Tag: Blackmore Bond

Transparency Task Force Attacks FCA and Sophisticated Investor/HNWI Status

Following on from the BBC Panorama programme on the Blackmore Bond scandal the Transparency Task Force have launched an attack on the incompetence of the Financial Conduct Authority – see https://www.transparencytaskforce.org/letters-to-mps-about-blackmore-bond/ . It includes a letter you can send to your Member of Parliament asking for some reform.

I agree with most of their recommendations on how matters can be improved.

One issue I would also raise is that the Panorama programme made it clear that risky and unregulated investments were sold to individuals who would not normally have qualified as “sophisticated investors” or as high net worth individuals, as is required.

It is possible to ‘self-certify’ yourself as a HNWI or a sophisticated investor. To self-certify as a HNWI you have to earn at least £100,000 per year or have net assets (excluding your property, pension rights and so on) of at least £250,000.

To self-certify as a sophisticated investor you must: have been a member of a business angels network for at least six months; or have made at least one investment in an unlisted security in the previous two years; or have worked in a professional capacity in the provision of finance to small- or medium-sized businesses in the last two years or in the provision of private equity; or be or have been within the last two years a director of a company with a turnover of at least £1m.

These are quite low hurdles and as the investor is only making the declaration with no checks necessary or evidence provided it is wide open to abuse. The company accepting the certification only has to have a reasonable belief that it is correct.

I suggest the HNWI limits should be raised and that those who claim to be sophisticated investors actually pass a simple examination on financial matters or have a recognised business/accounting qualification to prove what they are claiming.

There are simply too many cases of dubious investments being sold to widows and retired folks who have no way to judge the prudence of the matter.

Roger Lawson (Twitter: https://twitter.com/RogerWLawson  )

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Panorama Attacks FCA over Mini-Bond Failures

The BBC’s Panorama programme last night did a good job of pointing out the failure of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to prevent fraud on investors in “mini-bonds”. In this case the focus was on the collapse of Blackmore Bond where 2,000 people lost £46m when the company collapsed. But there have been several other similar cases.

Mini-bonds are unregulated investments so should only be sold to “sophisticated” investors who might understand the risks. In this case people who clearly were not were persuaded to invest in property developments with “guaranteed” returns of up to 10%. Who was providing the guarantees? A company based in Costa Rica. A lot of the investors’ money was wasted on marketing costs and management fees paid to the directors. The investors were lured into putting money in via boiler rooms and internet advertising.

The FCA were told about the abuses but apparently did very little to stop it. Andrew Bailey who headed the FCA at the time failed to act. He subsequently has been made Governor of the Bank of England – a reward for failure it seems.

For more details see:  https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-62504445

Comment: It is surely wrong for the FCA not to have taken action on this matter when it was first brought to their attention. Many investors put money in after that and when it was obviously a dubious investment scheme.

The FCA simply says it was outside their remit to step in as it was not a regulated business registered with the FCA but that is not good enough. In fact the promotion of mini-bonds is a regulated activity. But any action taken by the FCA was too little and too late. See https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-9272/ for more background.

This is in essence another example of the managerial incompetence of the FCA in the same way that it has failed to prevent a number of frauds on stock market investors, or tackle them when they have become apparent. Likewise the promoters of the Blackmore Bonds do not appear to be facing any legal penalties.

SNP MP Peter Grant said this in Parliament: “in 50 years from now or 100 years from now, our successors will be in the successor to this Parliament bemoaning the fact that billions of pounds have been taken out of the pockets of hard-working people and used to fund a luxury lifestyle for charlatans, crooks and conmen”. That’s a fair summary of the reality.

How to ensure you don’t fall victim to such promotions? I suggest the following:

  1. Don’t put all your life savings into unregulated investments and diversification is the key.
  2. Don’t fall for promises that are unlikely to be achieved – such as promising a “safe” return of near 10% when big financial institutions are offering much less. This tells you that they are high risk investments.
  3. Make sure you have widespread investment experience before you dabble in unregulated investments such as in mini-bonds and EIS companies.
  4. Don’t trust anyone, however glib they are. Make sure they have a track record of managing money responsibly.
  5. Flashy web sites and glossy literature are warning signs, not positive endorsements.

Roger Lawson (Twitter: https://twitter.com/RogerWLawson  )

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