Our experts provide their insights on the latest industry developments and share tips on accountancy and business matters.
05 January 2024
Consumer Duty: ‘Only six months to go’By the end of January 2024, Consumer Duty will have been live for six months. It represents the largest regulatory change for a decade and a clear steer that the financial services industry should improve how it acts in the best interests of customers.
20 December 2023
How robots can reinforce Scotland as a land of food and drinkScotland is renowned globally for its natural larder, but it’s been another challenging year for the food and drink industry with rising raw ingredient prices, soaring energy costs and pay increases reducing margins.
19 December 2023
Payment and e-money providers – safeguarding audits, a timely reminderIn July 2020 the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) finalised guidance on safeguarding customer funds, which included the requirement that payment services and electronic money institutions, whose accounts required a statutory audit, would also be required to undertake an annual audit of their compliance with the safeguarding requirements under the Payment Service Regulations 2017 (PSRs) and Electronic Money Regulations 2011 (EMRs).
18 December 2023
Topical matters for rural businesses in 2023 and looking ahead to 2024Rural businesses continue to face ongoing uncertainty over what the changing rural support schemes will deliver and how this will affect their future income. This is not aided by the Scottish Government’s recent communications relating to cuts to the Rural Affairs Budget. There continues to be a focus on sustainability and ensuring you are incorporating ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) into the decisions you make, ensuring your business remains fit for the future.
13 December 2023
What can Wealth Managers do to stay off the FCA’s naughty list?In early December, the Financial Conduct Authority played Scrooge to Wealth Management and Stockbroking firms in the form of its Dear CEO letter. It left no-one in doubt about some of the frustrations that the FCA has about the sector, and that it is planning to really dial up its proactive and invasive supervisory action on these firms. Here. Rob Sargent breaks this message down, and explains what it all really means for those in the Wealth Management industry.
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