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Financial advice and the sales process publications

“Understanding compensation for pension transfers – hail DISP App 4”, Compliance Monitor, 4 July 2023

“BSPS compensation: a Pension Review repeat”, Compliance Monitor, 4 June 2022

“Swift report on IRHP scheme urges more proactive regulation”, Compliance Monitor, 4 March 2022

“A ‘new’ Consumer Duty – or same rules, more layers?”, Compliance Monitor, 7 February 2022

“Value for money – the new regulatory focus”, Compliance Monitor, 13 December 2021

“SIPP mis-selling dissected by Court of Appeal”, Compliance Monitor, 12 October 2021

“‘Duty of care’ or hot air?”, Compliance Monitor, 12 July 2021

“A Spring flowering of financial services court decisions”, Compliance Monitor, 4 June 2021

“Adams v Options UK – the Court of Appeal reaches the right answer”, Compliance Monitor, 6 May 2021

“Promotions rules for individual mortgage contracts and debt advice”, Compliance Monitor, 7 April 2021

“Pitfalls of selling financial products”, Compliance Monitor, 16 November 2020

“Embedding fair treatment of vulnerable customers”, Compliance Monitor, 12 October 2020

“Adams v Options Sipp – regulatory feebleness towards SIPP providers”, Compliance Monitor, 13 July 2020

“CP19/25 tackles pension transfers – an arcane and troubled topic”, Compliance Monitor, 8 November 2019

“The Standard Life 2019 final notice – another zeitgeist moment”, Compliance Monitor, 4 September 2019

“Robo-advice still problematic”, Compliance Monitor, February 2019

“The rogue appointed representative causing legal problems again in Anderson v Sense Network”, Compliance Resource Network, 4 December 2018

“Berkeley Burke v FOS judicial review application fails an analysis”, Compliance Resource Network, 20 November 2018

“New to you this October the rules on pension transfers and conversions with a bit on opt-outs”, Compliance Resource Network, 30 October 2018

“The FCA does retirement – the Retirement Outcome Review final report”, Compliance Resource Network, 29 August 2018

“Solutions and changes in the light of the Retirement Outcome Review”, Compliance Resource Network, 28 August 2018

“CFDs – Europe tackles a product where consumers mostly lose out”, Compliance Monitor, 5 June 2018

“What MiFID II has done to the FCA rulebook”, Compliance Monitor, 10 April 2018

“The Bluefin Final Notice a sad example of the demise of the better than best rule”, Compliance Resource Network, 3 January 2018

“The evolving shape of financial advice”, Compliance Monitor, 12 December 2017

“The UK FCA’s proposed insistent customer guidance in CP 17/28”, Compliance Resource Network, 31 October 2017

“Pension transfers pure guesswork?”, Compliance Monitor, 6 October 2017

“The FCA re-visits the compliance Chamber of Horrors, pension transfers in CP 17/16”, Compliance Resource Network, 17 July 2017

“Pensions and the cobbled together COBS 19”, Compliance Monitor, 7 February 2017

“In search of ongoing service in financial advice”, Compliance Monitor, 2 November 2016

“TR 16/7 the FCA finding problems with non-advised annuity sales”, Compliance Resource Network, 21 October 2016

“Exploring the mythical ‘advice gap’”, Compliance Monitor, 6 April 2016

“Man or machine? The future of financial advice”, Compliance Monitor, 4 December 2015

“As the pension freedoms take shape is an insistent client also an imprudent one?”, Financial Planning, October 2015

“The Upper Tribunal and High Court tackles conflicts of interest, integrity and dishonesty issues at Arch

Financial Products LLP”, Compliance Resource Network, 23 January 2015

“Tightening the networks”, Financial Adviser, 4 December 2014

“Nothing new under the sun, for pensions compliance”, Compliance Monitor, 6 November 2014

“Don’t fall into the products trap”, Money Marketing, 14 October 2014

“Compliance tip of the week: Don’t allow fantasists in your firm”, Money Marketing, 18 September 2014

