New reporting questions in 2022
The economic recovery has been stronger than expected this year, in part due to strong support measures during the pandemic. At the same time, risks are building up, writes Finansinspektionen (FI) in its second stability report of the year. The report is being presented today by Director General Erik Thedéen and Chief Economist Henrik Braconier at a press conference.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) will conduct a review of the financial sector and the work of the authorities on financial stability, a so-called FSAP (Financial Sector Assessment Program) in 2022. FSAPs are conducted regularly for countries with systemically important financial markets. In its report, the IMF will highlight any flaws and risks in the system and propose measures to deal with them.
Finansinspektionen (FI) is creating a new position to strengthen its work within sustainability. Johanna Fager Wettergren will be the new Head of Sustainable Finance.
Finansinspektionen (FI) is issuing Maiden Life Försäkrings AB a warning. The company must also pay an administrative fine of SEK 5.5 million.
The support measures have been important for offsetting the economic impact of the crisis and speeding up the recovery. However, they can also contribute to greater stability risks in the long run, concludes Finansinspektionen (FI) in this year’s first report on the stability in the financial system, which is being published today.
FI has decided to replace several of our existing reporting systems with a new system with the aim of better meeting current and future legal requirements and enhancing user-friendliness for the companies that report via the systems. The new reporting system, FIDAC, will be used for both periodic and event-driven reporting.
Young borrowers and borrowers with low income run a higher risk of experiencing payment problems when they take non-mortgage loans, even if they only borrow small amounts. At the same time, the risk that consumers will get trapped in debt decreases if credit providers conduct thorough credit assessments. These are the conclusions of a new analysis from Finansinspektionen that is presented in conjunction with this year’s consumer protection report.
Are the banks conducting thorough credit assessments when customers apply for consumer credit? Are smaller banks and payment service firms taking sufficient measures to prevent money laundering? What risks will the coronavirus pandemic pose in the future? These are three areas that Finansinspektionen (FI) will look more closely at in 2021.
As of 1 January 2021, FI will implement new procedures for how it announces opened and closed supervision investigations.
What will happen in the event that the transition period ends without an agreement between the EU and the UK.
An increase in the spread of the coronavirus will dampen the recovery in European economies and, in the long run, this could impact financial stability, writes Finansinspektionen (FI) in this year’s second stability report, which will be published today.
The COVID-19 pandemic has incurred large human and economic costs and also affected the financial sector. Maintaining own funds in financial institutions is important both for ensuring the resilience of the financial system and supporting banks' lending through this crisis.
On 18 August 2020, FI will introduce a new log-in method for periodic reporting filed via an application on the computer and that previously required a card and card reader. The new method requires users to log in using Bank ID.
Governments, central banks, and authorities around the world have taken powerful measures to mitigate the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic. These measures also helped dampen uncertainty on the financial markets. By utilising available buffers and continuing to lend to firms and households, the financial sector can dampen the impact of the crisis. It is also important to remember that the economic crisis is not over, and uncertainty is therefore high, notes Finansinspektionen (FI) in its first stability report of the year.
Finansinspektion (FI) immediately withdraws the authorisation for Exceed Capital Sverige AB. Under FI’s decision, the company loses all its authorisations and may no longer conduct regulated business. The decision will be presented by FI Director General Erik Thedéen and Chief Legal Counsel Eric Leijonram at a press conference today, Tuesday, 2 June, at 2:00 PM.
The global sustainability network NGFS (Network for Greening the Financial System) is publishing today a report on how banks around the world consider climate-related risks in their lending. The report shows that this is occurring more frequently, but it is at the same time difficult to see which loans constitute a lower risk. This is because, for example, there is no international classification and a shared perception of which assets are “green” and “brown”.
The European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority (EIOPA) will collect new data for its ongoing impact assessment to assess the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.
FI decided on 1 April given the acute stage of the coronavirus pandemic to extend the freeze on new supervision investigations until 3 May. This decision will not be extended again, which means that the freeze on ongoing supervision meetings, investigations and information gathering will be lifted starting on 4 May.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority (EIOPA) has published a consumer guide with tips that target insurance customers.
The European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority (EIOPA) has published a statement on principles that national competent authorities should consider to mitigate the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the occupational pensions sector.
Skandia Liv has not calculated its capital need and commitments to its customers realistically or correctly for several years. This has entailed that the company’s customer protection and the company’s solvency have not been fairly assessed. Skandia Liv is therefore receiving a warning and an administrative fine of SEK 35 million.
