Context
The FCA has published a speech, delivered by Steve Smart, FCA Joint Executive Director of Enforcement and Market Oversight, at the 1LoD Financial Crime Summit.
Key points to note and next actions
The key points raised were:
- Financial crime harms trust, and tackling it is a prerequisite for growth.
- The UK must continue to use its strengths to proactively detect and disrupt harm.
- Success depends on smart system prioritisation and collaboration across agencies, industries, borders and disciplines.
In relation to financial crime prevention, the FCA wants to remain on the front foot in protecting the integrity of financial services and “Anticipate. Intercept. Disrupt.”
- The speech sets out the progress the FCA is making and some of the actions it has taken.
- The FCA acknowledges the need for a more proactive approach to financial crime detection, stating that “ the best way to tackle financial crime is to stop it happening in the first place”.
- Partnerships matter more than ever – across sectors, agencies and borders; the common enemy is the agile, well-funded, sophisticated network of financial criminals.
- Smarter supervision is essential, which is more outcomes-focused, more collaborative, and more proportionate for firms demonstrably seeking to do the right thing.
- Effort needs to be focussed where it will have the greatest impact.