“Compliance tip of the week: Draw up your own client agreements”, Money Marketing, 4 September 2014

“Wielding the power of attorney”, Money Marketing, 29 August 2014

“Compliance tip of the week: Use properly what you know about your client”, Money Marketing, 7 August 2014

“The FCA revisits the pensions review in TR 14/12 on Enhanced Transfer Values”, Compliance Resource Network, 5 August 2014

“The problem with high net worth clients”, Money Marketing, 15 July 2014

“When to say no to clients”, Money Marketing, 17 April 2014

“Compliance tip of the week: Research your products”, Money Marketing, 16 April 2014

“Compliance tip of the week: Needs and wishes are not the same”, Money Marketing, 3 April 2014

“A year down the road of the retail distribution review”, Compliance Monitor, March 2014

“The Consumer Rights Bill”, Compliance Resource Network, 12 March 2014

“Who is a sophisticated investor?”, Compliance Monitor, December/January 2014

“The Westwood Upper Tribunal decision”, Compliance Resource Network 11 December 2013

“PRIPS – the lost regulation – about to be debated this autumn by the European Parliament”, Compliance Resource Network, 25 July 2013

“Incentives at the UK and European level”, Compliance Resource Network, 26 June 2013

“PS 13/3 – the UCIS ban finally arrives – in modified form”, Compliance Resource Network, 11 June 2013

“The FCA taking the final lumbering steps towards extending the RDR to the platform market in PS 13/1”, Compliance Resource Network, 30 April 2013

“PS 13/2 – making pension projections take into account inflation and other disclosure problems”, Compliance Resource Network, 28 March 2013

“The FSA makes a mess of reviewing advice standards at the banks”, Compliance Resource Network, 20 February 2013

“Arch Cru: pathology of a major compliance disaster”, Compliance Monitor, March 2013

“Retail Distribution Review: a ramshackle revolution”, Compliance Monitor, January 2013

“Trying to sort out pension projections and confirming the consumer price index change to pension transfer analysis”, Compliance Resource Network, 6 November 2012

“The Court of Appeal dissects mis-selling”, Compliance Monitor, October 2012

“CP 12/19 The proposed ban on the sale of UCIS and non-mainstream pooled investments to most retail customers”, Compliance Resource Network, 29 August 2012

“City Gate Money Managers Limited – a tawdry tale of FSA failed enforcement, pension misselling and financial promotions”, Compliance Resource Network, 15 August 2012

“PS 12/14 – the FSA tidying up the rules for illustrating pensions”, Compliance Resource Network, 8 August 2012

“Updating the projection numbers for investments and pension transfers – CP 12/10 analysis”, Compliance Resource Network, 11 June 2012

“The finalised guidance on traded life policy investments (TLPI) – the first steps towards a ban”, Compliance Resource Network, 2 May 2012

“Finalised guidance on Simplified Advice – the child that nobody least of all the FSA wants”, Compliance Resource Network, 5 April 2012

“FSA guidance sets limits to independence”, Financial Adviser, 8 March 2012

“CP 12/4 — a sufficient tinkering with pension transfer value?”, 1 March 2012

“Deal or no deal – A high court judgement on Towry’s claim that advisers breached their contracts by soliciting clients has put no-dealing clauses in the spotlight”, Financial Adviser, 23 February 2012

“Towry Law loses one for all firms with non-solicitation clauses in their contracts”, Complinet, 20 February 2012

“The HSBC fine and some handy revision on misselling bonds and long-term care policies”, Compliance Resource Network, 7 December 2011

“FSA consults on almost outlawing ‘death bonds’, well after stable is locked”, 29 November 2011

“The Coutts fine for mis-selling the AIG Enhanced Fund”, 9 November 2011

“Analysis of Credit Suisse structured products misselling fine – way too much systems and controls”, Compliance Resource Network, 27 October 2011

