The Association of Investment Companies (AIC) has warned offshore investment trusts and UK REITs could be under threat from Financial Services Authority (FSA) proposals to ban promotions of unregulated collective investment schemes (UCIS) to ordinary retail investors.
Some vehicles, including investment trusts which trade in liquid shares and securities, have been exempt from the proposed ban, revealed in an FSA consultation paper last August. Although not specifically mentioned in the paper, venture capital trusts (VCTs) have not been given immunity, which has led the British Private Equity and Venture Capital Association (BVCA) to lobby the Treasury over the FSA’s proposals. The AIC has now cautioned VCTs are not the only vehicles under threat. Ian Sayers, director general, said a number of offshore trusts and REITs are unaware they could be affe...
To continue reading this article...
Join Professional Adviser for free
- Unlimited access to real-time news, industry insights and market intelligence
- Stay ahead of the curve with spotlights on emerging trends and technologies
- Receive breaking news stories straight to your inbox in the daily newsletters
- Make smart business decisions with the latest developments in regulation, investing retirement and protection
- Members-only access to the editor’s weekly Friday commentary
- Be the first to hear about our events and awards programmes