Tag Archives: ppi mis selling

Banks, Debts, Financial, Financial Information, Financial Services, Investment, Loans

Barclays Bankers May Lose £1bn Bonus To PPI Claims Says PPI Claims Company Simple Financial Solutions

Barclays bank is considering a move that will see the bonuses planned for its staff cut to pay the fines and compensation claims for PPI mis-selling, and may even institute a claw back of bonuses already paid, says PPI Claims Company Simple Financial Solutions.

In the wake of Sir John Vickers banking reform report, Barclays Chief Executive Bob Diamond has put forward the idea that some of the large fines for PPI mis-selling could be met by withholding the bonuses of its staff as a type of penance and using the money to meet its PPI mis-selling commitments instead.

In a meeting with the MPs of the Treasury Select Committee, Mr Diamond was taken to task by Committee Chair Andrew Tyrie about PPI mis-selling. In explaining that the staff responsible for the mis-selling had now gone, Mr Diamond added in reference to the PPI fines: “We are taking into account in our businesses that impact in our remuneration.”

Some believe his comments have come following the decision of Lloyds bank to claw back some of the bonus its chief executive, Eric Daniels, received because of the heavy financial toll of £3.2bn the PPI mis-selling scandal  is predicted to have on the lender.

However, Mr Diamond appeared to be losing patience with proceedings when later asked about bankers’ level of pay and remarked that it was ‘disappointing’ to be asked about it again. ‘I was looking forward to a discussion on the Independent Commission on Banking and its report and we’re right on to the same issues as last time, which I do find disappointing,’ he said.

A spokesperson for PPI Claims Company Simple Financial Solutions, said: “It seems that the bankers wish everyone would just shut up and forget about the PPI mis-selling scandal, as if it is water under the bridge, old history, best forgotten. Nobody has forgotten Mr Diamond’s comments earlier this year when he proclaimed the time for‘remorse and apology’ was over. The trouble is, it isn’t and it won’t be. Barclays has been identified as being one of the worst offenders for dragging its heels over settlingPPI claims and until the matter is fully concluded and Barclay’s customers are properly and fairly treated, Mr Diamond will hear a great deal more on the subject.”

“Cutting staff bonuses for poor performance is just the start of the steps Barclays should be taking to get its house in order. A bonus claw back from those senior manager who time and again failed at their jobs and caused this mess would be a good idea and might see Barclays earn a little lost respect back from customers.”

Via EPR Network
More Financial press releases

Business, Financial, Financial Information, Financial Services, Insurance, Insurance Services, Money

Possible £2.7bn Bill for PPI Reclaim Compensation

The Financial Services Authority has announced that compensation for mis-sold PPI reclaims could reach as much as £2.7bn and involve 2.75 million people in the UK. Complaints regarding PPI reclaims are expected to rise to over 550,000 per year for the next five years, with compensation for PPI reclaims varying from £900 – £1,800 per person.

The FSA found ‘wide and deep evidence of weakness in PPI sales’ over the last five years and warned lenders they have until December 1st 2010 to adopt a new set of rules that deal with PPI reclaim complaints, key features of which include:

  • If the customer would not have bought the policy in the first place, the PPI premiums plus interest should be reimbursed.
  • If the customer was persuaded to buy a premium with a single up-front payment instead of a regular premium policy, the customer should be reinstated to the position they would have been if they had done.

Dan Waters of the FSA said: “The rules are the culmination of months of hard work and now, with these measures, we look forward to consumers being treated fairly whether they are buying or complaining about PPI. Since we took over the regulation of PPI we’ve carried out 24 investigations and three thematic reviews, issued warnings, halted the selling of single premium PPI with unsecured personal loans, visited over 200 firms, and handed out some very significant fines.”

Lenders up in arms about new PPI reclaim rules

Many have argued the new PPI reclaim rules are unnecessary and disproportionate, with lenders waging a behind-the-scenes campaign to stop the new regulations from being instated.

However, the FSA is adamant the new rules are necessary given the behaviour of some lenders when faced with dealing with PPI reclaims. Some lenders have been automatically turning down almost half of the PPI reclaim complaints they receive with others have been rejecting every single one. Of those customers who had their PPI reclaims rejected, 1 in 3 turned to the Financial Ombudsman Service for help and 80% had their complaints upheld. Such is the extent of the problem, last year the FSA instructed lenders to open up 185,000 rejected PPI reclaims and review them.

For claims comparison site, writeoffloan.com, the behaviour of the lenders is nothing new. “The new FSA rules are incredibly welcome, For years lenders have been mis-selling PPI insurance alongside loans to everyone they could. Often they knew the premiums to be unnecessary or that the customer would be unable to claim on the policy because they were exempt from doing so when they took them out. Sometimes they didn’t even bother telling the borrower they were adding a PPI premium. Customers had no idea they even had an insurance policy.”

The spokesperson added; “The numbers of people coming to us for help with PPI reclaims has risen dramatically over the last 12 months and some of the stories we are hearing are quite shocking. It’s quite obvious the lenders are banking on people being disillusioned and put off when they repeatedly reject their PPI reclaims. That’s why many people need a helping hand from companies like ours to deal with the tactics of these unscrupulous lenders who have simply instated a blanket ban on dealing with PPI reclaims regardless of the merit of the customer’s case. Luckily we understand PPI reclaim law and aren’t so easily put off by the tactics of lenders”.

The Competition Commission is also expected to announce a ban on selling PPI policies at the point when someone is granted a loan. Some lenders however have realised the game is up and have already stopped offering polices, including HSBC and Lloyds.

Via EPR Network
More Financial press releases