“The FSA Guidance Consultation on Simplified Advice – it never was going to work”, Compliance Resource Network, 22 September 2011

“The FSA stumbling on platform regulation, PS 11/10”, Compliance Resource Network, 5 August 2011

“Of investment compliance and UCIS again – the Best Advice and A2O Final Notices”, Compliance Resource Network, 25 July 2011

“The Arch Cru offer to investors from Capita, Bank of New York and HSBC”, Complinet, 22 June 2011

“The Sinclair fine and prohibition – of client accounts, complaints, corporate advice, cold calling the general prohibitions and boiler rooms”, Compliance Resource Network 21 June 2011

“Why transparency is clearly best”, Compliance Monitor, June 2011

“Preventing pathological products”, Compliance Monitor, May 2011

“Pushing the wrong buttons”, (N&P fine for unsuitable Keydata advice), Financial Adviser, 12 May 2011

“The N&P fine, another black moment for deposit institutions in the investment market, mixed in with some Keydata”, Compliance Resource Network, 21 April 2011

“The FSA on the unregulated collective investment scheme and GTEPS warpath again”, Compliance Resource Network 19 April 2011

“FSA fines N&P £1.4m for suitability failings in the sale of Keydata structured products”, Complinet, 19 April 2011

“Disclosure laid bare”, Compliance Monitor, March 2011

“Barclays and Clark Rees Final Notices – two different but similar views of investment suitability and promotions”, Compliance Resource Network, 24 January 2011

“Unsuitable advice — the FSA’s guidance consultation: Assessing suitability”, Complinet, 13 January 2011

“CP 10/29 Wraps, Platforms and the RDR”, Compliance Resource Network, 30 November 2010

“Selling investments in Hong Kong and the SFC Code – the big issues”, Compliance Resource Network 3 November 2010

“CP 10/14 Professionalism and the RDR – a step backwards?”, Wolters Kluwer, 7 July 2010

“The RDR and all that”, Compliance Monitor, May 2010

“GTEPs, Provider and IFA responsibilities and the Integrity Final Notice”, Wolters Kluwer, 18 May 2010

“PS10/6: the RDR main paper — some further thoughts”, Complinet, 8 April 2010

“The RDR and wrap platforms”, Complinet, 7 April 2010

“From NDFA to Tenon: a voyage through structured products”, Complinet, 2 March 2010

“The AIG Enhanced Fund affair”, Complinet, 19 Feb 2010

“Could do better: professional standards and the RDR”, Compliance Monitor, February 2010

“Taking a punt”, Financial Adviser, 3 December 2009

“Independence day”, Compliance Monitor, July/August 2009

“The disastrous search for cautious investments: quasi-cash funds and structured products”, Compliance Monitor, June 2009

“Lehman Brothers, structured products and wider implications”, Complinet, 13 May 2009

“The McCance and Penn final notices: bad advice and investment bonds”, Complinet, 9 April 2009

“The Pacific Continental Securities final notices: picking up the pieces”, Complinet, 6 February 2009

“The Legacy final notice: picking on the weak or a real legacy?”, Complinet, 27 January 2009

“RDRessed”, Compliance Monitor, December 2008/January 2009

“Adam Samuel answers his own RDR interim report questions”, Money Marketing 7 May 2008

“The FSA’s retail distribution review interim report”, Complinet, 30 April 2008

“FSA accepts lack of linkage between capital and mis-selling”, Complinet, 30 April 2008

“Small cap mis-selling – from Square Mile to Mansion House”, Complinet, 8 April 2008

“Advice fundamentals”, Money Marketing, 3 April 2008

“Beware of the paper-tooth tiger”, Financial Adviser, 6 March 2008

“CP08/3 – the FSA is still twisting and turning”, Complinet, 21 February 2008

“Miah final notice – the Square Mile fallout”, Complinet, 12 February 2008

“Risky business”, Compliance Monitor, February 2008

“The Square Mile compliance disaster”, Complinet, 17 January 2008

“Giving advice under the COBS/MiFID regime and principles-based regulation”, Compliance Monitor, December 2007/January 2008

