Insurance UK

FCA Misconduct Update Still Leaves Firms 'In The Dark'

Clarity from the Financial Conduct Authority on the limits of its powers to tackle bullying and harassment will come as a relief to professionals — but lawyers have warned that non-banking companies must now join lenders to broaden staff training, revisit conduct policies and strengthen whistleblowing protocols.

4 Things To Watch As UK Releases Budget

The U.K.'s Labour government is set to release an autumn budget Wednesday that faces a test of balancing a pledge not to raise working people's taxes with an expected need to boost revenue to meet fiscal rules. Here are four things to watch for as the budget is issued.

'Name And Shame' Test Case Ruling Could Embolden FCA

Financial services companies should be ready to engage with consumers when faced with enforcement action, in a lesson from a test case of the reasoning behind a Financial Conduct Authority decision to "name and shame" a company that could encourage bolder naming actions, lawyers said.

FCA's Tokenization Plan May Heighten Financial Crime Risk

The Financial Conduct Authority's planned tokenization regime to help asset managers trade investment funds as digital assets could expose investors to financial criminals lurking in crypto-markets, with the regulator's "targeted support" rules multiplying the risk, lawyers have warned.

December 12, 2025
UK Litigation Roundup: Here's What You Missed In London

This past week in London has seen Shell hit with a climate change claim from 100 survivors of a typhoon in the Philippines, London Stock Exchange-listed Oxford Nanopore bring legal action against its co-founder, and the editors of Pink News sue the BBC for defamation following its investigation into alleged sexual misconduct at the news site.
December 12, 2025
FCA Floats Pension Transfer Overhaul For Better Outcomes

The Financial Conduct Authority has proposed rules that will allow pension providers to create new online planning tools for customers considering a savings transfer.
December 12, 2025
Collective Pension Rules Need Safeguards, Trade Body Says

Plans by the U.K. government to allow savers to transfer their retirement pots into a collective program must be supported by strong safeguards to protect retirees against unforeseen hitches such as market volatility and mispricing, a trade body has said.
December 12, 2025
Still 'Too Much Complexity' In Savers' Retirement Choices

Savers in the U.K. still face "too much complexity" over their retirement decisions, a pensions provider has said, warning that many are ditching official guidance and turning to social media platforms such as Facebook for information.
December 12, 2025
FCA Clarifies Guidelines For Non-Financial Misconduct

The Financial Conduct Authority released widely anticipated final guidance on its rules for non-financial misconduct such as bullying, harassment and violence on Friday, including on how far the measures will apply to private life and social media.
December 12, 2025
Consumer Body Calls For Probe Into Insurance Pricing Models

The Financial Conduct Authority must investigate opaque underwriting models used by insurers, a consumer body has warned, after the watchdog found unexplained price differences in areas of Britain with higher minority ethnic populations.
December 11, 2025
Aviva Tells Brokers To Intervene Over SME Cyber Risks

Insurance giant Aviva has called on brokers to intervene as its research revealed that small and mid-sized enterprises underestimate the risks posed by cybercriminals, despite being increasingly targeted by them.
December 11, 2025
FCA Sets Timescale For Supporting Gov't Growth Strategy

The Financial Conduct Authority demonstrated its support for the government's growth strategy on Thursday, rolling out a reduced program of regulatory change over the next two years, with initiatives that could lighten the burden on finance companies.
December 11, 2025
MPs Quiz Minister On Missed Evidence On Women's Pensions

The government has been asked to explain how it missed a key piece of evidence before it ruled out a compensation scheme for older women who missed out on state pension benefits.
December 11, 2025
Howden Creates Dedicated Space Insurance Practice

Insurance broker Howden has established a dedicated space insurance practice in a bid to become a leading business in a market where it estimates global premiums to be worth around $600 million a year.
December 11, 2025
Aviva Pens £4M Pension Deal For UK Steel Tube Maker

A U.K. steel supplier has completed a £4 million ($5.3 million) full-scheme buy-in of its retirement plan with Aviva PLC, pensions company First Actuarial has said.
December 11, 2025
BoE Promises Gov't Bank Reporting Cost-Cuts For Growth

