RegTech IntelligenceThe UK Financial Services Regulatory Initiatives Forum released its second major Regulatory Initiatives Grid update of the year and the 7th edition of the Grid overall. Over three dozen new initiatives have been added to last year’s plan (JWG Grid 6 analysis here) taking into account the summer update which flagged the significance of Financial
The global money laundering and terrorist financing watchdog Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has published the targeted update on implementation of its Recommendation 15 (R.15) across 98 surveyed jurisdictions and the results are not pretty. With more inbound rules on our VASP RegRadars, we summarise the implications of these latest findings and what to look
The recent allegations made against Coinbase and Binance by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) have cast a spotlight on the compliance challenges faced by the cryptocurrency industry. However, it is not just the US that is grappling with regulatory issues pertaining to digital assets – a high degree of correlation has been noted
Over the past three months, regulatory developments in the digital asset space have continued to create choppy waters for industry players and market participants alike. Lawsuits have been filed, new initiatives have been launched, and guidelines are being introduced as governments attempt to keep up with the ever-evolving market. Who would have thought a pop
The UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) will this month publish its Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (MiFID II) trade reporting policy statement for equity trade data. The policy statement will also cover a new designated reporter regime for post-trade transparency, an FCA official told the JWG Trading Compliance RegTech Seminar. Separately, the FCA confirmed in
As the deadlines for compliance with new, complex derivatives rules approach, many firms are at risk of facing hefty fines from regulators if they are found wanting. JWG is calling on all firms to join their next global virtual seminar on 29 June to discuss strategies for deploying proven DRR RegTech to manage their regulatory
RegTech promises to turn policy documents to rule sets that describe what good looks like in the operational language of the systems used by the business. AI can play a role in applying controls, but it needs to be carefully supervised so that the humans are in the loop and overseeing the code. Experts at
Winning the ESG data Marathon in 2023 With the ever-increasing focus on ESG transparency from regulators and clients, firms are racing to meet the requirements needed to make their mark in the global marketplace. This race requires tens of thousands of market participants to produce data according to different standards. However, with a proper plan
UK Regulators have finally disclosed their plans for 2023 which are 29% bigger than last year with the FCA owning the lion’s share of the 143 initiatives. Practitioners should update their firm’s radars with this version but beware: further updates are expected over the course of 2023. JWG RegRadars are primed and ready. Join us
UK crypto-asset regulation should require firms to be authorised locally and establish a physical presence to help asset recovery efforts when customer funds are lost to fraud or theft, lawyers said. HM Treasury’s crypto-asset regulation consultation paper, published this month, says crypto-asset activity provided in or to the UK must be authorised by UK authorities.
With new waves of regulation and enforcement coming fast, navigating cryptocurrency and digital assets rules has keeping middle and back offices hands on the tiller this quarter. JWG’s Crypto asset RegRadars are hot and this article provides three dozen links to contextualise choppiest waters in Q12023 in advance of JWG’s 22 March Trading Compliance seminar.
