FSA completes overhaul of UK liquidity regulation
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The Financial Services Authority has published its final rules on the liquidity requirements expected of firms.
The regulator says the new rules - which will not come into force before an economic recovery is assured - are designed to improve firms’ liquidity risk management practices following the lessons learned from the financial crisis in 2007.
The FSA says they will protect customers, counterparties and other particular participants in financial services from imprudent liquidity risk management practices.
The rules include an updated quantitative regime coupled with a narrow defintion of liquid assets; over arching principles of self-sufficiency and adequacy of liquid resources; enhanced systems and control requirements; granular and more frequent reporting standards and a new regime for foreign branches that operate in the UK.
FSA director of prudential policy Paul Sharma says: “The FSA is the first major regulator to introduce tighter liquidity requirements for firms. We must learn the lessons of the financial crisis and we believe that implementing tougher liquidity rules is essential to ensure we are in a better position to face future crises.
“In the current crisis some firms weathered the storm better than others. These firms tended to be those that had policies that were similar to those that we are introducing today - including holding assets that were truly liquid, such as government bonds. Phasing the period in which firms will build up their liquidity buffers should mitigate the knock-on effects to bank lending.”
The FSA plans to phase in the quantitative aspects of the regime in several stages, over an adjustment period of several years. This is to take into account the fact that all firms at present are experiencing a market-wide stress.
The precise amount of liquidity that each firm will need to hold will be refined over time to ensure that the combined impact of higher capital and liquidity standards is proportionate. The qualitative aspects of the regime will be put into place by December 2009.
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Readers' comments (3)
Phil Castle | 5 Oct 2009 1:07 pm
Captal Adequacy
So the banks will get time to increase theirs and yet IFA firms will not and in fact their advisory Wealth Managament firms compete with IFA firms despoiet the fact they HAVE NO CAPITAL it is all our money! Will the FSA delay increased cap adequacy for IFA firms or still require it from 2012 despite the fact their is a market downturn that they think it's OK to give banks leeway and not advisory firms!
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Julian Stevens | 5 Oct 2009 2:02 pm
FSA completes overhaul of UK liquidity regulation
Apart from those which handle client monies, the only reason for the FSA insisting that IFA firms tie up £10,000 (soon to double) in a non-interest bearing account is to facilitate further financial bludgeoning of the hapless victim post-retirement on the back of yet another of its pernicious hindsight reviews. Having all but destroyed the market for run-off PI cover this, I suppose, is the logical next step for a regulator that is a completely unbridled monster trampling roughshod over anyone or anything that dares to try to stand in its way.
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Alan Lakey | 5 Oct 2009 2:08 pm
Pots and Pans
The FSA has no capital adequacy.
This is why it has had to arrange a facility with a major bank.
The only end to this meddling will be when the adviser population is reduced to 7!
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