FSA has censured a firm in voluntary liquidation for failings in selling and promoting geared traded endowment policies. Integrity Financial Solutions provided and advised on the policies. FSA found the product information it produced was misleading, which may have led IFAs to advise customers to buy an unsuitable product. It also found the firm’s own sales arm did not record information on customers and could not evidence why the product was suitable. FSA would have recommended a £350,000 fine if the firm were not in liquidation.

FSA made five sets of new rules at its March board meeting:

Treasury is consulting on how to improve protection and payment of benefits for policyholders of insurers who get into financial difficulty. Historically, few insurers have been put into administration or liquidation, and none have been so seriously affected in the recent crisis. So Treasury thinks it is time to review the regime and suggests changes that would:

FSA has published the statement it made to the US bankruptcy court examiner on the collapse of Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. It has published the statement in the public interest, although it contains information that would otherwise have been confidential. The statement explains FSA’s actions and conversations in respect of the potential purchase by Barclays of the company in September 2008.

FSA has announced a range of measures to help investors who got unsuitable advice or misleading materials relating to Lehman-backed structured products. It has found significant failings and the actions it is taking will apply to all structured products in future:  

OFT is monitoring the lending and broking of secured loans to consumers where the loan's purpose is to annul a recent bankruptcy. It is asking for comments by 30 October from any consumers who have taken this type of loan.

FSA supported HMRC in its action to wind up The Freedom SIPP, a SIPP operator. It believed this was appropriate to fulfil its consumer protection objective.

Re Stanford International Bank Limited and others [2009] EWHC 1441 (Ch) provides answers to key questions on the UNCITRAL Model Law on cross-border insolvency. What will courts recognise as a “foreign proceeding”? What types of insolvency practitioners will qualify as “foreign representatives”? Is a company’s “centre of main interests” (COMI) always in the country of its registered office? Linda Ralli considers the practical implications for banks which have lent to foreign companies where they are looking to enforce in England.

Facts

ISDA has written to Treasury on its plans to make insolvency regulations in relation to investment banks. It supports Treasury's plan to take legislative steps only if market practice and regulatory approaches do not work. It endorses the view that sophisticated counterparties should have as much flexibility as possible. It notes the interaction of any regime for investment banks with existing regimes must be clear but does not currently see a compelling case for changes to the current regime.

Treasury has amended the Financial Markets and Insolvency (Settlement Finality)(Amendment) Regulations 2009 to make the Regulations reflect changes to insolvency and company law that followed the original regulations. The changes take effect on 1 October 2009.