2023 RegTech Beacon – Guiding your way through regulatory storms We are delighted to publish the 29th issue of JWG’s RegTech Beacon which now serves as our yearbook and recaps 2022 accomplishments as well as providing an outlook of what lies ahead. Our RegTech outlook is one of collaboration between the front office and its supporting
Many of the financial regulatory reforms announced in Edinburgh on Friday by Jeremy Hunt, Chancellor of the Exchequer, had a familiar ring to them. Banks, investment firms and anyone selling products to or into the UK market will need to engage with the detail of what was published. “The Edinburgh Reforms seize on our Brexit
Digital regulatory reporting (DRR) music has upped tempo in 2022: Internationally, the Financial Stability Board (FSB)has become the new home for reporting requirements and is poised to launch its 2023 workplan In the US, the derivatives sector is enjoying the benefits for CFTC rewrite reporting which start next month before deploying DRR code across the
The regulatory spotlight on stablecoins has intensified this month with the Financial Stability Board (FSB) Crypto-asset paper noting[1] that many existing stablecoins still would not meet their recommendations. International risk management principles will be welcomed, but 2023 will be the year that the industry needs to define a better approach to managing compliance in a
Regulators don’t just want firms to read what they put on their websites, they want them to prove their risk and control frameworks do what they say. RegTech now enables firms to interpret their requirements and provide businesses with an opportunity to bring costs down and avoid regulatory actions that can put the business ‘on
Accountability regimes will force board members and senior management on the Continent to rethink compliance for the Senior Executive Accountability Regime (SEAR) in 2024. The new regime will ‘gold plate’ current EU law and present international firms with major new hurdles. Irish bankers will be individually accountable for their responsibilities, with fines and even jail
Crypto market capitalization has receded by nearly 75% as $2 trillion were wiped off the market[1] leaving many crypto investors to reflect on the words Warren Buffet: “You only learn who has been swimming naked when the tide goes out”. Rulemaking continued to push the digital-asset agenda forward over the summer with over 3,000 pages published
Think-tank JWG urges Financial Services firms to collaborate with suppliers to close infrastructure gaps as fines loom London, UK – 13 September, 2022 – JWG, the trusted financial services regulatory intelligence company, has announced the publication of a ground-breaking research paper ‘Managing Digital Infrastructure Risk: a collaborative path to financial services safety’. New regulation will fundamentally
JWG, the trusted financial services regulatory intelligence company, has announced the publication of a ground-breaking research paper ‘Managing Digital Infrastructure Risk: a collaborative path to financial services safety’. New regulation will fundamentally change the landscape for the biggest tech companies–particularly cloud providers. By 2025, overlapping requirements to mitigate operational resilience threats (UK PS6/21,DORA); control third
The political process by which sanctions are agreed is difficult but the process for implementing them is worse. As a result, sanctions are not nearly as effective a weapon as we would like to think they could be. Ten RegTech building blocks are on the table for discussion – how do we configure a case
2022 is a tipping point for the next generation of economic crime RegTech. Decentralised services are presenting unquantified levels of risk to the system and rules are moving fast to keep up. The good news: after 5 years of laboratory experiments and forests of reports, RegTech can provide a migration path for compliance regimes. In
Five years since RegTech challenges for Anti Money Laundering (AML) and Transaction Monitoring were first articulated, regulators continue to inch towards policies which would enable firms to cut into the $1.6 trillion[i] which pass through banks undetected. Is the industry ready to take the next step? In this article we recap the challenge for digital
With sanctions freezing assets and restricting trade, digital compliance strategies are being reworked this year. In this article we explore the impact of putting digital trade barriers in place, which will also be discussed at our 23 June virtual seminar. Register Here 2022 sanctions policy Financial services have seen a significant increase in the number
RegTech Beacon – Guiding your way through global regulatory storms. We are delighted to publish the 28th issue of JWG’s RegTech Beacon which now serves as our yearbook that recaps 2021 accomplishments and provides an outlook of what lies ahead. Our focus this year is defining the next steps required for a truly digital financial infrastructure.
