List of historical articles issued by the Panel.
Accessibility, advice and redress
The Consumer Panel believes that access to financial services is in many cases an essential requirement for full participation in society. Firms should set out their terms and conditions succinctly, clearly and in a way that can be readily understood and compared by consumers.
Competition
The Panel argued strongly for the financial services regulator to be given effective competition powers to enable it to deliver its statutory objectives, and was pleased that a competition objective and wider competition powers were given to the FCA under the Financial Services Act 2012 and the Financial Services (Banking Reform) Act 2013.
EU Engagement
The European Union now accounts for a large proportion of financial regulation in place in the UK, and the financial crisis lead to a greater focus on conduct and consumer protection issues. To ensure that the needs of UK consumers are adequately represented in the European policy-making process, the Consumer Panel maintain close links with decision-makers at EU-level.
Potential bias in firms' use of consumer data
Consumer Panel research highlights concerns about the use of personal data, algorithms and AI in financial services.
Products and Services
The provision of products and services that ‘do what they say on the tin’ is core to the Panel’s principles of access and trust. Many financial products are an essential component of participation in modern society, making it important that they are accessible to different types of consumers.
Regulatory and Policy Environment
The regulatory and policy environment for financial services has changed rapidly in the UK and the EU over the last few years. We are still seeing the fall-out from the financial crisis, and we have worked extensively with the Financial Conduct Authority since it took over from the FSA in 2013.