What's in a name: Is the FCA a fresh start or a rebadged FSA?

REGULATION

Carmen Reichman
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The FCA has been called a "focused" regulator respected by its counterparts around the world. Praise indeed - but does the industry agree with this ringing endorsement?

Treasury deputy director of financial services strategy, Will Brandon, said at an industry conference recently: "It's hard to understate the importance, both to the consumer and to the competitiveness of the industry, of a robust regulator. The FCA is internationally respected and has an extremely strong consumer protection and competition mandate. It is very focused." However, advisers subjected to increased scrutiny during the Retail Distribution Review (RDR) are sometimes less euphoric about the financial services regulator, no matter its guise. Improving Regulation has been "dis...

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