financial planning firm founded 40 years ago, gaining coveted Chartered status in 2008. As the U.K. financial regulator, the FCA promises to clamp down on unregulated “finfluencers” on social media. Moira O’Shaughnessy, managing partner and head of risk and compliance at FPC, explains why her firm takes a deliberately cautious approach to social media communications.
Financial Services
Posted inFinancial Services
Not just for the rich: SEC may make closed-end funds available to retail investors
Securities and Exchange Commission Chair Paul Atkins indicated he favors changing the agency’s requirement that only the wealthy can invest in so-called “closed-end” private equity funds and hedge funds.
Posted inRegulatory Enforcement
FTC cracks down on student loan companies for false forgiveness claims
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) took action against a pair of student loan debt relief companies for allegedly deceiving borrowers. The move came despite the Trump administration’s broader efforts to roll back enforcement actions against businesses since taking office.
Posted inRegulatory Enforcement
SEC Chair Atkins echoes Trump’s promise to make U.S. the ‘crypto capital of the world’
The head of the Securities and Exchange Commission promised new sets of rules around cryptocurrency assets, saying his team intends to lay out regulatory frameworks around custody and “qualified custodians,” as well as guidelines around issuing and trading. The expected move marks the latest step in the U.S. government’s embrace of cryptocurrencies under President Donald Trump, representing a significant shift from his predecessor.
Posted inTechnology
CFPB drops Google Payment oversight, the latest enforcement pullback under Trump
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau continued advancing President Donald Trump’s pullback of corporate oversight last week, as it halted supervision of Alphabet’s Google Payment subsidiary. The move followed similar efforts by the Trump administration to weaken government enforcement efforts, particularly concerning digital currencies.
Posted inRegulatory Enforcement
SEC drops Morgan Stanley cash sweep case: Sign of the times?
A decision by the Securities and Exchange Commission to close an investigation into the cash sweep program at Morgan Stanley may affect decision-making at other financial institutions under similar scrutiny.
Posted inRegulatory Enforcement
Buy now, pay later firms catch a break as CFPB backs off enforcement
The U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) signaled a softer regulatory approach last month, easing its investigation of financial firms following the U.S. government’s broader efforts under President Donald Trump to scale back regulatory enforcement on businesses. The agency reaffirmed this pivot as it will ease scrutiny of “Buy Now, Pay Later” (BNPL) firms.
Posted inRegulatory Enforcement
FinCEN proposes bar on Cambodian company due to alleged money laundering
A Cambodian financial company, the Huione Group, has laundered billions of dollars for international criminals and those linked to North Korea, according to the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN). The agency proposes that the company should be severed from having access to the U.S. financial system.
Posted inFinancial Services
NYDFS to continue strong crypto enforcement, Adrienne Harris says
The New York Department of Financial Services (NYDFS), led by Superintendent Adrienne Harris, doesn’t intend to let up on cryptocurrency enforcement, even in the face of pullback from the federal government.
Posted inEurope
Delayed UK antitrust case underscores compliance, reputational risks
Antitrust infringement cases in the United Kingdom can run on for years, but there’s a question whether issuing fines that are dwarfed by the revenues of those organisations involved is a worthy deterrent—particularly if they are imposed over a decade after the misconduct ended. It’s also debatable whether the first company to admit that it has been part of a cartel for years should get away scot-free if it agrees to turn over all the dirt on the other members.