Executive summary As regulators focus on Operational Resilience firms need to realign their risk frameworks Without this alignment, firms risk overlaps and gaps in their controls Third parties play a key role in aligning controls and service metrics for your board Fines or excessive cost benchmarks are in store for those that get it wrong
JWG Q421 research reveals major regulatory battles for information on third parties in 2022, which has massive implications for FS suppliers. Combined with Cloud, AI and other new controls, knowing your supply chain just became a lot more critical and complicated. Without standard supply chain messages, regulators, regulated firms and their suppliers run the
We really enjoyed speaking to the leadership of the Quantitative Finance Community in advance of our 6th annual conference in November. We covered a lot of ground: Key RegTech / SupTech issues for quantitative finance professionals How can quants contribute to the RegTech discussion How data management and agility have influenced the regulators The latest
A decade ago, JWG worked with Banking Technology to produce the world’s first RegTech magazine for our sector. We are now delighted to be hosting the 6th annual RegTech / SupTech Conference on 16 & 17 November 2021 which promises to be one of the most exciting, digital events of the season. Register Here Today Agenda
Although no international guidelines on AI exist, the EU is way ahead in policy formulation with a very clear view of what good looks like. JWG research has revealed major control gaps to other jurisdictions and draconian penalties for those that don’t comply in 2023. In preparation, we will be developing detailed business use cases
Digital regulatory reporting – tipping point 2021 By PJ Di Giammarino, CEO JWG Group New JWG research has found supervisors to be focused on creating new standards for interpreting complex data needs in 2021 as the industry hits a tipping point for in its quest for digital standards that simplify complex regulatory reporting obligations. Global
JWG’s 2020 research has found that the financial services market exhibits an ever-growing blind spot from technology risk which lurks off balance sheet. High profile outages like Google and Microsoft have underlined the issue for both the regulator and regulated this month. This point has not been lost on regulators who in the middle of
By PJ Di Giammarino and Sam Tyfield, Partner, Shoosmiths. The MAR review report was finally released on 23 September and clocked in at 276 pages. It raises a number of key issues for senior management at financial institutions, already struggling to form a holistic view of their communications surveillance obligations under COVID. The extensive review
By Sam Tyfield, Partner, Shoosmiths. On 12 October, a speech by Julia Hoggett, FCA’s Director of Market Oversight, was published here. She speaks of having “rattled [her] sabre” about market abuse and surveillance. She started with some good news; activity the FCA regards as abusive, manipulative or insider dealing has not changed, so far as
By: PJ Di Giammarino After a decade of data challenges, Regulators are now taking cautious steps towards new reporting technology. New reports issued this month show that DRR finally has traction and that demand for better solutions is high as the industry pinpoints which areas to deploy it. We may finally be at a tipping point for both transactional and prudential data reporting. However, all eyes
Regulators treating financial services cloud technology as a single-bank outsourcing problem are failing to address the systemic risks it and other new technologies pose, such as a multi-firm catastrophic data loss. Regulators should examine what risks cloud use poses to their own organisations as well. “We’re moving toward a world where the largest or most
We are pleased to announce that PJ Di Giammarino, founder and CEO of JWG will be participating in the 5th European COST Conference on Artificial Intelligence in Finance and Industry on 03 September 2020. The aim of this conference is to bring together European academics, researchers, students, and industrial practitioners to discuss the application of Artificial Intelligence in Industry and Finance.
JWG is proud to announce the publication of a ground-breaking research report ‘Risk control for a digitized financial sector.’ The analysis identifies a large systemic technology risk blind spot which regulators must take the lead in addressing. JWG urges Financial Services regulators and firms to collaborate with technology firms on new RegTech standards in advance of cloud and data crises. The paper, which incorporates findings from JWG’s RegTech 2.0 conference and dozens of discussions with regulators, regulated and academia, builds on 10 years
UK regulators must “bless the code” to operationalise EMIR digital regulatory reporting
In Partnership with:
UK regulators must endorse a single digital interpretation of European Market Infrastructure Regulation (EMIR) reporting rules if the digital regulatory reporting (DRR) work underway with industry collaborators is to succeed. The private sector has engaged and done much of the heavy lifting to prove digital regulatory reporting works for all kinds of business models, said
As COVID-19 restrictions are eased, the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) plans to resume routine in-person supervisory visits where circumstances permit. The regulator has maintained the ability to make urgent and emergency on-site supervisory or enforcement visits throughout the lockdown period, officials said. An FCA spokeswoman declined to comment on this. The FCA and the
The UK’s Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) has commissioned 11 skilled persons reviews under Section 166 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 into firms’ regulatory reporting in the last two quarters. The PRA commissioned nine prudential s166 reviews of deposit takers in the fourth quarter 2019/20 (December through February), according to publicly available information.
