MyComplianceOffice Blog

Cases of insider trading and securities compliance failures have made headlines in recent years. And for a good reason. Financial markets rely heavily on high liquidity, making it easy to trade securities without affecting price. However, when markets are manipulated, liquidity is affected, transaction costs can increase, and investor returns are reduced.

On 11 January 2023, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) published a "Dear CEO" letter to wholesale broker firms, highlighting key risks and drivers along with their supervisory focus for the next two years. The letter places particular emphasis on the Senior Managers and Certification Regime (SMCR), market abuse, personal account dealing-and the need for firms to have robust systems and controls in place to effectively manage and evidence these risks. 

With the end-February 2023 deadline for next steps looming, time is of the essence for senior executives and board members to review the current state of compliance in these areas and develop an action plan to fill in the gaps. 

The 2023 Report on FINRA’s Examination and Risk Monitoring Program provides firms with insight into findings from recent oversight activities of FINRA’s Member Supervision, Market Regulation and Enforcement programs. The report outlines regulatory obligations, findings from recent oversight activities, effective practices and additional resources. 

The Thomson Reuters^® Regulatory Intelligence survey and report Fintech, RegTech, and the role of compliance in 2023  explores the way in which firms are addressing the deployment and management of technology solutions.

The report points out that digital transformation is a continuum, with many benefits but also some challenges along the way.

Organisations across the globe invest heavily in resources to strengthen relationships between the business and employees and create the best outcomes. Know Your Employee (KYE) initiatives centred around the recruitment process can result in high-quality talent acquisition. Background checking, identity verification, certifications, and other aspects are a high priority - and it’s no wonder. After all, the cost of replacing an employee is significant. ELMO & HRMI’s 2022 ANZ benchmark report shows an average of AUD $23,860 and 40 days to make new hires.