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☆ Walmart and Target are slashing prices. What does that mean for inflation?
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-23 | by ( Krystal Hur | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

That doesn’t mean the battle against inflation is won. Walmart saw first-quarter sales at stores open at least a year climb 3.8% from the prior year, in part thanks to its ability to keep prices low even as inflation remains sticky. “Our combination of everyday low prices plus a large number of rollbacks is resonating” with consumers, Walmart CEO Doug McMillon said on a call with analysts. Investors will get more inflation data next week from the Personal Consumption Expenditures index for April. Without that discount, the combined fine would have topped £88 million ($112 million).

Persons: Doug McMillon, Price, we’re, ”, Preston Caldwell, Scarlett Johansson, Will Scarlett Johansson, OpenAI, Johansson, OpenAI’s, Sam Altman, Brian Fung, OpenAI didn’t, Anna Cooban, “ Organizations: CNN Business, Bell, New York CNN, Walmart, Ikea, Aldi, Morningstar Research Services, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Investors, Citi, Citigroup, Financial Conduct Authority, Bank of England’s Prudential, Authority, CNN Locations: New York, United States

☆ Citigroup fined for almost dumping $189 billion into European markets by accident
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-22 | by ( Anna Cooban | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

London CNN —UK regulators slapped a combined £62 million ($79 million) fine on Citigroup Wednesday for failures in its trading systems that almost resulted in stocks worth $189 billion being dumped onto European markets. Without that discount, the combined fine would have topped £88 million ($112 million). The Bank of England highlighted an incident in May 2022 when one of the bank’s “experienced” traders sold $1.4 billion worth of stocks on European exchanges in error. Citigroup’s systems blocked $255 billion of that, meaning that $189 billion was sent to its trading platform for sale “over the rest of the day.” In total, $1.4 billion worth of stocks was sold before the trader canceled the transaction. Following the incident, Citigroup has taken steps to “improve and strengthen” the security of its trading systems, the central bank said.

Persons: ”, Sam Woods Organizations: London CNN —, Citigroup, Financial Conduct Authority, Bank of England’s Prudential, Authority, Bank of England, FCA, “ Locations: ”

☆ Citi fined $79 million by British regulators over fat-finger trading and control errors
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-22 | by ( Matt Clinch | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON — British regulators on Wednesday dished out a combined £61.6 million ($79 million) in fines to U.S. investment bank Citi for failings in its trading systems and controls. "Firms involved in trading must have effective controls in place in order to manage the risks involved. The regulators said that certain system and control issues persisted during the probe period and led to trading incidents, such as so-called fat-finger trading blunders. "Deficiencies in CGML's trading controls contributed to this incident, in particular the absence of certain preventative hard blocks and the inappropriate calibration of other controls," the statement read. "We immediately took steps to strengthen our systems and controls, and remain committed to ensuring full regulatory compliance."

Persons: Sam Woods Organizations: CitiBank, LONDON, Citi, Prudential, Authority, Financial, Citigroup Global Markets, prudential, CNBC Locations: Manhattan, New York City

☆ The UK is regulating memes about crypto and other investments to curb scams from 'finfluencers'
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-27 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Britain's financial services regulator announced guidelines for financial services companies and social media influencers making memes about cryptocurrencies and other investments in a bid to tackle a rise in scams. The Financial Conduct Authority said in a statement Tuesday that any marketing for financial products — including those expressed in memes — should be fair, clear, and not misleading. The watchdog said that financial social media influencers, or "finfluencers," must have the approval of an FCA-appointed representative before publishing advertisements and memes about financial products and services, the FCA said. We will take action against those touting financial products illegally," Lucy Castledine, director of consumer investments at the FCA, said in a statement Tuesday. The FCA said that, in 2022, it took down over 10,000 misleading adverts about financial services.

Persons: Lucy Castledine Organizations: Financial, Authority, FCA

☆ Bitcoin hits fresh record high above $71,000 as UK opens the door to crypto exchange-traded products
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-11 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Bitcoin prices rallied on Monday to hit a fresh record high above $71,000, after the British financial watchdog said it would allow institutions to file applications for cryptocurrency-linked exchange-traded products for the first time. Exchanges would need to ensure they have sufficient controls in place, so that trading is orderly and proper protection is afforded to professional investors. They must meet all the requirements of the U.K.'s listings regime, issuing prospectuses and ongoing disclosures. ET, hitting a fresh all-time high. Please check later for updates.