The Swedish Bankers’ Association has announced that the association is transferring the administration of the Swedish benchmark STIBOR to Swedish Financial Benchmark Facility (SFBF), whereupon the task of adapting STIBOR to the requirements set out in the EU Benchmarks Regulation falls to SFBF. Finansinspektionen will assess the application for authorisation of SFBF as administrator of STIBOR when it is submitted.
Due to the current situation with the ongoing spread of the coronavirus, Finansinspektionen has postponed the deadline for the annual reporting on money laundering and financing of terrorism. The deadline has been pushed forward from 31 March 2020 to 30 April 2020.
The spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is having a financial impact on firms and households around the world. There is considerable uncertainty about how much the disease will impact the global economy. This economic uncertainty also affects the financial system.
FI will explore the possibility of advocating both nationally and internationally increased disclosure of firms’ internal carbon pricing.
From Monday, 2 December, to Tuesday, 10 December, all of FI’s reporting systems will experience service disruptions or closures due to planned maintenance and updates. The extent to which individual systems will be affected will vary.
Finansinspektionen (FI) considers the firms in the Swedish financial system to have sufficient resilience for withstanding a weaker economy. However, commercial real estate firms are vulnerable to shocks. FI therefore makes the assessment that the banks need more capital for these exposures. This is one of the conclusions in FI’s first stability report for the year, which is being presented today.
Heads of the Nordic and Baltic financial supervisors met today in Stockholm. They agreed on measures to enhance the cooperation between the authorities with the aim of fighting money laundering and terrorist financing.
FI is issuing Avanza Pension a warning for insufficient management of technical provisions and reporting. Avanza Pension must also pay an administrative fine of SEK 35 million.
The Nordic and Baltic financial stability authorities have conducted a joint financial crisis management exercise. The exercise was held from 22 to 23 January 2019 and involved 31 authorities from Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway and Sweden as well as relevant European Union authorities. A staff member of the International Monetary Fund observed the simulation.
Low interest rates have contributed to high risk-taking, rising asset prices and increasing debt. Higher interest rates in the next few years could reduce risk-taking and thus dampen the build-up of risk. However, unexpectedly large interest rate fluctuations and uncertain global developments could also test the financial sector’s resilience. These are some of the conclusions Finansinspektionen (FI) draws in this year’s second report on the stability in the financial system. The report will be presented at a press conference today.
FI is publishing today three reports on sustainability. The reports show that the work with sustainability is progressing on several fronts and that the industry’s own initiatives, where relevant, are working. But there is still a lot of work left to be done. FI is also publishing a follow-up report for the Government on FI's work with sustainability-related matters in 2018.
The members of the international Network for Greening the Financial System (NGFS) acknowledge in their first report that climate-related risks are a source of financial risk. The Network therefore clarifies that it is within the mandates of central banks and supervisors to ensure the financial system is resilient to climate-related risks.
The Swedish economy continues to be strong, and resilience in the financial system is satisfactory. However, a long period of low interest rates and strong growth has resulted in an elevated risk appetite, high asset prices and high debt. This makes the financial sector more sensitive to shocks, writes Finansinspektionen (FI) in the first Stability Report of the year, which is being presented today.
FI has updated the instructions and FAQs about the periodic reporting firms under Finansinspektionen’s supervision are required to file according to the Anti-Money Laundering Act.
FI has translated into English its educational videos about efforts to combat money laundering and terrorist financing.
The Swedish Ministry of Finance, the Riksbank, Finansinspektionen (the Swedish Financial Supervisory Authority) and the Swedish National Debt Office in its role as resolution authority, have produced, together with their equivalents in Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania and Norway a new Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation and coordination on cross-border financial stability.
The international Network for Greening the Financial System (NGFS) held its inaugural meeting in Paris last week.
On 1 August, the new Money Laundering Act entered into force as well as FI’s new regulations. According to these new regulations, firms under FI’s supervision must report data that enables FI to assess the risk that firms will be used for money laundering and the financing of terrorism.
Finansinspektionen is monitoring the developments following the EU referendum in the UK. We are continuing to maintain a dialogue with the Ministry of Finance, the Riksbank and the Swedish National Debt Office and keep close contact with the Swedish banks. FI always has contingency plans in place to take measures that will contribute to financial stability.
The European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority, EIOPA, has conducted EU-wide stress tests to assess the resilience of European insurance undertakings to adverse market developments. In the Swedish part of the exercise, ten large insurance groups and insurance companies, who account for more than half of the Swedish insurance market, participated.