Clearly it’s about more than just complying with regulations or even principles like ‘treating customers fairly.’ And not just the AoV which attempts the same or the SMCR, which tends to be too role specific and where training is used mainly to demonstrate compliance rather than understanding. But most of those who will be subjectContinue reading “What is FCA’s new concept of ’Consumer Duty’ all about?”
Author Archives: m1rkov2c
GREEN DAWN IS BORN
A best seller comes to market A conversation and a conversion CEO: Last quarter’s sales numbers look disappointing to say the least. In fact, b***dy awful. What am I going to tell the board? Head of sales: We just don’t have the right products out there. Our distributors keep asking why we haven’t got anContinue reading “GREEN DAWN IS BORN”
Why do so many projects go wrong?
Is everything the politicians’ fault? I am very concerned about the state of our public life. At a senior level we see incompetence, failure and complacency. I don’t just mean politicians. They are (perhaps unfairly) traditionally corrupt and incompetent. I mean the civil servants, those working in local government and other public bodies, managers inContinue reading “Why do so many projects go wrong?”
Rishi’s dream
Rishi has a beautiful dream The Chancellor woke up one day, conscious of having had a wonderful dream. He remembered it well. The budget was balanced in 2022 and there was a predicted fiscal surplus in 2023 and 2024. External debt was only 32% of GDP and domestic sovereign debt was only 15% of GDP.Continue reading “Rishi’s dream”
Silly games are enemies of saving
Speculating, investing and saving Many of those who have some spare money and want to make it work for them fail to distinguish between speculating, investing and saving. They are not mutually exclusive. However, each has its own characteristics risks and rewards, which need to be understood in the context of what a person isContinue reading “Silly games are enemies of saving”
Complexity is the enemy of the simple
The usefulness of collective investment funds/mutual funds is illustrated by global assets under management of around USD 69 trillion – but industry complexity is getting in the way of even greater success and depriving small savers of returns they can ill afford to ignore. The Financial Conduct Authority notes that “there are 15.6 million UKContinue reading “Complexity is the enemy of the simple”
It’s my fault
Why is the fund industry so tortuous? May I amuse you with the sorry tale of how the fund industry from being a nice simple way for ordinary folk to invest small amounts into the stock market (all UK since exchange controls made it virtually impossible to invest anywhere else) descended into its present morassContinue reading “It’s my fault”
What’s all this with “Big Bang” investments in the future growth of the UK?
What do the PM and the Chancellor want us to do? According to the FT, “In a letter to the investment industry, the Prime Minister and Chancellor Rishi Sunak said UK institutional investors needed to “seize the moment” and use their “hundreds of billions of pounds” to back assets that often carry a longer termContinue reading “What’s all this with “Big Bang” investments in the future growth of the UK?”
Does consumer protection protect consumers?
No clear responsibility The key principles that underlie most investor protection or ‘treating customers fairly’ can be simply expressed. Here are some practical things a fund management company can do to attract and retain the loyalty of its customers. Give the customer what they paid for Don’t take advantage of the customer. Offer the customerContinue reading “Does consumer protection protect consumers?”
The system leaves small investors out
Why is £268,000,000,000 earning almost no return? Why does £268 billion sit in Cash ISAs earning almost nothing?. Out of the 22 million ISA investors there are more than 15 million cash only ISA subscribers, of whom 60% made no further subscription in the latest year for which data is available from HMRC . ThisContinue reading “The system leaves small investors out”
All about investment funds 