Regulations
By Julie Binoche
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How the Fines Were Calculated. The FCA used its authority under sections 66 and 56 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000…
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What the FCA Said About Fitness and Propriety. The regulator was blunt. Taylor and Toni are not fit and proper persons to work in financial…
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Wider Industry Implications. BHAM was trying to grow during this period. The acquisitions, had they gone through, would have…
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Paul Taylor is out. The former CEO of Blue Horizon Asset Management — known inside the industry as BHAM — has been fined £489,000 and permanently banned from financial services…
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Not a small thing. Taylor's scheme centered on fabricated ownership claims over a €200 million bond portfolio.
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During an internal investigation by BHAM itself, Toni denied any involvement in creating false documents or making misleading statements. The FCA didn't buy it.
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The numbers were adjusted down. FCA settlement procedures allow for a 30% discount when individuals cooperate and accept responsibility, and both did.
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Read also: India Launches Groundbreaking Tokenized Corporate Bond Pilot Using RBI’s Wholesale CBDC
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And it makes sense why. When someone tries to buy a bank or a football club, the FCA and PRA have to assess whether the acquiring party is financially sound and trustworthy.
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That's the part that probably sealed it. One bad document might look like an error. The same fabricated asset showing up in two separate acquisition attempts, across two…
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BHAM was trying to grow during this period. The acquisitions, had they gone through, would have significantly expanded the firm's footprint.
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Financial services runs on trust. That's not a cliché — it's the practical reality of how regulatory approvals, counterparty relationships, and acquisition processes function.
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More context: UK Firms Divided as T+1 Settlement Deadline Approaches, Regulators on Alert
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The FCA's zero-tolerance framing here is probably deliberate. Regulators want the message to land clearly: your seniority won't protect you, and cooperation gets you a discount…
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Taylor's £489,000 fine and permanent prohibition, alongside Toni's £121,200 fine and matching ban, are now final.
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