FIN.

FCA publishes lender portfolio letters

FCA has published its most recent porfolio strategy letters for:

Common themes in the letters are:

  • that the response to the pandemic has shown FCA and firms working well together and that the ongoing implications of the pandemic are likely to remain a significant influence on the work of both firms and the regulator;
  • key risks of harm over the next couple of years in respect of retail mortgage business:
    • supporting customers in financial difficulty;
    • managing maturing interest only mortgages;
    • responsible lending;
    • financial resources (for non-credit institution lenders);
    • LIBOR transition;
    • TCF for vulnerable customers;
    • improving diversity and inclusion;
    • helping mortgage prisoners and
    • ESG
  • for building societies, an additional wider focus on:
    • better addressing customer needs and improving product design and governance;
    • operational risks including resilience, robust systems to counter IT risks and insufficient due diligence on intermediaries;
    • fair treatment of customers;
    • the consumer duty;
  • how firms should consider current FCA publications and initiatives; and
  • that firms should reflect on the issues in the letter to challenge how they operate.

Emma Radmore