PIMFA Live Online Learning: SDR: How your firm can prepare and plan for new rules

The significance and impact of the FCA’s forthcoming Sustainability Disclosure Requirements (SDR) regime has far-reaching consequences for PIMFA member firms.

Don’t be fooled; the FCA’s new labelling rules don’t stop at ensuring your propositions and promotions meet the new anti-greenwashing rule and guidance, they challenge your firm to review and improve your advice process and ensure, under Consumer Duty, that you put in place fact-finding arrangements that enable investors to explain and discuss their sustainability-related preferences in an informed and meaningful way.

In light of new impending rules some firms have already started to rethink their advice process, enhancing their policies and processes to ensure that both the label and the consumer facing disclosure document are communicated to consumers. However, for the majority of wealth managers, DFM’s and financial advisory firms there is still more to do.

In this three-hour online masterclass, sustainability experts Lee Coates and Elly Dowding of ESG Accord support your firm develop a robust, realistic and realisable plan to:

1. Ensure your SDR obligations link to your firm’s delivery of good outcomes under Consumer Duty.

2. Capture your investors’ investment preferences and objectives for all clients, whether these include sustainability or not

3. Avoid any unintentional breaches of the new regulations and ensure you are providing the most accurate advice to your clients.

4. Evidence full compliance with the FCA’s anti-greenwashing rule, establishing exactly what can and cannot be said in the marketing and promotion of your sustainable products and your suitability letters.

By the end of this masterclass, you will be able to:

1. Prepare and prioritise your firm’s efforts to achieve full compliance with SDR and Consumer Duty.
2. Recognise what changes your firm will have to make and implement to your advice process now to ensure full compliance with FCA expectations.
3. Implement a ‘whole of firm’ approach to discussing sustainability, ESG and values-based options with all clients.
4. Critically benchmark your approach to SDR with leading firms that are integrating SDR into their advice process.

Who should attend

Heads of Propositions looking to help enhance their advisor population capture an investor’s sustainability and ESG preferences in line with SDR.
Heads of Compliance/Regulatory Change who are seeking to conduct a thorough evaluation of current ESG practices, identifying any gaps that may hinder SDR compliance.

Marketing Heads and Leads who want to ensure that their firm is following SDR guidelines for sustainable claims made in the marketing and naming of financial products.

Internal Audit teams who must review the firm’s level of readiness for upcoming legislative and regulatory expectations on SDR.

Consumer Duty leads who will need to, under the firm’s consumer duty obligations test that communications are likely to be understood by clients and meet their information needs.

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