Financial adviser

Person appointed by an independent intermediary or appointed representative to provide a range of financial services. If they advise on or arrange certain types of investment (pensions, life insurance, unit trusts and shares) they and the companies they represent must be FSAauthorised. Financial advisers just advising on loans, most mortgages, general insurance or bank/building society accounts do not have to be FSAauthorised until October 2004 in the case of mortgage advisers and January 2005 in the case of general insurance and term insurance advisers. Some financial advisers sell the products of a single firm while others, independent financial advisers, base their advice on all products in the market.

Financial Anti-Terrorism Act (FATA or PATRIOT Act) of 2001

Imposes new recordkeeping and government reporting requirements on banks, certain other financial institutions, and nonfinancial businesses for specified financial transactions and customer financial records. It was added to the Bank Secrecy Act as an attempt to help combat terrorism and money laundering. The International Money Laundering Abatement and Financial Anti-Terrorism Act of 2001 is Title III of the USA PATRIOT Act of 2001.

Financial capacity

The financial limit of an organization’s ability to absorb losses with its own funds or borrowed funds without major disruption. This value often comes into play when a risk manager attempts to find the appropriate retention amount. Any planned retention figures should fall below the financial capacity point.

Financial Condition Report (FCR) for Non-Life Insurance Companies in India

The non-life insurance companies have been mandated to submit the Financial Condition Report annually, effective 31st March, 2010 for the said financial year in the prescribed format. The objective of the FCR is to facilitate analysis of the current block of business as on the valuation date to bring out clearly the challenges the insurers face in terms of meeting the solvency requirements, their profitability and other risks viz. morbidity, liquidity, credit and expense, investment return, asset-liability mismatch, etc. This experience will also indicate the insurer’s position on these parameters for the next one year.