When the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) published CP25/18 on 2 July 2025, it sent a clear signal to regulated firms: workplace culture is no longer a peripheral issue. According to Wordwatch, rather than treating conduct and behaviour as an internal HR concern, the regulator has positioned culture itself as a source of regulatory risk that can directly affect market...

Howden, a global insurance broking group, has agreed to acquire Atlantic Global Risk LLC, an independent transaction liability insurance broker focused on complex M&A and private equity risks in North America. The acquisition is designed to accelerate Howden’s expansion in the US retail broking market and to establish a global leader in transaction liability insurance. While the financial terms of the...

The UK’s AML framework has undergone meaningful change in 2025, with policymakers introducing new processes aimed at strengthening accountability, closing long-standing gaps, and improving how organisations manage financial crime risk. According to SmartSearch, these reforms reflect growing regulatory concern around complex ownership structures, evolving fraud typologies, and the role of technology in preventing illicit activity. For regulated firms, the message...

First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB), the UAE’s largest bank, and Mastercard, the global payments technology company, have launched a mobile-first virtual card number (VCN) solution for businesses in a first for the EEMEA region. The partnership aims to modernise corporate payments by responding to rising demand for digital, secure and contactless payment solutions among enterprises and government entities, according to...

The past year proved to be one of the most intense on record for threat intelligence teams operating across the financial crime landscape. Throughout 2025, investigators spent countless hours uncovering how fraud-as-a-service ecosystems are evolving, scaling, and professionalising at a pace that continues to outstrip traditional controls. According to Resistant AI, from document fraud marketplaces to “verified” account trading...

Banks operate in one of the most heavily regulated sectors globally, with compliance obligations touching almost every part of daily operations. As regulatory scrutiny intensifies and digital transformation accelerates, compliance software for banks has evolved from a back-office support tool into a core strategic capability, said Theta Lake. Institutions are now expected not only to meet regulatory requirements, but to demonstrate...

QNB Group, the largest financial institution in the Middle East and Africa, and Mastercard have announced a major expansion of their partnership following the granting of a Mastercard licence to QNB Group to extend its issuing and acquiring activities in Syria. The decision follows a memorandum of understanding signed in September between Mastercard and the Central Bank of Syria, which focused...

WAMID, the technology and innovation arm of Saudi Tadawul Group, has announced the launch of WAMID Analytics, a new suite of advanced market analytics solutions aimed at enhancing transparency, insight and efficiency across Saudi Arabian and global capital markets. WAMID Analytics has been developed in partnership with BMLL, a leading independent provider of harmonised Level 3, 2 and 1 historical...

STRAT7, a global tech-enabled strategy, insights and analytics group, has published new research revealing how artificial intelligence is influencing the financial decision-making of UK adults, particularly when it comes to investing and money management. According to the findings, the average amount invested by UK adults following AI-generated advice stands at £2,354.60. While younger generations are more likely to use AI...

Interactive Brokers, an automated global electronic broker and Nasdaq-listed financial services group, has revealed that both its individual and hedge fund clients outperformed the S&P 500 Index on average in 2025. The results published by the broker show that in 2025 its individual clients achieved an average return of 19.20%, compared with the 17.9% return delivered by the S&P 500...