Overly generous risk weightings on certain transactions, a lack of data and stress testing loopholes means that some global systemically important banks could get hit by another Archegos-type failure.

Basel Committee seeks more consistency around bank climate actions
The Basel Committee’s paper on climate change might lack ambition by the standards of European initiatives, but it may nudge the rest of the world in the direction of sustainability, and thereby ensure a more level playing field globally.

UK finance bill more a power grab than a Big Bang
The UK’s long-awaited finance bill was supposed to unshackle the City of London from ‘unnecessary’ red tape, much of it inherited from the EU, but in the end it left the financial services sector underwhelmed and disappointed.

Controversial EU taxonomy could be hobbled by legal challenges
Despite EU agreement on its taxonomy for sustainable investment, it may not only prove to be ineffective in driving a green transition, but is potentially shrouded in legal uncertainty.

Firms brace for biggest overhaul in UK retail conduct rules in decades
The delayed consumer protection rules will have a very significant impact on firms serving the UK financial retail market by imposing increased accountability and compliance oversight obligations.

Research suggests SM&CR has degenerated into a ‘paper tiger’
The introduction of the Senior Managers & Certification Regime (SMCR) back in 2016 struck fear into many bankers with its onerous requirements and penalties. However, recent research suggests that the conduct regime is almost toothless.

Bankers’ gold rush may signal fears over looming financial crisis
There is anecdotal evidence that investment bankers in the UK are piling into physical bullion for their personal portfolios due to fears over counterparty risk in the financial system, severe inflation and political uncertainty.

Complex regulatory challenges loom for UK bank risk models
The Bank of England’s planned development of UK regulatory initiatives continued in June 2022 with the Prudential Regulation Authority’s release of CP6/22, “Model risk management principles for banks”. This will have considerable impact on how banks conduct risk modelling.

ESG in focus for 2022 proxy season
As the dust settles on the 2022 proxy season, the time is ripe for banks and other financial services institutions to explore investor sentiment arising from the annual roundtables.

Gensler’s game-changing equity markets revamp faces tall hurdles
US equities markets face the biggest shake-up in decades if SEC chair Gary Gensler gets his way, but it will be a journey strewn with legal obstacles that could ultimately sink the whole project.

Policy-makers ponder tackling systemic debt vulnerabilities
Private sector debt ratcheted up during the Covid-19 pandemic. Now regulators want to figure out how this will hit countries facing a post-pandemic recession – and what policy-makers can do to ease the pain.

Onus on ESG funds to clean up act or face regulatory enforcements
Amid fears that a wave of greenwashing scandals could break, global regulators have launched a multi-layered strategy to combat mis-selling, spearheaded by dramatic enforcement actions that may yet target individuals.