Blog

fscom appoints Rick Seehra as Head of Banking
Leading governance, risk, and compliance consultancy firm, FSCom Limited (fscom) has announced the appointment of Rick Seehra as Head of Banking. With 13 years’ experience

fscom wins big at Compliance Register Platinum Awards
fscom was named ‘Best Consultancy Firm’ in the client-nominated awards, while consultant Heather O’Gorman achieved the ‘Compliance Rising Star’ award and Azariah Nukajam was named

What the Travel Rule means for cryptoasset transfers in the UK
An amendment to the UK Money Laundering Regulations which came into force on 1st September has ushered in additional regulatory requirements for cryptoasset businesses. Firms

Unveiling Key Challenges in Financial Crime Compliance: The Financial Crime Compliance Report 2023
In a world where financial crime is on the rise, staying ahead of the game in anti-money laundering (AML) compliance is paramount for financial services

Planning for your annual CASS Audit
Many UK investment firms that hold and/or control client money and assets are required by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to undergo an annual CASS

Qualifying cryptoassets to be brought within the UK financial promotions regime
Head of Investments and Associate Director, Azariah Nukajam discusses the impending deadline for cryptoasset firms when they will be subject to the UK’s ‘Financial Promotions’

What does the Nigel Farage story mean for banks’ requirements to manage PEP risk?
Headlines have been made in recent weeks by the UK bank Coutts Bank’s proposal to exit Nigel Farage as a customer from the bank. Their

The FCA sets out approach to the opportunities and risks of Artificial Intelligence for financial services
In this blog, Senior Manager of the IT and Cyber Risk Team, Will Finn discusses the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) speech on Artificial Intelligence and

FCA CASS Maturity & Resilience: Be confident, not complacent with your CASS capabilities and arrangements
In this blog, fscom’s Senior Manager Julie Tuffrey discusses the crucial role of the CASS regime and how fscom can help firms navigate the complexities

REP018 – Your Key Questions Answered!
In this blog,fscom’s ICT and security expert, Will Finn, takes the time to answer all your key questions in relation to REP018 – the operational and

How To Conduct Crypto and Token Financial Crime Risk Assessments
Cryptocurrencies have exploded in recent years, and criminals have noticed. $3.5 billion was laundered through cryptoassets in 2020, bringing a heightened regulatory focus and new

fscom appoints Heather O’Gorman as Associate Director in the Payments Team
FSCom Limited (fscom), a leading specialist governance, risk, and compliance consultancy in the UK and Ireland, is pleased to announce the appointment of Heather O’Gorman

How to prepare for your IT security audit
Hearing the word “audit” can raise the blood pressure of any financial services company’s chief information technology officer or chief risk officer. But voluntarily undergoing

Are you ready for the Consumer Duty? 10 tips from our Readiness Roundtable
Financial services firms in the UK have until 31st July to implement the new Consumer Duty rules from the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). fscom’s experts recently held

Paynetics UK receives EMI licence from the FCA
We are delighted to congratulate our client, Paynetics UK on receiving its Electronic Money Institution (EMI) licence from the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). Paynetics

How UK investment management firms should prepare for the Consumer Duty as implementation deadline approaches
There are only three months to go until the deadline for firms to implement the new Consumer Duty. Addressing these requirements is top

Managing your responsibilities in the ever-changing world of “Sanctions”.
Sanctions against companies and individuals are constantly changing and the pace of change over the last 12 months has been unprecedented. A major reason is

Consumer protection in focus as FCA publishes its Business Plan for 2023/24
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has just published its Business Plan for 2023/24. In this blog, we explore what that means for financial services firms

10 trends to watch: fscom report analyses the UK’s regulatory outlook for 2023
The UK’s regulatory landscape is expected to change significantly as the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) brings in new requirements for payments and e-money firms in

Let’s meaningfully instigate change this International Women’s Day
In this blog HR Director, Jill Michael talks about the ways in which businesses acknowledge tomorrow’s International Women’s Day. Jill says as much as it is

The new Consumer Duty so far
The new Consumer Duty so far One of the questions most asked of me in recent weeks is how far the payments sector has got

Improve your regulatory compliance with alert and transaction monitoring
Recent fines for HSBC and Danske Bank by the UK and Irish regulators are a warning to financial services companies to carry out effective alert

How to secure your information with ISO 27001
Financial services firms are typically focused on developing services, getting them out to market and operational management and can be reluctant to focus on compliance

Major report by fscom reveals key financial crime and anti-money laundering risk areas
A major report has revealed the key financial crime and anti-money laundering (AML) compliance challenges facing financial services firms in 2022. Produced by leading governance,

Belfast-headquartered consulting firm fscom partners with leading growth investor Bridgepoint
Leading specialist consulting firm FSCom Limited (fscom) has today announced a partnership with world-leading alternative asset fund management group Bridgepoint following a significant investment to

FCA Improvements to the Appointed Representatives regime
Head of Investments, Azariah Nukajam discusses in this blog the Financial Conduct Authority’s improvements to the Appointed Representative regime and its key areas of focus.

New HR Director appointed at fscom
fscom has today announced the appointment of Jill Michael as HR Director. Jill will take on the responsibility for the strategic leadership of People and

Top Cyber Security Questions to Ask Your CISO
Head of Cyber Security and ICT Risk, Nick Gumbley discusses in this blog the top cyber security questions you, as a compliance professional should be

From Vulnerable Customers to the New Consumer Duty – Unpicking the FCA’s expectations of payment and e-money institutions
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has confirmed its plans to bring in a new Consumer Duty, with the rules coming into force on 31 July 2023.

What to expect from an FCA Skilled Person Review – and how to prevent one in the first place
Many payment, e-money and cryptocurrency providers have grown exponentially over the last 10 years and some more so since the pandemic pushed more people to