This paper examines the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s (ACCC) approach to market definition in light of bank mergers within the country of Australia. It considers whether or not the ACCC’s approach is consistent with the actual bank selection criteria of a nationwide sample...

The Insurance Act was passed in the Czech Republic in 1991. It provided for the establishment of new insurance companies and competition between them. The Ministry of Finance was authorised to supervise insurance activities. Amendments to the Act in 1993 covered the formation and financial...

This paper examines the regulatory requirements for the management of customer complaints in financial services. It describes the outcomes of new research, which show that most financial services companies are some way from being able to meet these new regulatory requirements. It identifies the...

There has been much discussion over recent years of the likely impact of ‘financial globalisation’ on the financial services sector specifically and on the stability of national economies. This paper examines how and to what extent the ‘threats’ from financial globalisation manifest...

This paper examines latest thinking and new developments in the regulatory framework for statutory audit at European Union (EU) level. It follows an earlier paper, published in this journal. Since 1999 when the paper was drafted, even more developments have occurred both at an EU level and in...

Professional development will become a crucial investment rather than an irritating cost in the 21st century. Financial services professionals often see continued professional development (CPD) as a chore which requires the routine collection of points or hours through attendance at conferences...

Late in 2001, the Financial Services Authority (FSA) introduced a new set of arrangements for deposit protection in the UK. While the changes involve a welcome improvement on previous arrangements, much more could be done to enhance their overall cost‐effectiveness. This paper explains the...

Polarisation has been an integral part of how the retail financial services market operates in the UK, since its implementation in 1988. The term ‘polarisation’ refers to the practice whereby financial advisers must belong to one of two groups: either independent advisers able to advise the...

This paper examines the implications for bank regulatory and monetary policy of the business cycle; the nature of which is being transformed by the forces of globalisation and the communication and information technology revolution. Asset price fluctuations and overinvestment appear to have...

The UK Financial Services and Markets Act (FSMA) 2000 has introduced a new ‘lighthanded’ regulatory regime for energy market participants. The following paper shows how it changes the playing field for energy traders, producers and distributors.