MyComplianceOffice Blog

Special Purpose Acquisition Companies (SPACs) are a hot topic in the news right now—and an issue that’s been on the mind of SEC Chair Gary Gensler as well. In remarks at several events over the past few months he’s voiced concerns that SPACs can leave investors vulnerable and at risk.

The SPAC process leaves individuals and firms open to conduct risk and conflicts of interest along the way. And even as SPACs are in the limelight these days, it’s important to remember that there’s ample room for conduct risk in a traditional Initial Public Offering (IPO) as well.

Let’s talk about remote employees working at two jobs. Have you come across this before? A recent Wall Street Journal article covers stories of employees taking advantage of working from home to make more money and double their salary. The article says there is a rise of such practices among white-collar workers in industries ranging from tech to banking to insurance.

Last year, German police arrested a senior fund manager in Frankfurt for insider trading. The fund manager worked as a senior portfolio manager for 16 years at Frankfurt-based Union Investment, one of Germany's top asset managers, overseeing actively managed equity funds with €31bn in assets.

The ASIFMA Compliance Week focused on various relevant topics for Compliance professionals, from culture and accountability to technology and innovation. Industry experts shared their insights during four days of sessions on regulatory enforcement trends, conduct, culture, the future of compliance, and market abuse.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) regulates over 58,000 financial services firms and financial markets in the UK. To do this effectively, the authority needs timely and accurate data from firms to identify malpractice and take appropriate action.

This is why the FCA’s reporting requirements exist—to ensure it has the information it needs to perform its role. It’s also why the FCA levies tough penalties on firms that fail to meet their reporting obligations.