FS Compliance officers have been hit with an unprecedented deluge of 3,021 COVID-19 alerts 2 months into the pandemic, which JWG forecasts to be a total of 15,695 documents by year end. Regulators expect firms to be able to navigate these difficult circumstances while delivering fair outcomes for customers and complying with existing rules. That’s one of the clear messages in these 3,000 plus regulatory updates. Better RegTech tooling is
Firms’ 2020 compliance workplans and risk management strategies have been rendered redundant as the regulatory response to COVID-19 has usurped everyone’s agenda. Regtech companies tracking COVID-19-related regulatory publications say more than 1,300 announcements have been made internationally as regulators roll out pandemic-specific guidelines and relax some rules to help financial institutions manage their businesses. “If
Author: Rachel Wolcott, Thomson Reuters The European Market Infrastructure Regulation (EMIR) derivatives trade reports and Markets in Financial Instruments Directive II transaction reports regulators collect is unlikely to be yielding the market insights required to navigate the COVID-19 crisis. The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) 2019/20 annual report and work programme shows EMIR reports’
Author: Rachel Wolcott, Thomson Reuters Firms’ ad hoc and often manual approach to market abuse surveillance may perform less well in the distributed working environment necessitated by the pandemic. Surveillance teams will experience higher alert volumes which may cause a backlog to accrue. Firms lacking automated trade reconstruction tools will struggle to fulfil regulatory queries.
By PJ Di Giammarino Over the past few years, financial services firms have been investigating how to improve trade-related surveillance capabilities and techniques. Expectations from regulators and senior management have been placed under the microscope, mainly due to high surveillance noise levels across all communication channels and asset classes. In tracking this evolution of technologies
By PJ Di Giammarino, CEO JWG Key points: In 2019 JWG tracked 204,469 pages with 60 million words on FS regulatory reform 8 RegTech discussions require senior management attention now and will be debated under Chatham house rule with audience Q&A 6+ regulators, 12+ firms and 8 tech SMEs will debate winning strategies and
By PJ Di Giammarino, CEO JWG and Chair RegTech Council Key points: Regulators are being hampered in their risk oversight duties by poor data quality and over £100m in fines were issued in 2019 for poor reports EU and UK regulators are out in front of global efforts to correct the rocky start on
By PJ Di Giammarino, CEO JWG Group and Chair of the RegTech Council In the aftermath of the global crisis, financial regulators rushed to implement complex rules without having a complete view of their consolidated impact and how the technical infrastructure of the industry would have to respond to their new demands for data. After
5 quarters ago I was pleased to report that the industry had taken an important step out of base camp. On the eve of our 2019 conference it is clear that regulators, firms and the vendors which support them have all continued up the RegTech mountain, but we are at a crossroads. New demand mounts from all
JWG are pleased to announce new research in partnership with MarkLogic, which shows that financial institutions are ill-equipped to deal with the data demands of new regulation. During Q4 2018, JWG conducted in-depth interviews with senior executives from 12 global financial institutions to develop the insight published in a subsequent paper titled ‘
Both MAR and MiFID II ushered in many new requirements that have forced firms to completely re-assess their approach to trade surveillance. One significant consequence is that firms are having to spend more time and resources on quality assurance controls that ensure trade surveillance systems are both appropriate and effective. MAR, for example, includes a
HM Treasury has published a draft regulation outlining UK regulators’ plans to smooth the transition for inbound passporting firms in the event of a ‘no deal’ Brexit. The draft regulation outlines a temporary permissions regime that will enable EEA financial services firms operating in the UK via a passport to continue their UK operations for
As the European Union starts to roll out its Fifth Amendment of the Anti-Money Laundering Directive (AMLD V), financial criminals continue to become more sophisticated and less detectable. With an 18-month transposition period, it is critical for firms to implement the new, more prescriptive rules efficiently and effectively. Join us and 20-plus firms at the
It is no secret that the City of London is a significant pillar of the UK economy. With financial services accounting for around 12% of the UK’s economic output, it generates more tax revenues than any other industry. It comes as no surprise then that the post-Brexit UK-EU relationship relating to financial services is a key
