MyComplianceOffice Blog

The financial services industry brings substantial responsibilities for those working within it, often far beyond other professions. After all, dealing with money brings significant consequences when managed incorrectly. The outcomes of improper financial management, unethical behaviour, and conflicts of interest can impact not only the lives of clients but also financial advisers who fail to meet the standards of regulators or their firms.

Compared with other industries, the financial services industry inherently has an elevated risk of conflicts of interest. In particular, connected persons and close personal relationships can influence decisions that result in significant business and financial impact. After all, we’re all human and sometimes act based on emotion. Unfortunately, those human, emotional connections can sometimes lead to severe conflicts.

In late 2022, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) announced a complete ban on payment for order flow (PFOF) in Singapore. The move is designed to protect investor interests by mitigating the risk of conflicts of interest arising in brokers’ best execution obligations to their customers. The PFOF ban will commence on 1 April 2023 and can affect financial firms and individuals operating under a capital markets services (CMS) licence in Singapore.

The preservation of healthy financial markets relies on having safe, properly regulated environments where investors can confidently trade securities. Unfortunately, high-profile insider trading cases have grabbed the spotlight in recent years.

As financial firms across Singapore continue their strong growth, managing compliance effectively brings increased challenges.