“Wills and hard selling penny shares”, Complinet, 1 November 2007

“Capital punishment”, Financial Adviser, 4 October 2007

“Sheron, FSA gaffes, FOS decisions and the churning war”, Complinet, 3 September 2007

“Scottish Equitable pays £700,000 for broker consultant’s pension transfer advice”, Complinet, 2 August 2007

“Retail distribution review – point by point (part two)”, Complinet, 17 July 2007

“Retail distribution review – point by point (part one)”, Complinet, 16 July 2007

“Look at the evidence”, Money Marketing, 12 July 2007

“The Retail Distribution Review Round One”, Compliance Monitor, July/August 2007

“Look at the evidence”, Money Marketing, 12 July 2007

“DP07/1 – the first salvo in the retail distribution review”, Complinet, 28 June 2007

“FSA fines Charterhouse £122,500”, Complinet, 16 May 2007

“FSA blunders on TCF and rebate-only pensions”, Complinet, 11 May 2007

“Bans for irresponsible pension transfers”, Complinet, 2 May 2007

“Advisers beware”, Compliance Monitor, March 2007

“The FSA keeps long-abandoned RU64”, Complinet, 28 February 2007

“The FSA picks on income drawdown and retreats from principles”, Complinet, 23 February 2007

“High Court straightens out Parliamentary Ombudsman’s report on pensions insolvency”, Complinet, 22 February 2007

“Trigon fine begins open season on IFA advice standards”, Complinet, 14 February 2007

“Red-letter day for the FSA and complaint handling”, Complinet, 24 October 2006

“GDT censure lays down the law on income drawdown”, Complinet, 19 October 2006

“A sorry tale: advice standards in the IFA community”, Compliance Monitor, October 2006

“Sub-standards”, Mortgage Solutions, 25 September 2006

“Mystery shocker”, Money Marketing 14 September 2006

“The Braemar final notice and something fishy about pension unlocking”, Complinet, 12 September 2006

“FSA fines sub-prime mortgage intermediary £35,000 for breaches”, Complinet, 30 June 2006

“In the dark”, Money Marketing, 1 June 2006

“FSA puts RU64 proposals on hold”, Complinet, 26 May 2006

“The Royal Liver mis-selling fine- a sad blast from the Mersey”, Complinet, 11 April 2006

“FSA goes off-target about key facts”, Complinet, 6 April 2006

“Technical View – A Day”, Money Marketing 9 March 2006

“Latin lessons”, Money Marketing 2 March 2006

“Contracting out of SERPS – is this the crisis that never was?”, Complinet, 28 February 2006

“Berkeley Independent Fine – Another trip into the compliance sewer”, Compliance Online, 2 December 2005

“Bumps in the fee way”, Money Marketing, 3 November 2005, 56

“Depolarisation – the compliance fall-out”, Compliance Monitor, October 2005, 10

“Quick Guide: the FSA’s summer idea for key facts disclosure”, Compliance Online, 30 August 2005

“Mixed blessing of RU64’s end”, Financial Adviser, 4 August 2005

“CP05-8 Suitability Standards for Personal Pensions – when will they ever learn?”, Compliance Online, 29 June 2005

“The Tribunal’s decision to fine Legal & General £575,000 – a score draw confirmed”, Compliance Online, 1 June 2005

“The FSA reports scary mystery shopping on equity release – surprise – not really”, Compliance Online, 1 June 2005

“Identifying and responding to emerging retail risks – is the FSA looking the right way?”, Compliance Monitor, May 2005, 5

“The Legal & General Tribunal decision: analysing the entrails”, Compliance Monitor, February 2005, 11

“’A plague on both your houses’ – the Tribunal’s verdict on the L & G appeal”, Compliance Online, 26 January 2005

