The NBFI sector continues to gain relevance and increasingly provides credit intermediation and funding services to the real economy. This results in both direct and indirect interconnections between banks and NBFIs through multiple channels. The Committee is concerned about the growth of these exposures, given the often opaque and quickly evolving nature of the attendant risks. Recent episodes of NBFI distress, including the collapse of Archegos Capital Management and events leading to stresses in government bond markets (eg liability-driven investment strategies), have highlighted vulnerabilities and deficiencies in banks’ risk management practices. The Committee recently conducted a risk horizon scanning exercise related to banks’ NBFI activities and discussed supervisory and policy implications resulting from the recent distress of specific NBFIs. Continue reading…

The Financial Stability Board (FSB) Regional Consultative Group for Europe met on 10 November in Lisbon to discuss global and regional economic and financial market developments, including recent work to address vulnerabilities in non-bank financial intermediation and to promote consistent and effective regulation of crypto-assets and markets as well as stablecoin arrangements. Members also received an update on planned FSB work for 2023, including proposed deliverables to the Indian G20 Presidency. Members discussed the increasingly challenging outlook for financial stability globally and in the region arising from volatile commodity prices, high inflationary pressures and vulnerabilities in the non-bank financial system amidst heightened geopolitical tensions and tightening global financial conditions. Members also discussed challenges arising from climate change related financial exposures, cyber threats and structural changes due to digital innovation. Continue reading…

In the wake of the news that crypto exchange FTX is on the brink of collapse, Matt Smith, CEO and co-founder of compliance technology and data analytics firm, SteelEye made some comments about the part Binance played in FTX’s fall from grace: “The digital assets market has been rocked – once again – by the near collapse of one of the sector’s leading players, FTX. Despite huge inflows of investment, FTX was reckoning with a “liquidity crunch”. Surging withdrawals – reportedly amounting to $6 billion in just three days – plummeted the crypto exchange’s valuation, and FTT, FTX’s native coin, collapsed by 72% in just 24 hours.” Continue reading…

On 10 November 2022, the European Parliament adopted the Digital Operational Resilience Act. DORA is an EU regulation that sets out to establish a uniform and comprehensive framework for the digital operational resilience of the financial sector. Nearly all regulated financial entities are in scope of DORA. They will have to put in place sufficient safeguards to protect against cyber and other ICT risks, in their internal processes but also in their existing and new contracts with ICT service providers. Continue reading…

The Financial Stability Board (FSB) has published a consultative document on Achieving Greater Convergence in Cyber Incident Reporting. Timely and accurate information on cyber incidents is crucial for effective incident response and recovery and promoting financial stability. The proposals take a comprehensive approach and include: Continue reading…

by Mark Worth

Revealing the inadequacy of the world’s second-oldest whistleblower system, a new report finds UK officials release “scant or no information at all” about what happens to disclosures after citizens submit them. Many UK public agencies that are legally required to investigate whistleblower reports provide “generic or vague” information about their responses to the disclosures, according to the London-based NGO Protect. In a “significant” number of cases, the agencies took “limited or no action” or did not provide enough information about what – if any – action they took when a citizen reported crime or corruption. Continue reading…

by Daniel Vaknine

When it comes to whistleblowing within an organisation, it is a good idea to use a whistleblower system. In short, this is a system that allows employees to report wrongdoings internally. In this article, I’ll go through the different types of whistleblower systems that are available so that you can gain an increased awareness of what methods are available. This in turn makes it easier to decide which methods your organisation can or should offer.

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Barclays have referred their Decision Notices to the Upper Tribunal. Any findings in the Notices are therefore provisional and reflect the FCA’s belief as to what occurred and how it considers the firms’ behaviour should be characterised. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has decided to fine Barclays a total of £50 million in relation to its failure to disclose certain arrangements agreed with Qatari entities as part of its capital raisings announced on 25 June 2008 and 31 October 2008. Barclays’ conduct in the October capital raising was reckless and lacked integrity. Continue reading…