Organizations: Financial, Authority

☆ Fintech Griffin just secured full regulatory approval. Here's the 12-slide pitch deck it used to raise $24 million as a fully-fledged bank.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-11 | by ( Callum Burroughs | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

British banking-as-a-service fintech Griffin has raised new funding after receiving regulatory approval to be a fully operational bank. The market is god awful, so not having to do a down-round, with outside investors coming in, is the best outcome." Griffin has raised £19.1 million, around $24 million, in a funding round led by MassMutual Ventures, NordicNinja, and Breega, with participation from Notion Capital, EQT Ventures, DG Daiwa and CircleRock. "We are hiring, but unlike earlier rounds, we aren't going on a hiring blitz, as we did the hiring for this round before the round closed. We were about to be a fully operational bank, so we needed operations roles," Jarvis added.

Persons: fintech Griffin, Griffin, David Jarvis, Allen Rohner, Jarvis, We've Organizations: Business, Prudential, Authority, Financial, MassMutual Ventures, NordicNinja, Notion, EQT Ventures, DG Locations: London

☆ Ex-Goldman Sachs analyst found guilty of insider dealing
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-15 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

London — A former Goldman Sachs analyst was convicted Thursday of using inside information to buy shares in listed companies and make more than 140,000 pounds ($175,650). Mohammed Zina, 35, was employed by Goldman Sachs International, a subsidiary of the bank, in London. A Goldman Sachs spokesperson said: “Mohammed Zina betrayed the trust we placed in him, and his misuse of client information was in direct contradiction of our values. Prosecutor Peter Carter told jurors at the start of the trial that Mohammed Zina had used “private, confidential, price-sensitive information” to invest on the stock exchange. He said the internal policies of Goldman Sachs strictly forbid any use of confidential information acquired by the investment bank or its employees.

Persons: Goldman Sachs, Mohammed Zina, SoftBank, Zina, “ Mohammed Zina, Steve Smart, Suhail Zina, Clifford Chance, Peter Carter Organizations: London, Goldman, Goldman Sachs International, Prosecutors, Tesco Bank, UK Financial, Authority, Southwark Crown Locations: London, British, Southwark

☆ A manager earning $178,000 had her work-from-home request denied by a judge
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-23 | by ( Sawdah Bhaimiya | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A judge ruled in favor of the FCA and agreed that remote work poses certain limitations. AdvertisementA senior manager at the Financial Conduct Authority in the UK had her requests to work from home full-time denied by a judge because of the "weaknesses" remote work poses. Elizabeth Wilson, a senior manager at the FCA earning a salary of £140,000 ($178,000) a year, sued the regulator after it rejected her request to work remotely full-time. His decision comes as other major companies roll back on remote work policies and enforce return-to-office mandates. The judge agreed with the FCA about the "weaknesses with remote working," and ruled that it was within its rights to deny her request.

Persons: —, Elizabeth Wilson, Robert Richter, Wilson Organizations: Financial, Authority, FCA, Service, Citigroup, Lloyds

☆ Crypto firms introduce risk assessments and finance tests in response to strict new rules in UK
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-05 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

It comes ahead of tough new rules on the advertising of digital asset products in the country. If a customer fails to complete the tasks successfully, they will be prevented from trading with their crypto account. Coinbase said the changes were made "to ensure we are meeting UK investor protection standards, which require our users to have the necessary knowledge to make informed investment decisions." "We do not expect this to impact user activity in the UK and as always our customer service team is on hand to help with any queries," George Tucker, U.K. general manager of Crypto.com, told CNBC via email. "As an authorised Electronic Money Institution and registered cryptoasset business in the U.K., Crypto.com supports and complies with the FCA's rules and will continue to work with the regulator as we expand our product offering here," Tucker added.

