Navigating the Mid-Year Update of the Financial Services Regulatory Landscape: A Closer Look at Key Initiatives
As the financial services industry continues to evolve, regulators are constantly updating their rules and initiatives to keep pace with emerging trends and risks. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at some of the most significant mid-year regulatory developments and what they mean for financial services providers.
1. GDPR Compliance
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) came into effect on May 25, 2018. However, many financial services providers are still working to ensure full compliance with this sweeping data privacy law. The GDPR imposes new obligations on organizations that process personal data of EU residents, including enhanced consent requirements and stricter data security standards. Financial services providers that fail to comply with the GDPR risk significant fines – up to 4% of global annual revenue or €20 million (whichever is greater).
Tip:
To ensure GDPR compliance, financial services providers should conduct a thorough data inventory and implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect personal data. They should also review their customer consent processes and update their privacy policies accordingly.
2. Fintech Regulation
The rapid growth of fintech has prompted regulators to take a closer look at how these innovative companies fit into the financial services regulatory landscape. In recent months, several key initiatives have emerged aimed at promoting greater clarity and consistency in fintech regulation. For example, the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has published a discussion paper on regulatory sandboxes, which allow innovative firms to test new products in a controlled environment before launching them more widely.
Fact:
According to a recent report by KPMG, global fintech venture capital funding reached a record $39.57 billion in 2018, up from $17.4 billion in 2016.
3. Cybersecurity
With cyberattacks on the rise, cybersecurity remains a top priority for financial services regulators. In the US, for example, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has issued several cybersecurity-related interpretive guidance to help firms better understand their obligations under existing rules. Meanwhile, the European Banking Authority (EBA) has published a report on cybersecurity risk in the banking sector, highlighting the need for greater collaboration between regulators and financial institutions to address this issue.
Statistic:
According to a recent study by IBM Security and the Ponemon Institute, the average cost of a data breach for a financial services company is $6.4 million – the highest of any industry sector.