FSA Handbook of Rules and Guidance

Presents and gives guidance on rules made under FSMA. Each of five blocks contains sections dealing with all aspects of financial services authorisation, compliance and enforcement, market structure, operation and oversight by the FSA. Block 1 sets out High Level Standards, applicable to firms and approved persons. Block 2 covers Business Standards applicable to firms. Block 3 covers Regulatory Processes, i.e. authorisation; supervision; enforcement; and decision-making. Block 4 deals with redress, i.e. particularly, compensation for investors, depositors and policyholders. Block 5 covers Specialist Sourcebooks, containing specialist information on areas such as: insurance; collective investment schemes; recognised exchange and clearing houses.

FSA Returns

Regulatory returns sent annually to the FSA and prepared for each regulated operating insurance company. FSA returns comprise detailed financial information on solvency, investments, business mix, claims and premiums, etc., and are publicly available. The FSA returns are prepared differently from the reports and accounts filed with Companies House.

FSAP

The Financial Sector Assessment Program of the International Monetary Fund is a comprehensive assessment of a country’s financial sector. This includes a financial stability assessment and, in developing and emerging markets, a financial development assessment. In jurisdictions with financial sectors deemed by the IMF to be systemically important, financial stability assessments under the FSAP are a mandatory part of surveillance under the IMF’s Articles of Agreement, and are supposed to take place every five years; for all other jurisdictions, participation in the program is voluntary. In developing and emerging market countries, FSAPs are conducted jointly with the World Bank.

FSB

The Financial Stability Board was established by the G-20 countries to coordinate the work of national financial authorities and international standard setting bodies at the international level and to develop and promote the implementation of effective regulatory, supervisory and other financial sector policies in the interest of financial stability.

FSOC

The Financial Stability Oversight Council, established under the Dodd-Frank Act, provides comprehensive monitoring of the stability of the United States’ financial system. The Council is charged with identifying risks to the financial stability of the United States; promoting market discipline; and responding to emerging risks to the stability of the United States’ financial system. The Council consists of 10 voting members and 5 nonvoting members and brings together the expertise of federal financial regulators, state regulators, and an independent insurance expert appointed by the President. The independent insurance expert is a voting member, appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate for a six-year term. The Director of FIO and a state insurance commissioner selected by the state insurance commissioners (through the NAIC) serve as non-voting members.

FSSA

Financial System Stability Assessment, a written document prepared at the conclusion of each country’s FSAP by the International Monetary Fund.