“Compliance Issues for fee-based advisers”, Compliance Monitor, December 2004, 15

“PS04/27 Depolarisation – the final countdown”, Compliance Online, 7 December 2004

“PS04/22 Nearly final rules on stakeholder sales”, Compliance Online 15 November 2004

“FSA fines Sesame for unlocking pensions”, Compliance Online, 11 October 2004

“FSA Discussion Paper 04/1 Projections review – none the wiser but at least better informed?”, Compliance Online, 26 August 2004

“Treasury Select Committee Report on Restoring confidence in long-term savings – not up to scratch this time”, Compliance Online, 3 August 2004

“The Sandler suite – bad shoes for poor people?”, Compliance Monitor, July/August 2004

“Sound advice”, Compliance Monitor, June 2004

“The FSA laying down the law on selling standards: a look at three recent Final Notices disciplining IFAs”, Compliance Online, 14 June 2004

“CP04/10 Regulating Child Trust Funds”, Compliance Online, 14 June 2004

“The Distance Marketing Directive and the FSA’s PS04/11 Implementing it”, Compliance Online 28 April 2004

“CP 04/3 De-polarisation: serving up the menu and taming the monster”, Compliance Online, 2 March 2004

“A tale of with-profits bonds, risk profiling and confusion”, Compliance Online, 24 February 2004

“The Pension Review Strikes Back: the lessons from the FSA Fining of Berkeley Jacobs for missold pension transfers and wobbly advertising”, Compliance Online, 13 February 2004

“Failing off the Precipice: Policy Statement 04/3 should tell these products to SCARPer”,  Compliance Online 4 February 2004

“Comment: FSA Occasional Paper on Persistency”, Complinet, 20 January 2004

“FSA finds toxic waste in its proposed approach to Sandler products”, Complinet, 10 December 2003

“The Treasury Consults on Sophisticated ladies and Loadsofmoney investors”, Compliance Online 27 January 2004

“Comment: Treasury consults on regulating the ‘great redeemer’“, Complinet, 13 November 2003

“Comment: FSA, mortgages and the final enchilada”, Complinet, 4 November 2003

“Comment: CP201: the IMD, COB and investment business”, Complinet, 1 Oct 2003

“CP196 comment: the FSA implementing the Distance Marketing Directive”, Complinet, 4 September 2003

“Treasury consults on implementing the DMD”, Complinet, 22 July 2003

“CP186 commentary: mind the gap and the third rail”, Complinet, 3 June 2003

“CP 186 commentary: mortgage advice – the ‘big one’“, Complinet, 27 May 2003

“CP183: the FSA looks back in anger at past performance”, Complinet, 23 May 2003

“CP180 commentary: FSA sets out the store for mortgage and insurance brokers”, Complinet, 30 April 2003

“FSA issues definition of misselling – at last”, Complinet, 23 April 2003

“Investment risk and counting the paths to non-compliance”, Complinet, 11 March 2003

“Sandler products and the unbearable lightness of being: the Treasury consults”, Complinet, 6 Feb 2003

“Depolarisation, CP166 and the exasperating question: ‘why?’“, Complinet, 21 January 2003

“FSA’s paper on Sandler sales contains the roots of the project’s destruction”, Complinet, 15 January 2003

“The CML’s guide to equity release: is it too close for comfort?”, Complinet, 16 December 2002

“’We will give you a definition of misselling, Mr Sandler’“, Complinet, 7 Nov 2002

“CP121: where do we go from here?!”, Complinet, 6 Nov 2002

“CP 121: Why?”, Complinet, 28 March 2002

“Avoiding Complaints”, Money Management, May 1998, 75

“Master the mysteries of missold [pension] mortgages”, Money Marketing, 23 October 1997

Get in touch

Contact Adam by e-mail, phone or post at:

E-Mail: adamsamuel@aol.com or adamsamueltc@yahoo.com

Mobile: 07900 248150

The Attic, 117 Priory Road, London NW6 3NN.