Persons: Brian Armstrong, Daniel LEAL, DANIEL LEAL, Coinbase, George Tucker, Crypto.com, Tucker Organizations: Global Investment, Getty, Financial Services, Markets, Authority, FCA, CNBC Locations: London, Britain, cryptocurrency

☆ Robinhood opens in UK with low-cost US trading to woo clients
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Sinead Cruise | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The logo of Robinhood Markets, Inc. is seen at a pop-up event on Wall Street after the company's IPO in New York City, U.S., July 29, 2021. Since then, trading activity has shrunk as people grapple with a cost-of-living crisis caused by high interest rates and inflation. Robinhood said UK customers will have access to commission-free trading of more than 6,000 US-listed stocks and American Depositary Receipts (ADRs), without foreign exchange fees and no account minimums. "For too long, UK investors have incurred high fees to invest in the U.S. markets and earned low returns on their uninvested cash," said Jordan Sinclair, president of Robinhood UK. The online brokerage missed Wall Street estimates for third-quarter revenue earlier this month after a slowdown in trading activity.

Persons: Andrew Kelly, Robinhood, Vlad Tenev, Jordan Sinclair, Sinead Cruise, Kirstin Ridley, Jane Merriman, Barbara Lewis Organizations: Inc, REUTERS, Authority, Robinhood, U.S . Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, Britain, United States

Traders work on the floor of the London Metal Exchange in London, Britain, September 27, 2018. Both explicitly allow for the cancellation of trades "in exceptional cases", which would be a fair description of last year's nickel market meltdown and the resulting threat of multiple member defaults. This is a case of "knowing one when you see one" or "the elephant test" in legal precedent, the judges said. Nor would it have affected Chamberlain's assessment that nickel trading had become irrational and disorderly on the morning of March 8. LME trading has been transformed by the crisis in the form of permanent caps on time-spreads and limits on intraday price movements.

Persons: Simon Dawson, Elliott, Jonathan Swift, Robert Bright, Matthew Chamberlain, Jane Street, Chamberlain, China's, Xiang Guangda, Oliver Wyman, Tsingshan, Barbara Lewis Organizations: London Metal Exchange, REUTERS, London High, Elliott Associates, Jane, Global Trading, Financial, Authority, China's Tsingshan, Reuters, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, U.S

☆ UK investment advisers face capital hike to cover compensation costs
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Huw Jones | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Signage is seen for the FCA (Financial Conduct Authority), the UK's financial regulatory body, at their head offices in London, Britain March 10, 2022. REUTERS/Toby Melville/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Nov 29 (Reuters) - Investment advisers in Britain should hold extra capital to cover compensation costs, regulators proposed on Wednesday, in a bid to put a lid on the rising bill for bad advice. It is important that the polluter pays," Sarah Pritchard, the FCA's executive director of markets and international, said in a statement. Advisers already have to set aside a minimum of 20,000 pounds in capital to operate. PIMFA, a trade body for financial advisers, said it welcomed a "polluter pays" model, but urged a proportionate approach to avoid barring new entrants.

Persons: Toby Melville, Sarah Pritchard, Yadarisa, Dhanya Ann Thoppil, Christina Fincher Organizations: FCA, Financial, Authority, REUTERS, Investment, steelworkers, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, Bengaluru

☆ British investment managers get green light for tokenised funds
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Kevin Coombs/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Nov 24 (Reuters) - British investment managers have got the go-ahead to develop tokenised funds, in which assets are split into smaller tokens backed by blockchain technology, the industry's trade body said on Friday. Tokenisation, or fractionalisation, of funds will enable a fund's assets to trade more cheaply and transparently and investors to buy into a wider range of assets, industry proponents say. Funds authorised by Britain's Financial Conduct Authority can take the first steps towards offering tokenised funds, provided the investments are in mainstream assets and valuation and settlement arrangements don't change, the Investment Association said in a statement. Scrimgeour is chair of a working group which is working with the FCA and Britain's finance ministry to open up opportunities for tokenised funds. Investment managers and exchanges in the United States, Europe and Asia have already taken tentative steps in offering tokenised funds.