The Bank of England has set out plans to support U.K. growth by further simplifying regulatory reporting for banks and seeking to reduce overlap between its rules and the requirements of legislation.
December 11, 2025
FCA Links Car Insurance 'Ethnicity Penalty' To Claims Rates

The Financial Conduct Authority has said that policyholders in some U.K. areas with a higher minority ethnic population could be paying more for their car insurance but that in most cases this is because of higher claims costs.
December 11, 2025
DLA Piper-Led WTW To Buy NatWest Fintech Pensions Biz

Insurance broker WTW has agreed to acquire pensions provider Cushon from NatWest Group to expand its operations in the rapidly growing defined contribution retirement savings market.
December 10, 2025
UK Sets Rules For Landmark Targeted-Support Regime

The Financial Conduct Authority released near final rules on Thursday for its ground-breaking targeted-support regime to help millions of unadvised consumers buy pensions and investments.
December 10, 2025
Pensions Watchdog Strengthens Rules On Admin Oversight

The U.K. retirement savings watchdog has urged trustees to increase scrutiny on pension administrators, in order to better protect savers.
December 10, 2025
EY Probed By FRC Over Unauthorized Auditor Reports

Britain's accounting regulator said Wednesday it has opened a probe into Ernst & Young LLP over its alleged issuing of unauthorized auditor reports.
December 10, 2025
UK Gov't Sets Out Plans To Tackle Motor Insurance Costs

The government set out measures Wednesday to curb the rising cost of motor insurance for British policyholders, following a year-long investigation.
December 10, 2025
Canada Life Secures £330M Deal With Comet Pension Plan

Canada Life UK said Wednesday it has finalized a £330 million ($440 million) full-scheme buy-in transaction with the pension program of U.K. electrical goods retailer Comet, securing the retirement benefits of 4,500 members.
December 10, 2025
FCA Unveils Growth Plans With AI, Tokenisation Focus

The Financial Conduct Authority has published a letter to the government revealing updated growth plans for 2026, covering areas such as support for stablecoins issued in the U.K. and the continued use of artificial intelligence, while calling again on the government to set out its risk appetite.
December 10, 2025
Dutch Insurer Aegon Moving Head Office To US For Expansion

Aegon confirmed Wednesday that it will relocate its head office and legal domicile to the U.S. from the Netherlands, a move the global financial services company expects to cost about €350 million ($408 million).
December 09, 2025
FCA Launches Innovative Data Tool To Fight Financial Crime

The Financial Conduct Authority said Wednesday it has launched an innovative information service to fight financial crime, with the aim of reducing pension, investment and crypto-asset fraud against consumers.
December 09, 2025
Claims Prevention Biz Raises £2.38M To Expand In US

Ondo InsurTech PLC said Tuesday that it has raised gross proceeds of approximately £2.38 million ($3.17 million) to accelerate its expansion in the U.S. in an equity offering launched earlier in December.
December 09, 2025
EU Lawmakers Agree To Reduce Sustainability Rules Burden

European Union lawmakers agreed Tuesday to reduce sustainability reporting and governance rules for companies, in order to improve global competitiveness.
December 09, 2025
Lloyds Bank Covers £4.8B Pension Liabilities With Rothesay

The trustee of three Lloyds Banking Group pension schemes on Tuesday announced it had penned policies worth £4.8 billion ($6.4 billion) with insurer Rothesay to protect the schemes from costs linked to unexpected increases in member life expectancy.

Editor's Picks

Top Court Ruling In 'Whiplash' Test Case Could Hit Premiums

Personal injury claimants could get higher payouts from their motor insurance as a result of a test case ruling at Britain's highest court on Tuesday, although analysts warn that insurers could respond with higher premiums to cover the cost of bigger claims.
FCA Begins Crackdown On Poor-Value Insurance Products

The move by the Financial Conduct Authority to restrict sales of guaranteed asset protection insurance is a sign of a faster approach to market intervention, and could lead the regulator to scrutinize other underperforming products, consultants say.
Post-Election UK Pension Changes Could Be In The Fine Print

Regulatory lawyers are not expecting radical overhaul in pension policies if the government changes after this year's general election. But lawyers say that signals in the opposition Labour Party's policy language could hint at possible shifts in investment priorities for retirement savings.