On 19th April 2018, the European Commission, the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union agreed adopted, in plenary, the amendment of the Fourth EU Anti Money Laundering Directive (Fifth EU Anti Money Laundering Directive (AMLD V)). The revised directive concludes two years of negotiations between several stakeholders; and looks to strengthen the
With the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) coming into force, it is time to reflect on such a huge overhaul of the data protection laws affecting every organization operating within the UK and the EU, from schools to large multinationals. To put things into perspective, in the UK alone, GDPR impacts over 500,000 data controllers
With MiFID II now (mostly) implemented, what trade and transaction reporting initiatives will firms have on the agenda for 2018 and beyond? We list some of the key items below: It is estimated that the final revised text of the European Market Infrastructure Regulation (EMIR) under the REFIT programme will be published at end of
One of the key conclusions reached at our Capital Markets conference on 7 March was that regulatory divergence as a potential consequence of Brexit is currently one of the main worries for financial firms. When polled, 53% of our audience indicated that Brexit will be their next significant regulatory challenge. This anxiety derives mainly from
On 23rd April, the Bank of England took over the administration of the benchmark rate known as SONIA (Sterling Overnight Index Average), and issued a series of reforms to the well-established benchmark as part of its implementation as a replacement to LIBOR. As a consequence of the LIBOR scandal in 2012, a Bank of England
In our previous article Trade Surveillance: restructuring the business landscape[1] we identified how holistic regulatory requirements are forcing banks to re-consider the makeup of their operational structures. Our follow-up research has revealed the severity of the situation and how the industry is reacting too slowly. Trade surveillance, if not executed correctly, can result in financial
The CEO of a major bank admits wrong-doing and pays a fine in the UK, while the NY DFS still mulls the case over. The same day, a different CEO has to tell his shareholders that his bank will pay $1 billion fine for poor practices. Quite a different result for breaking a rule. With
The GDPR broadens and deepens the rules between data controllers and data processors for processing of personal data and for the first time, directly enforceable obligations are imposed on processors as well as controllers. The GDPR also requires that controllers and processors enter into written contracts (“C2P Clauses”). Practical Law recently published its data processing
This piece looks ahead to what we might expect as IT law developments in 2018. Unusually as we go into a new year, the main headlines of what IT lawyers can expect in 2018 are signposted at the outset: new financial services laws in January, the GDPR in May and looking ahead to Brexit in
A key focus of our RegTech Capital Markets conference this year was ‘the future of rule books and policy controls’. To discuss this topic, we assembled a panel of experts including Paul North, Head of Product Management EMEA at BNY Mellon, Alan Blanchard, Senior Associate and Handbook Publisher at the FCA, Mark Sweeting, Head of Strategic Change, Basel Measurement
At this year’s RegTech Capital Markets Conference a debate took place on the benefits of using RegTech for trade surveillance in the context of the evolving technical landscape, led by expert industry professionals on compliance and surveillance. Taking into consideration the volume and quality of data firms are expected to monitor, whether the current system
I was pleased to chair our third RegTech Capital Markets conference last week in London. Team JWG worked hard to get a global audience of over 350 senior individuals from more than 65 financial institutions as well as the vendor and regulatory community to frame a holistic perspective on where the industry is on its journey up
Several interconnected global trends have heightened the risk banks face when combating financial crime. First, regulators are continually revising rules as they expand their focus from organised crime to global terrorist networks, many of which have grown more sophisticated in recent years. Second, integrated networks and an increase in cross-border transactions have left gaps in
For years the industry has been at work on the construction site of MiFID II. This has produced a building of basic structural integrity, but one that remains incomplete, and one that has required such a singular focus that surrounding constructions have been neglected. MiFID II is one of the biggest regulatory changes since the
Both MiFID II and MAR have completely changed the regulatory landscape in terms of voice communication surveillance. Both pieces of regulation place a greater emphasis on firms to monitor the surveillance controls that they implement, and also introduce new holistic trade surveillance requirements that, in turn, have driven the development of new, innovative, RegTech solutions.
