Our blog: Regulation

The challenge of cleaning up a dirty market

19 June 2015

The challenge of cleaning up a dirty market

Royal London is on a crusade to clean up the much maligned Over 50s life insurance market - but with tens of millions of pounds on the line for its competitors, it will be an uphill struggle.

Is your money safe with Renault’s new bank?

16 June 2015

Is your money safe with Renault’s new bank?

Car maker Renault is the latest unexpected entrant to the UK savings industry. Its rates are attractive, but can you have confidence that your money will be secure?

Can government owned Lloyds justify paying its spin doctor £2m?

8 June 2015

Can government owned Lloyds justify paying its spin doctor £2m?

Eleven senior directors at Lloyds shared in a £30m handout for their work over the past three years. One of them was the head of corporate affairs.

Could Lloyds chief be the next to have his bonus clawed back?

4 June 2015

Could Lloyds chief be the next to have his bonus clawed back?

Lloyds is to be fined over 100m for failings in its PPI complaints handling, just weeks after shareholders approved an 11m pay package for its CEO. Will he have to give his bonus back?

If banks treated their customers like train operators do, they’d be fined millions

25 May 2015

If banks treated their customers like train operators do, they’d be fined millions

The news that Southern Trains has been fining passengers who were forced to stand in First Class because of overcrowding is the latest sorry tale from a market that is failing consumers.

The curse of the pre-ticked box

15 May 2015

The curse of the pre-ticked box

The internet has made it easier for companies to get customers to make decisions that they don't know they're making. It's a practice that has to stop.

First Great Western’s Great Train Robbery continues

24 April 2015

First Great Western’s Great Train Robbery continues

My battle to reclaim a £109 penalty fare from First Great Western still seems to be going nowhere. So we're off to court. And if they win, what will they have achieved except a large legal bill?

PPI: the bad smell that won’t go away

14 April 2015

PPI: the bad smell that won’t go away

Clydesdale Bank has been fined for failing to deal with its PPI complaints fairly. It's the latest chapter in what has become a never-ending blight on the reputation of the financial services industry.

Should consumers be allowed to lose £250,000 in a few minutes?

24 March 2015

Should consumers be allowed to lose £250,000 in a few minutes?

The removal of the Swiss Franc exchange rate controls in January left some investors nursing losses which may leave them bankrupt? Has the regulator taken its eye off the ball?

Should reviews and ratings be regulated?

20 March 2015

Should reviews and ratings be regulated?

The Competition & Markets Authority has launched a review of review sites. It's an important piece of work that should weed out some of the less scrupulous operators.