Can a controversial tax reporting initiative actually be good for your bottom line? We explore how. The US Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) has been heavily criticised, and accused of being a “kind of US backward imperialism” with “an atomic bomb used to kill a fly”. At its heart, FATCA exists to track down


RRPs: Operational deluge coming soon for FMIs

With the world’s most systemic banks having made it through the first round of invasive living wills in 2012, regulators now have their sights on the Financial Market Infrastructure (FMI). Central Counterparties (CCPs), payments systems and exchanges will have a lot to do in 2013 and could do well to heed some lessons from their


The UK’s Foresight Commission report on HFT has finally heard the industry’s call for clear, shared data standards across the financial system. However, it remains to be seen whether Europe – or the world – has the stomach to realise this vision. After a series of dramatic computer trading glitches across the globe, most recently


2012 could well go down as a turning point for the industry. Billions in fines have raised consciousness of the need for better financial crime processes, systems and controls. Regulators have found sanctions breaches, anti-money laundering deficiencies and bribery failures – and will likely to continue to do so as they examine historical compliance. We


Managing, aggregating and maintaining risk data used to be a box-ticking exercise with easily achievable targets. In 2013, landmark new global requirements mean firms will face a big step up. Over the past few years, regulation in the area of risk management information (MI) was fairly basic. In 2011, the FSA, like their US cousins,


A common roadmap for Europe?

Finally, after months of anticipation, European Commission President José-Manuel Barroso outlined his “decisive deal”: a big picture vision of an ideal, sound roadmap for Europe’s financial future. The EC proposes to create a single supervisory mechanism for banks in the euro area – starting on 1 January 2013. Under the proposals the European Central Bank


Europe’s first Capital Requirements Regulation report is imminent – even through the European Parliament has yet to pass the act. Now regulators need policy alignment to save the industry €24.2 billion. In July, JWG’s new research highlighted that regulatory standards were critical to saving €24.2 billion. After conducting an extensive survey of 80+ people in


OTC: Will your firm make the grade?

The G20 says OTC regulation was to be finalised by end 2012. But, with at least 34,000 more pages of regulation expected by 2016 from the US alone, firms need to upgrade their BAU. Following the G20’s meeting in April 2009, the pathforward for regulation on OTC derivatives seemed clear. In the shadow of the


A long road from theory to policy

The industry has been waiting for the “high-level” opinions of the Liikanen Report, and its prescriptions for reform of the turbulent European banking sector.  The reforms, while suggestions rather than binding Policy (as Barnier continues to remind everyone) call for huge changes to how European banks operate. The biggest development of these is a Volcker-style