In addition to applying for permission to undertake regulated consumer credit activities, some motor finance firms and dealers may need to have permissions in relation to regulated insurance activities.
The Insurance: Conduct of Business Sourcebook (ICOBS) applies to:
- insurance intermediaries;
- insurance providers; and
- motor vehicle liability insurers.
In the motor market, some of the relevant insurance products regulated under ICOBS include:
- payment protection insurance (PPI);
- guaranteed asset protection (GAP) insurance products such as Return to Invoice (RTI) GAP insurance;
- Cosmetic repair (SMART) insurance;
- tyre and alloy insurance, and
- some breakdown, recovery and warranty products
FCA authorisation for general insurance is needed by firms and individuals if they either sell directly or act as an intermediary for these products.
Motor dealers who are not authorised for general insurance cannot even discuss or comment on regulated insurance products and it is a criminal offence to conduct any business which is defined as “regulated”.
There is a cost to finance companies and motor dealerships to apply to become FCA authorised.
The penalties which the FCA can impose on firms for non-compliance are severe, ranging from heavy fines to the restriction of business practices, for example a complete ban on a company's ability to advise on and sell insurance products.
Firms which undertake regulated activities in relation to insurance should already hold the necessary permissions: firms entering this market will need to make sure they apply for the appropriate permissions before commencing any regulated activity.