Financial promotions are the way in which the investment and pensions market tells the public about itself. Since this subject was first regulated in the late 1980s, there have been a steady stream of compliance issues, fines and vastly expensive business reviews. With the development of social media, firms can no long focus entirely on building and operating a conventional sign-off process. They have to ensure that their employees do not break the rules in their enthusiasm to communication with their actual or potential customers. The UK COBS 4 rules in this area derive heavily from the MiFID Org Regulation provisions applicable throughout the EU. So, knowledge of one tends to help with the other. The key themes in this area remain the disclosure of risk and past performance and the need to prevent compliance from clogging up the marketing arteries.

Training Objectives

By the end of the programme, participants will: 

• Identify what is and what is not an FCA-regulated promotion and understand why this matters

• Know where to find the applicable rules, not just those in COBS 4 but also in the ASA Code and other places

• Appreciate the impact of non-compliance and the FCA’s sanctions for this

• Understand when and how the requirements for disclosing risk apply

• Understand the impact of social media on financial promotions and their regulation

• Apply the rules on past and simulated performance

• Put together the basics of a financial promotions and risk management process

Training Outline  

  • The Rulebook 

• Mainstream issues in Digital media and promotions 

• Systems and controls

Industry Expert | Adam Samuel

Adam Samuel is a compliance consultant who has been trying to resolve the financial services industry’s problems through a combination of training, advising, writing and general persuasion since 1996.

The author of the only book on complaints in the UK (now in a second edition), Adam has worked for regulators and public bodies in five countries and three continents and delivered financial services compliance training in three European countries and Hong Kong. He is a lawyer by training but insists on being qualified as a financial and mortgage adviser as well as a compliance and financial crime specialist. Adam’s speciality is loud highly interactive sessions (on complaints handling, financial promotions, digital financial promotions, product governance, financial crime and suitability) using as many practical examples as he and the participants can find.

Who Should Attend 

The programme is ideal for:  

•Board members, particularly those responsible for compliance and marketing

•Compliance Officers and staff

•Marketing Managers

•Marketing teams

•Technical experts used to support marketing

•Training and competence specialists