Book Description

With 2000+ pages of guidance, this important new textbook provides an extensive and in-depth guide to the current labyrinthine regulatory regime relating to consumer and SME credit (by way of cash loans) and protection generally, including the Consumer Protection Code, the Consumer Credit Act (housing loans and non-housing loans), the EU Consumer Credit Regulations, the EU Mortgage Credit Regulations and the Central Bank Housing Loan Regulations. Other lending-related conduct of business requirements are also covered in detail, including the Code of Conduct on Mortgage Arrears, the Lending to SME Regulations, the Code on Related Parties Lending and the Credit Reporting Act, together with applicable EBA/ECB Guidelines dealing with loan origination, product oversight and governance, non-performing exposures/loans and arrears. The regulated activities triggering authorisation as a retail credit firm or credit servicing firm are also addressed in detail. The book additionally extends beyond lending to have application to the wider business of regulated firms in the financial services arena, dealing in detail with issues including the general principles and requirements of the Consumer Protection Code,the fitness and probity regime including the area of minimum competency, distance marketing requirements and other background to the regulatory regime in Ireland including the increased regulatory focus on the culture of regulated firms and product oversight and governance. The available redress/recourse mechanisms are also covered, including the Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman, the Credit Review Office, the regulatory and other consequences of breach of applicable requirements and the significant risk management area for regulated firms of their customers' statutory right to redress on breach of financial services legislation. In addition, the book has relevance to professionals dealing with consumers in any contractual context including extensive treatment of how the concept of 'consumer' has developed under common law, the unfair commercial practices regime and the increasingly topical area of unfair contract terms legislation. Relevant case law of the Irish courts and other common law jurisdictions, together with an expanding corpus of decisions from the CJEU, are addressed in detail. This book's practical style is designed to assist bankers, other regulated firms, lawyers, compliance professionals and regulators in the application of a complex area. Rather than simply setting out the separate requirements, the book seeks to navigate the at times contradictory legislative and regulatory strands to give (in so far as is possible) a coherent sense of how they integrate. Much of the content is unique and cannot be found in any other publication. An essential addition to the library of every lender, practitioner and compliance and regulatory risk professional, particularly in the areas of consumer and SME credit.