Black Swan Partners have published a range of documents commenting on emerging trends or showcasing innovative ideas. Please enter your details at the bottom of the page to receive access to our document library.
Broker Pricing White Paper
Price Comparison – Are Brokers Prepared To Be Compared?
The broker market has historically been neglected by major comparison sites, but niche providers such as brokercompare.info show that broker comparison is possible, and the major sites will enter the market in the near future as they look to investment / fintech products as their next source of growth.
Social Media Strategy
Social Media Strategic Steps and Tools – Feb 2015
Despite the FCA’s enthusiasm for social media it has explicitly not made any changes to the rules regarding financial promotions, which remain media neutral. Adding to regulatory confusion, many firms find it difficult to measure the ROI from social media, and are unsure how to use it effectively, and consequently few if any firms have made the most of the social media opportunity. This paper outlines the steps firms should take and the tools they can use to execute a social media strategy that delivers a meaningful return on investment.
Social Media Tools Summary Table
This summary table outlines the key functionality for the following social media management tool providers: Hootsuite, Spoutsocial, Oktopost and CrowdcontrolHQ. It takes into consideration the cost, the networks that can be managed on the platform, approval, individual login, archiving and analytics.
Summary of FCA Guidance Papers
FCA Social Media Guidance – Aug 2014
The FCA released proposed guidance on social media and client communications in August 2014. The most crucial point is that all financial promotions have to include prominent risk warnings, regardless of any character limits on the media used. However, the paper also reaffirmed that in order to be regulated a financial promotion has to be made ‘in the course of business.’
FCA Retail Investment Advice Guidance – July 2014
The FCA’s proposed guidance on retail investment advice, published in July 2014, reminds firms of the difference between regulated advice, under the Regulated Activities Order, and MiFID advice. Only MiFID advice requires the application of suitability rules, and in order to constitute advice under MiFID, the advice must be a personal recommendation.
Social Investing White Paper
Addressing the Confidence Gap in Retail Investing – May 2014
The retail distribution review has increased the size of the ‘confidence gap’ for both experienced investors unwilling to pay for advice upfront and for novice investors who don’t have the understanding of financial markets, or the confidence in their understanding, to invest their savings. As a result, many investors are holding too much cash, and risking their financial future as a result.
Launching a Social Investing Platform – Dec 2014
Mirror Trading and Social Media Marketing
Regulatory and Business Risks
Published Feb 2013 in conjunction with Reed Smith
Is social trading the next big thing or just another marketing channel for the retail derivatives industry and how is social media marketing going to develop in this sector? We believe that the impact of social trading could be significant however the role of regulation may be decisive.