Thursday 5 December 2013

ONA and the Importance of keeping up to date

I recently was contacted by a firm who managed to miss the Risk Awareness Survey a few weeks back as a result of having changed their  email address and not updating the FCA. For those of you who have worked your way through these 2 hour sessions, you might consider that to be a benefit. However, not when you get a letter that informs you that if you don't act pdq you will be  looking at Enforcement. Fortunately the matter was resolved but it just makes the obvious point that it is worth making sure periodically that your standing data with the FCA is up to date. The mechanism for updating such data is the ONA System, which you have to register with in the same way that you would have done with GABRIEL. ONA has been around for a couple of years now but there are I believe still some firms who have not registered with it. It is quite a good idea to do so.

MMR Readiness Tracking Survey

OK, the next round FCA MMR survey is reaching the email inboxes of firms  at the moment.  I think that you have until 3rd January to complete it but I see no reason to delay . Best to get it out of the way over the next couple of weeks. If you are one of my regular paid up clients then the message is, if I haven't already spoken to you, as follows...

I'll be  emailing the latest version of the MMR implementation plan to you tomorrow together with a status update. This should provide you with the information that you need to respond to the  survey. However, I recommend a conversation with me before you go and do it so that we know all is in order. From the discussions that I have had with most of you, you should have no problems completing the survey in a positive manner.

If you re not already one of my clients, I am more than happy to help out. Please contact me on david.c.payne1@btinternet.com or via this blog.