Persons: Kevin Coombs, tokenisation, Michelle Scrimgeour, Scrimgeour, Carolyn Cohn, Elizabeth Howcroft, Sharon Singleton Organizations: REUTERS, Britain's Financial, Investment Association, Legal, General Investment Management, FCA, BlackRock, Investment, Thomson Locations: Canary Wharf, London, Britain, United States, Europe, Asia

Zhao Changpeng, founder and chief executive officer of Binance, speaks at the Blockchain Week Summit in Paris, France, on Wednesday, April 13, 2022. Binance chief Changpeng Zhao will plead guilty to criminal charges and step down as the company's CEO as part of a $4.3 billion settlement with the Department of Justice, according to court documents. The plea arrangement with the government resolves a multi-year investigation into the world's largest crypto exchange. The Securities and Exchange Commission targeted the company with an expansive lawsuit in June, alleging that Binance was running an illegal securities exchange and mishandling customer funds. To this day, Binance remains the world's largest crypto exchange globally, processing billions of dollars in trading volume every year.

Persons: Zhao Changpeng, Changpeng Zhao, Zhao, Brian Tsuchida, Binance, Kraken, Gary Gensler, wasn't, Samuel Lim, —, ada, Kevin Breuninger Organizations: Department of Justice, Justice Department, DOJ, Emergency Economic, U.S, CNBC, Securities and Exchange Commission, Commodity Futures Trading Commission, Securities, Exchange Commission, SEC, Binance, Authority Locations: Paris, France, U.S, Seattle, Iran, Cayman Islands

☆ Hedge fund Qube makes $835 million bet against HSBC shares
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Nov 17 (Reuters) - Hedge fund Qube Research & Technologies has made a 672 million pound ($835.43 million) bet against the shares of HSBC (HSBA.L), a regulatory filing showed. The hedge fund, spun out from Credit Suisse, has taken a short position in HSBC shares worth 0.57% of the lender's market capitalisation, the filing with Britain's Financial Conduct Authority shows. It comes after HSBC reported disappointing third-quarter profits amid losses from its China real estate exposure. A short position is a bet that a company's stock price will decline. The short position was first reported by the Financial Times on Friday.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Qube, Lawrence White, Louise Heavens Organizations: HSBC Bank, REUTERS, Research, Technologies, HSBC, Credit Suisse, Britain's Financial, Authority, FCA, Financial, Thomson Locations: China

Sustainability-linked loans (SLL), which were first used in 2017, offer slightly cheaper borrowing, typically around 2.5-10 basis points less, if companies meet goals such as cutting their carbon emissions or improving board diversity. These let banks strip the sustainability-linked label from the loans if targets are no longer deemed appropriate. The banks' tougher standards are discouraging some borrowers from using SLLs entirely, bankers and lawyers told Reuters. The Engie spokesman said the utility would not agree to linking an event of default to sustainability targets. "We have stated our willingness to walk away when sustainability targets were too soft," said Brittany Agostino, vice president in the environmental, social and governance group at Los Angeles-based Ares.

Persons: Toby Melville, Banks, Constance Chalchat, Pascale Forde Maurice, Elliot Beard, Simmons, Beard, I've, David Milligan, Norton Rose Fulbright, Gemma Lawrence, Pardew, Brittany Agostino, Fredrik Altmann, Tommy Reggiori Wilkes, Isla Binnie, Shankar Ramakrishnan, Simon Jessop, Alexander Smith Organizations: FCA, Financial, Authority, REUTERS, LONDON, BNP, Corporate, Institutional Banking, Reuters, JPMorgan, Ford Motors, SLLs, CIB's, European, Sustainable Investment Banking, Simmons, Norton Rose, Market Association, BMW, Porsche, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, North America, Asia, Los Angeles, New York

☆ IPO laggards’ race to the bottom misses the target
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( Lisa Jucca | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

A view shows the Milan stock exchange building, as stocks slid in the first hours of trading after fears that the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank could trigger a broader financial crisis, in Milan, Italy, March 13, 2023. REUTERS/Claudia Greco Acquire Licensing RightsMILAN, Nov 10 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Italy is scrambling to make its stock market more attractive. Over the past few years, some prominent companies have moved their listing venue abroad. Companies rushing to list in the Netherlands are no doubt attracted by its lax approach to companies with dual voting share classes. Doubts over the sustainability of Rome’s high public debt push up listed companies’ cost of capital, depressing their valuations and making the stock market less appealing.