Expert Analysis

Navigating Legal Privilege Issues When Using AI

The recent explosion in artificial intelligence has led to prompts and AI outputs that may be susceptible to disclosure in proceedings, and it is important to apply familiar principles to assess whether legal privilege may apply to these interactions, say lawyers at HSF.
A Look At Factors Affecting Ombudsman Complaint Trends

Lawyers at Womble Bond provide an analysis of the Financial Ombudsman Service's complaint trends in 2025, highlighting the impact of changes within the FOS and external factors on the financial sector's redress system.
What To Know About FCA's Short Selling Regime Proposals

Although the Financial Conduct Authority’s recent proposals for changes to the U.K. short selling regime do not materially alter the rules, targeted reforms designed to reduce the administrative burden placed on position holders will be welcomed by market participants, say lawyers at McDermott.
EBA Proposals Signal Overhaul Of EU 3rd-Party Risk Rules

The European Banking Authority’s plans to extend third-party risk controls to non-ICT services, which may be finalized by the end of the year, will place a significant compliance and operational burden on in-scope entities, which should not be underestimated, say lawyers at Travers Smith.
FCA Proposals Reduce Consumer Duty Compliance Burden

The Financial Conduct Authority’s recent proposals to streamline the consumer duty regime represent a pragmatic response to industry concerns, with a move toward sector-specific supervision and potentially narrowing its scope for wholesale and cross-border business, say lawyers at Simmons & Simmons.
How New Companies House ID Rules Affect Businesses

Lawyers at Shepherd & Wedderburn discuss the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act’s new mandatory identity verification requirements for all company directors and persons with significant control, set to go live next week, which aim to curb fraud by improving the reliability of information held by Companies House.
What EU Securitization Proposals Signal For Risk Transfers

If implemented, recent amendments to the European Union securitization framework are expected to have an unambiguously positive effect on significant risk transfer markets, providing greater consistency and necessary flexibility, say lawyers at McDermott.
What To Know About EU's Reimposition Of Sanctions On Iran

Lawyers at Steptoe discuss the European Union’s recent reimposition of trade and financial sanctions against Iran, which will introduce legal and operational constraints that affect EU companies' commercial activities in the region.
FCA Crypto Proposals Herald Tougher Oversight For Firms

The Financial Conduct Authority’s recent proposals to extend regulation to crypto-asset activities will bring parity, but implementation of the operational resilience requirements and enhanced financial crime controls will present compliance challenges, says Michelle Kirschner at Gibson Dunn.
What EBA Report Means For Non-EU Financial Firms

In a recent report concerning unregulated third country banks, the European Banking Authority decided not to extend a bank-to-bank exemption under the Capital Requirements Directive, raising a number of compliance issues for cross-border services, say lawyers at A&O Shearman.
What To Note From FCA, Gov't Financial Growth Proposals

Recent Financial Conduct Authority and government proposals for financial services reform are positive developments for firms, signaling a drive to push forward growth and a willingness to be flexible in areas of regulation that the industry has long raised as barriers, say lawyers at Simmons & Simmons.
FCA Misconduct Guide Will Expand Firms' Duty To Investigate

The Financial Conduct Authority's recent proposals on workplace nonfinancial misconduct will place a greater onus on compliance and investigations teams, clarifying that the question to ascertain is whether the behavior is justifiable and proportionate, say lawyers at Ashurst.
Mansion House Speech Heralds New Financial Regulatory Era

The chancellor of the exchequer's recent Mansion House speech introduced a sweeping commitment to modernize regulation, which will require U.K. retail banks and building societies to revisit core assumptions, and allow lawyers to play a key role in shaping the new rules, say lawyers at Addleshaw Goddard.
Key Points From EU Proposals To Ease Securitization Rules

The European Commission’s recently proposed securitization framework amendments aim to relax existing rules, such as by reducing due diligence requirements and removing the need for investors to conduct certain prescribed compliance verifications by sponsors or original lenders, say lawyers at McDermott.
What To Expect As FCA Preps To Launch AI Testing Service

The Financial Conduct Authority’s forthcoming artificial intelligence live testing service will provide participants with access to appropriate regulatory expertise, but to gauge the tool’s potential utility, it is important to understand how it fits in with what the regulator is already doing, says Omar Salem at Fox Williams.