The past year has been illuminating for the RegTech market, the past twelve months has seen an increase in discussion on the application of technology to regulatory compliance. We have seen action from the regulators, including the FCA’s recent TechSprint in which we at JWG were involved, and major regulatory initiatives, most notably MiFID II,
2017 saw significant developments in financial and regulatory technological innovation – and many regulators have been moving in parallel. What is going on? In a nutshell, the global collaborative fabric is coming together. Of course, the landscape for global collaboration is by its very nature a patchwork that reflects differing policy objectives across the globe.
In July 2017 we drew on RegDelta’s database of regulatory documents to estimate that MiFID and MiFID II accounted for 1.4m paragraphs of rules, guidance and policy. That figure drew gasps from the industry press but we were clear it was inevitably going to rise further. We have now calculated that just under 300,000 paragraphs have been added in the second half of 2017 – a slight pickup in pace since
Thomson Reuters Regulatory Intelligence originally published this article on 21/12/2017. Thomson Reuters Regulatory Intelligence speaks to important figures in the compliance and financial arena to hear their thoughts and discuss wider issues related to their fields. Today we talk to PJ Di Giammarino founder and CEO of regulatory think-tank JWG–IT, trusted by the global financial
Two years after its Call for Evidence determining whether EU regulation is fit for purpose, the European Commission (EC) has found that automation and standardisation should ultimately pave the way towards reducing the regulatory burden for the industry – improving law making in the EU. This means that reporting experts and RegTech providers of all
With the implementation date of GDPR just seven months away, firms will need to start getting to grips with the requirements soon to be ushered in under the EU’s flagship regulation for data protection. As things stand, GDPR will kick in before the UK formally leaves the European Union, meaning that its implications will still
With only two months left until implementation, MiFID II research rules have been one of the most discussed issues within the industry. Under the new rules, investment firms will no longer be able to accept research as a non-monetary benefit, unless a firm can prove that the research passes the quality enhancement test and that
Let’s face it, getting data right is never easy and, with MiFID II’s drive for transparency kicking into high gear, the risks of getting reporting wrong are greater than ever. With additional reporting regime change coming next year, why not make your life easier and join in the industry RegTech collaborations in this space? Recognise the risks Trade and transaction reporting fines come with
Since President Trump’s signing of Executive Order 13772 back in February 2017, the Financial CHOICE Act has passed through the House of Representatives with a 233 to 186 vote. The substantial bill that was approved by the House, referred to as FCA 2.0, included new additions that have built upon and contradicted some actions from
With MiFID II’s implementation date of 3 January 2018 fast approaching, investment firms need to prepare for the changes that will be brought about by the EU’s flagship regulatory policy. All-encompassing in its scope, MiFID II will implement regulatory changes that will impact the trading of all financial instruments. In an attempt to fulfil the
On 13 September 2017, JWG held their third Client Management Special Interest Group (CMS), with attendees from over a dozen buy-side, sell-side and technology firms meeting to discuss existing issues on cost and charges disclosure under MiFID II and PRIIPs obligations. The meeting was a productive one, whereby participants expressed concerns on the following areas:
With only 3 months left before the implementation of MiFID II, on 28 August 2017 the European Commission published a delegated regulation which added to the definition of a systematic internaliser. Under MiFID I, the SI regime was limited to equities transactions but, under MiFID II, it has an increased scope. A systematic internaliser is an
A granular understanding of the several types of costs and charges is important for all market participants. These can have a substantial effect on investors’ returns (see graph below) and, if disclosed effectively, should facilitate market efficiency. With this in mind, regulators have gone to considerable lengths to implement all the necessary requirements related to the disclosure of all costs and charges
New rules on algorithmic trading, such as those quickly approaching from MiFID II, are cause for preparation across the industry, with various regulations in this sphere also impacting the buy-side. So, in this article, we’re going to take a look at some of the ways that regulation is currently, or will soon be, impacting algorithmic
It has been nearly four years since the implementation of CRR/CRD IV which cover prudential rules for banks, building societies and investment firms with the main aim of reducing the likelihood that these financial institutions will become insolvent. To an extent, this reflects the Basel III rules on capital measurement and capital standards which is