Persons: Claudia Greco, Giorgia, Rishi, Agnelli, Neil Unmack, Oliver Taslic Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, Ministry, Companies, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Financial, Thomson Locations: Milan, Silicon, Italy, Amsterdam, New York, Paris, Italian, Netherlands, Britain, United States, London

[1/2] People walk past a booth of ICBC Credit Suisse Asset Management Co at the 2020 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS), in Beijing, China September 5, 2020. China's foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said that business remained normal at ICBC head office, other branches and subsidiaries across the globe. Some market participants said trades going through ICBC were not settled due to the incident and that market liquidity had been affected. ICBC said it had successfully cleared Treasury trades executed on Wednesday and repurchase agreements (repo) financing trades done on Thursday. While market sources said on Thursday the impact of the ICBC hack appeared limited, the attack underlined how vulnerable systems at large organizations continue to be.

Persons: Tingshu Wang, ICBC, Wang Wenbin, Wang, Jerome Powell, Lockbit, Harry Robertson, Yoruk, Dhara Ranasinghe, Alexander Smith Organizations: Asset Management, Fair for Trade, Services, REUTERS, Industrial, Commercial Bank of China, Global, ICBC's, Authority, Traders, U.S . Treasury, Federal, Treasury, Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Security Agency, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, China's, ICBC's U.S, Europe, Hong Kong, Shanghai, London, Amsterdam

☆ Don't confuse customers over stablecoins, Bank of England warns lenders
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( Huw Jones | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

A pedestrian walks past the Bank of England in the City of London, Britain, September 25, 2023. REUTERS/Hollie Adams/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsCompanies Bank of England FollowLONDON, Nov 6 (Reuters) - The Bank of England told lenders on Monday that they must avoid any risk that customers might confuse new forms of e-money like 'stablecoins' with standard deposits which are guaranteed against bank failures. Stablecoins are a cryptocurrency backed by a traditional currency such as sterling or the U.S. dollar, or an asset. To the extent that systemic payment systems using stablecoins pose similar risks as other systemic payment systems, they should be subject to equivalent regulatory standards, the BoE said. There are no systemic sterling stablecoins, but Tether, issuer of the world's largest stablecoin, pegged to the U.S. dollar and backed by assets including U.S. government debt, said last year it would launch a sterling stablecoin.

Persons: Hollie Adams, BoE, stablecoins, Sheldon Mills, David Milliken, Tom Wilson, Kylie MacLellan, Kirsten Donovan, Bernadette Baum Organizations: Bank of England, City of, REUTERS, Companies Bank of England, U.S ., Financial, European, Thomson Locations: City, City of London, Britain

☆ Barclays is sued over ex-CEO's ties to Jeffrey Epstein
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( Jonathan Stempel | Companies Need To Integrate Climate Reporting Across Functions To Comply With California S New Law | Henry Engler | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Toby Melville/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 3 (Reuters) - Barclays (BARC.L) was sued this week by investors in its U.S.-listed securities who said the British bank misled them about former Chief Executive Jes Staley's ties to the disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein. Staley was Barclays' chief executive from 2015 and 2021. The investors said Barclays concealed or made misleading statements about Staley's and Epstein's relationship in public statements, regulatory disclosures about risks it faced, and communications with Britain's Financial Conduct Authority. A Nov. 9 hearing is scheduled in Manhattan federal court to consider final approval of the victims' settlement. The case is Merritt v Barclays Plc et al, U.S. District Court, Central District of California, No.

Persons: Toby Melville, Jes, Jeffrey Epstein, Staley, Epstein, C.S, Jonathan Stempel, Daniel Wallis Organizations: Barclays, REUTERS, JPMorgan Chase, Britain's Financial, Authority, Investors, New York Times, JPMorgan, U.S ., Merritt, Barclays Plc et, Court, District of, Thomson Locations: City, London, Los Angeles, Manhattan, U.S . Virgin Islands, U.S, District, District of California, New York

☆ Fintech giant Revolut appoints new UK boss amid struggles to get banking license
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

European fintech firm Revolut on Thursday said it appointed former Barclays executive Francesca Carlesi as its new U.K. CEO. A spokesperson for Revolut told CNBC that the move was not linked to its application for a banking license. Carlesi would be in charge of the company's U.K. operation — which, once it receives a banking license, would manage the Revolut banking division. The appointment comes at a time when Revolut is beefing up its local operation amid a long wait to obtain a coveted British banking license. Revolut was late to file its accounts earlier this year, which exposed the company to criticisms over whether it is ready to become a fully licensed bank.

