Opinion & Insight
AI changes the decision. It must also change the audit
As AI becomes embedded in financial decisions, firms must evolve governance, oversight and assurance at the same pace.
John Barbour · 1 Oct 20264 min read
166 articles
Opinion & Insight
Browse all articles across people aspects of regulation and people development within UK financial services
Opinion & Insight
Should DC pensions give retirement freedom or a steady income?
Pension freedoms have not served the silent majority who simply want a secure retirement income. Henry Tapper considers whether guided pathways and CDC mark a return to steady lifetime income.
Henry Tapper · 1 Oct 20264 min read
Opinion & Insight
The gap between regulatory intent and operational reality
The Prudential Regulation Authority’s January 2026 Dear CEO letter to UK banks and building societies was unusually direct about where it expects to find problems.
John Barbour · 1 Jul 20262 min read
Opinion & Insight
The bifurcation of “pensions” and “wealth”
Because I am involved in setting up a CDC , I guess I am a “collectivist”. Like the majority of working people, I would like a pension paid to me from a date decided by me. I will take interest in what I can take as tax-free cash.
Henry Tapper · 1 Jul 20264 min read
Opinion & Insight
Implementing change is operational as well as regulatory
For many firms, regulatory change is now a constant feature of the operating environment. That is especially true as firms work through changes to capital treatment for small depositors, Basel 3.1 and a broader wave of prudential reform that is reshaping expectations around capital, reporting, governance and implementation.
John Barbour · 1 Apr 20263 min read
Opinion & Insight
What is happening in the world of workplace pensions?
While the IFA may be interested in wealth management, the Government has moved to get workplace pots that turn into pensions. There are two changes that they have introduced. The first is the promotion of retirement income from existing workplace pensions.
Henry Tapper · 1 Apr 20264 min read
Opinion & Insight
Forging a sustainable future: The PRA and FCA’s blueprint for UK mutuals
The UK’s financial mutuals – building societies, credit unions, and mutual insurers – stand as a vital pillar of diversity and resilience within the financial services landscape.
Nick Baxter · 1 Jan 20264 min read
Opinion & Insight
With a CDC pension – you’re no target for support
I and a wide group of colleagues are considering becoming the proprietor of a CDC pension scheme that we make available to employers who agree with the Government that going collective could increase the pension paid to their staff after they retire by up to 60%.
Henry Tapper · 1 Jan 20264 min read
Opinion & Insight
Etridge revisited
The turn of the millennium marked a pivotal moment for the UK’s banking and legal landscape. A Court judgment, Royal Bank of Scotland plc v Etridge, didn’t just decide a single case; it fundamentally rewrote the rulebook for how lenders dealt with partners acting as guarantors for business loans.
Nick Baxter · 1 Oct 20253 min read
Opinion & Insight
Targeted support or regulated advice; it’s like state or private education
Phil Young at Zero Support LLP, known to most advisers has told the trade press he is surprised how little interest there has been among advisers about targeted support.
Henry Tapper · 1 Oct 20255 min read
Opinion & Insight
Why the FCA must rethink its proposed changes to CPD
In May, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) launched a consultation (CP25/12) proposing to scrap the 15-hour annual Continuing Professional Development (CPD) requirement for staff in non-investment insurance and funeral plan firms. The aim is to give firms more flexibility and reduce perceived record-keeping burdens. At first glance, the FCA’s rationale may seem reasonable.
Nathan Matthews · 1 Jul 20254 min read
Opinion & Insight
Mortgage market consolidations- do consumers benefit?
Mortgage market consolidations are coming – but will consumers benefit? In the last 6 months we have witnessed massive consolidations as two UK shareholder-owned banks were acquired by building societies, becoming mutual banks. These mutually owned banks and building societies together hold assets of £648.3bn.
Nick Baxter · 1 Jul 20253 min read