Following one of the Trump administration’s financial executive orders, the US Treasury Department issued a report which calls for regulators to streamline reporting obligations and review their coordination efforts, incorporating greater accountability and clarity into examination procedures and data collection requirements. The request mirrors commentary from European Central Bank President Mario Draghi, who, during his
Now seems to be the time for vital standards discussions on financial services technology. But perhaps the overarching questions for a global industry like FinTech are: who sets the standards and how? Of late, bodies like the EC have begun asking such questions, for example in their Q2 FinTech consultation. Our view is that we
The implementation of trade and transaction reporting was intended to improve transparency and mitigate systematic risk in the derivatives markets. To achieve this, global leaders have committed to implement standards globally and consistently in a way that ensures a level playing field – reducing market fragmentation and regulatory arbitrage. Whilst progress has been made on
Introduction With less than 5 months left before the deadline for MiFID II on 3 January 2018, firms are still grappling with the implementation of MiFID II. One key area is the new product governance framework which has been enacted with the objective of ensuring that firms act in the best interests of their clients
As the EU-28 evolves into the EU-27, the European Commission (EC) has ensured their members that this will only be a bump in the road towards financial integration. The flagship initiative of the European Commission, the “Capital Markets Union Action Plan”, recently underwent a mid-term review of progress so far, highlighting both the achievements and
The clock is ticking and the EU market has less than half a year left to implement the regulatory changes required from it. The revised Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (MiFID II) sets new legislation effective 3 January 2018, containing a range of complex provisions intended to enhance transparency and investor protection within the financial
The FCA has released its final report on the Asset Management Market Study, which was launched in order to understand how asset managers compete to deliver value to clients, highlighting the weak price competition in several areas, issues with lack of clarity over charges and objectives. The study was launched in November 2015, with an
On 12 June 2017, the US Treasury released the first in what will be a series of financial regulatory reports in accordance with Executive Order 13772 signed by President Trump. The publishing of “A Financial System That Creates Economic Opportunities – Banks and Credit Unions” now gives us a better understanding of what the future
Commodity derivative trading is just one of the many topic areas under MiFID II that firms need to ensure they are prepared for before 3 January 2018. One set of measurements in this area is that firms will be required to report commodities positions to National Competent Authorities (NCAs) on a daily basis. Another is
In the eight years since the G20’s Pittsburgh summit, regulatory forces have reshaped the complexity of market infrastructure. Unfortunately, there has not been a corresponding increase in the maturity level of industry engagement between the public and private sector. The current landscape for regulatory reporting is riddled with complexity – made evident by waves of
The end is in sight. In under six months, the deadline for MiFID II implementation will have passed. Since its legislative inception, JWG has iterated the importance of forward planning and anticipating the major changes under MiFID II. In concrete terms, our MiFID Implementation Group (MIG) meetings have provided the platform for senior managers from
In Megan Butler’s speech on creating a more effective approach to combatting financial crime, she posed the question “can technology help make your compliance processes slicker, more efficient and more effective?”. For combatting anti-money laundering and developing an effective KYC framework, the answer is a resounding yes. Firms that operate on a global basis will
The topic of research under MiFID II has been a popular discussion lately amongst top firms at JWG’s MIG meetings. MiFID II demands that firms be transparent to investors about how they plan to pay for research and the value which they place on it, which has led managers to think about how much they
One of the many weaknesses that the financial crisis exposed was the feeble transparency framework in financial markets. In response, MiFID II and MiFIR built on the regulatory agenda of the G20 by aiming to strengthen the transparency framework of markets in financial instruments, including OTC trading. Building on MiFID I, the second incarnation extends
Not long now – in less than 6 months’ time – both MiFID II and PRIIPs will become effective across EU Member States. ESMA recently published a Q&A on MiFID II and MiFIR investor protection topics in which 14 new questions were added. These include new Q&As on costs and charges in relation to the