Building Compliance into Business Culture is Essential in Fintech

Published : 3 weeks ago, on 28/08/2024

Tetyana Golovata, Head of Regulatory Compliance at IFX Payments

Regulation plays a critical role in shaping the fintech landscape. From Consumer Duty and FCA annual risk reporting to APP fraud, the tectonic plates of the sector are shifting and whether you consider these regulations as benefiting or hindering the industry, businesses are struggling to keep up.

According to research by fraud prevention fintech Alloy, 93% of respondents said they found it challenging to meet compliance requirements, while in a new study by Davies a third of financial leaders (36%) said their firms had been penalised for compliance breaches in the year to June. With the FCA bringing in its operational resilience rules next March, it is more important than ever to ensure your company makes the grade on compliance.

Lessons from history

Traditionally, FX has struggled with the challenge of reporting in an ever-developing sector. As regulatory bodies catch up and raise the bar on compliance, responsible providers must help the industry navigate the changes and upcoming deadlines.

Fintechs and payments companies are entering uncharted waters – facing pressure to beat rivals by offering more innovative products. When regulators have struggled to keep up in the past, gaps in legislation haveallowed some opportunists to slip between the net, as seen in the collapse of FTX. Because of this, implementation and standardisation of the rules is necessary to ensure that innovation remains seen as a force for good, and to help identify and stamp out illegal activity.

Culture vs business

Culture has become a prominent factor in regulatory news, with cases of large fines and public censure relating to cultural issues. As the FCA’s COO Emily Shepperd, shrewdly observed in a speech to the finance industry, “Culture is what you do when no one is looking”.

Top-level commitment is crucial when it comes to organisational culture. Conduct and culture are closely intertwined, and culture is not merely a tick-box exercise. It is not defined by perks like snack bars or Friday pizzas; rather, it should be demonstrated in every aspect of the organisation, including processes, people, counterparties, and third parties.

In recent years, regulatory focus has shifted from ethics to culture, recognising its crucial role in building market reputation, ensuring compliance with rules and regulations, boosting client confidence, and retaining employees. The evolving regulatory landscape has significantly impacted e-money and payments firms, with regulations strengthening each year. Each regulation carries elements of culture, as seen in:

• Consumer duty: How do we treat our customers?
• Operational resilience: How can we recover and prevent disruptions to our customers?
• APP fraud: How do we protect our customers?

Key drivers of culture include implementing policies on remuneration, conflicts of interest, and whistleblowing, but for it to become embedded it must touch employees at every level.

This is showcased by senior stakeholders and heads of departments facilitating close relationships with colleagues across a company’s Sales, Operations, Tech and Product teams to build a collaborative environment.

Finance firms must recognise the trust bestowed on them by their customers and ensure the protection of their investments and data is paramount. Consumer Duty may have been a wake-up call for some companies, but progressive regulation must always be embraced and their requirements seen as a baseline rather than a hurdle.

Similarly, the strengthening of operational resilience rules and the upcoming APP fraud regulation in October are to be welcomed, increasing transparency for customers.

Compliance vs business 

Following regulatory laws is often viewed as a financial and resource drain, but without proper compliance, companies are vulnerable to situations where vast amounts of money can be lost quickly.

A case in point is the proposed reimbursal requirement for APP fraud, which will mean payment firms could face having to pay compensation of up to £415,000 per case.

Complying not only safeguards the client and their money, but also the business itself. About nine in ten (88%) financial services firms have reported an increased compliance cost over the past five years, according to research from SteelEye.  Embedding compliance earlier in business cultures can be beneficial in the long run, cutting the time and money needed to adapt to new regulations and preventing the stress of having to make wholesale changes rapidly.

Building a cross-business compliance culture 

Compliance is a key principle at IFX, and we strive to be a champion in this area. In response to these challenges, the business restructured, establishing dedicated risk and regulatory departments, along with an internal audit function.

Regulatory compliance aims to support innovation by developing and using new tools, standards, and approaches to foster innovation and ensure product safety, efficacy, and quality. It has helped the firm to navigate the regulatory landscape while driving growth and maintaining high standards.

This organisational shift allowed each business line to own its own risk, with department partaking in tailored workshops designed to identify existing, new, and potential risk exposure. Shared responsibility for compliance is the only way to create a culture which values it. We see this as a great way for organisations to drive innovation while sticking to the rules.