Persons: Revolut, Francesca Carlesi, Carlesi Organizations: Barclays, Deutsche Bank, Molo Finance, Revolut, CNBC, Bank of England, Financial, Authority Locations: U.K, British

☆ PayPal gets crypto green light in UK as sets up post-Brexit base
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( Huw Jones | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A smartphone with the PayPal logo is placed on a laptop in this illustration taken on July 14, 2021. The regulator has also brought in tougher safeguards on marketing cryptoassets, which have snarled rivals like Binance. PayPal said on Wednesday that the FCA has approved the company as an authorised electronic money institution and consumer credit firm, as well as its registration as a cryptoasset business, although the pause in UK crypto services would continue as previously announced. The approvals mean that from Nov. 1 PayPal's UK customers will be transferred to a new entity based in Britain from PayPal Europe, which had hitherto served UK customers, reflecting Britain's departure from the European Union. "PayPal continues to offer our customers the same products and services in the United Kingdom," it said.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, PayPal, Huw Jones, Jonathan Oatis, Alexander Smith Organizations: PayPal, REUTERS, Financial, Authority, PayPal Europe, European Union, Thomson Locations: Britain, United Kingdom

☆ UK financial watchdog urges banks to link bonuses with duty to clients
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( Huw Jones | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Signage is seen for the FCA (Financial Conduct Authority), the UK's financial regulatory body, at their head offices in London, Britain March 10, 2022. The FCA said in a letter to chairs of banks' remuneration committees they should prioritise embedding the new Consumer Duty introduced in July, to ensure customers get fair value and appropriate products and services. "Senior managers and boards, especially those whose role is most relevant to the duty, are accountable for complying with the duty," the FCA said in the letter made public. Banks are currently deciding how to divide up the annual bonus pool as a cap limiting the size of bonuses, inherited from the European Union, expires. The watchdog said banks should ensure that there is a "clear, strong and evidenced link" between behaviours and overall pay, with "timely and transparent" adjustments when appropriate.

Persons: Toby Melville, Banks, Alasdair Steele, Huw Jones, Jan Harvey Organizations: FCA, Financial, Authority, REUTERS, Britain's, Consumer, European Union, CMS, Thomson Locations: London, Britain

☆ UK watchdog intervenes again in 'buy-now-pay-later' as users rise
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( Huw Jones | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Signage is seen for the FCA (Financial Conduct Authority), the UK's financial regulatory body, at their head offices in London, Britain March 10, 2022. Companies that offer "buy-now-pay-later" (BNPL) unsecured loans are not regulated by the FCA, though it has used Britain's consumer rights law to make contracts fairer. The watchdog said its latest Financial Lives survey showed that 27% of UK adults or about 14 million people, have used BNPL at least once in the six months to January 2023, up from 17% in the 12 months to May 2022. BNPL is offered over a short period to shoppers who buy to clothes or other retail goods. Frequent users were more likely to be in financial difficulty and to have missed a payment of a bill or credit commitment, the FCA said.

Persons: Toby Melville, Clearpay, Sheldon Mills, Huw Jones, Tomasz Janowski Organizations: FCA, Financial, Authority, REUTERS, Bank of, PayPal, QVC, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, Bank of England

☆ Britain to push ahead with rules for cryptoassets
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( Huw Jones | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Oct 30 (Reuters) - Britain said on Monday it would legislate to implement its first set of rules to regulate the crypto sector, requiring market participants to be authorised before they can offer services to consumers. The European Union has already approved the world's first set of comprehensive rules for cryptoasset markets, which are already attracting crypto firms to set up base in the bloc. Britain's finance ministry said it would move ahead as proposed in a February public consultation, requiring firms undertaking cryptoasset activities to be authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority. The rules focus on cryptoassets, such as bitcoin, and the underlying distributed ledger technology (DLT) or blockchain that underpins the sector. Crypto firms currently face only requirements to have safeguards against money laundering.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, bitcoin, Crypto, Huw Jones, Andrew Cawthorne, Peter Graff Organizations: REUTERS, European Union, Financial, Authority, Thomson Locations: Britain, United States

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