SRA Standards and Regulations

Maintenance of and contributions to the Fund

The SRA shall establish and maintain a fund for making grants in respect of applications made in accordance with these rules. Solicitors, RELs, RFLs, RSLs recognised bodies and licensed bodies must make contributions to the Fund in such amounts and at such times as may be prescribed. Any unpaid contributions may be recovered as a debt due to the SRA. The SRA may at any time: borrow for the...

Grants in respect of statutory trusts

The SRA may make a grant to alleviate a deficiency in a statutory trust held by the SRA. The SRA may make a grant to a person where the money would have been due to that person but for their claim having been extinguished under rule 9.2 of the SRA Intervention Powers (Statutory Trust) Rules 2011 or rule 8.2 of the SRA Statutory Trust Rules.

Application

These rules apply to authorised bodies and their principals.

Safekeeping of clients' investments

Where you undertake the regulated financial services activity of safeguarding and administering investments, you must operate appropriate systems, including the keeping of appropriate records, which provide for the safekeeping of assets entrusted to you by clients and others. Where such assets are passed to a third party: you should obtain an acknowledgement of receipt of the property; and if...

Communication and disclosure

You must ensure that, in relation to insurance distribution: you communicate all information, including marketing communications, in a way that is clear, fair and not misleading. your marketing communications are always clearly identifiable as such.

Scope of service

Where you propose, or give a client a personal recommendation for, a contract of insurance, then in good time before the conclusion of an initial contract of insurance and if necessary on its amendment or renewal, you must provide the client with information on whether you: give a personal recommendation on the basis of a fair and personal analysis; are under a contractual obligation to...

Remuneration and the client's best interests

You must not: be remunerated; or remunerate or assess the performance of the firm's employees, in a way that conflicts with their duty to act in each client's best interest. In particular, you must not make any arrangement by way of remuneration, sales target or otherwise that could provide an incentive to the firm or its employees to recommend a particular contract of insurance to a client...

Execution-only business

If you arrange for a client on an execution-only basis any transaction involving a retail investment product, you must send the client written confirmation to the effect that: the client had not sought and was not given any advice from you in connection with the transaction; or the client was given advice from you in connection with that transaction but nevertheless persisted in wishing the...

Scope of service

Where you propose, or give a client a personal recommendation for, a contract of insurance, then in good time before the conclusion of an initial contract of insurance and if necessary on its amendment or renewal, you must provide the client with information on whether you: give a personal recommendation on the basis of a fair and personal analysis; are under a contractual obligation to...

Demands and needs

Prior to the conclusion of a contract of insurance, you must specify on the basis of information obtained from the client, the demands and needs of that client. The details must be adapted according to the complexity of the contract of insurance proposed and the individual circumstances of the client. You must give the client a statement of the client's demands and needs prior to the...