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COBS 14.2 Providing product information to clients1

Providing information about PRIIPs

COBS 14.2.-1 G
  1. (1)

    17The PRIIPs Regulation requires a person who advises on, or sells, a PRIIP to provide a retail investor (as defined in the PRIIPs Regulation) in the United Kingdom21 with the key information document for that PRIIP.

    [Note: article 13 of the PRIIPs Regulation]

  2. (2)

    Since the PRIIPs Regulation imposes 21requirements in relation to the provision of information about PRIIPs, this chapter does not apply to a firm when it is advising on, or selling, a PRIIP (except where applicable to Solvency II Directive information).

  3. (3)

    A firm that sells a life policy that is also a PRIIP must provide the information20 required by COBS 14.2.1R(2). Some or all of this information may be included in a key information document if this is required to be provided by, and such inclusion is permitted under, the PRIIPs Regulation.

The provision rules for products other than PRIIPs

COBS 14.2.1 R RP

1A firm that sells, or (where relevant) gives effect to22:

  1. (1)

    a non-PRIIP packaged product17 to a retail client, must provide a key features document and a key features illustration2 to that client (unless the packaged product is a unit in a regulated collective investment scheme17);

    777
  2. (2)

    a life policy to a client, must provide:20

    131313
    1. (a)

      the Solvency II Directive information to that client;20

    2. (b)

      a client with objective and relevant information about the policy:20

      1. (i)

        in a comprehensible form to allow the client to make an informed decision;20

      2. (ii)

        modulated in a way that takes into account the complexity of the policy and the type of client;20

      3. (iii)

        whether or not the firm makes a personal recommendation; and

      4. (iv)

        irrespective of whether the policy is offered as part of a package pursuant to COBS 6.1ZA.16AR to COBS 6.1ZA.16ER;

    3. (c)

      the information in (b) must be provided prior to the conclusion of the life policy and in accordance with COBS 7.4, rather than in accordance with the other rules in this section;20

  3. (3)

    the variation of a life policy or personal pension scheme to a retail client, must provide that client with sufficient information about the variation for the client to be able to understand the consequences of the variation;

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  4. (3A)

    [deleted]10

    410
  5. (3B)

    a retail client’s request to make income withdrawals from their personal pension scheme or stakeholder pension scheme for the first time must provide that retail client with:22

    61465
    1. (a)

      a key features illustration; and22

    2. (b)

      such other information as is necessary for the client to understand the consequences of the request;22

  6. (3C)

    a retail client's request to make22 one-off or regular uncrystallised funds pension lump sum payments from their personal pension scheme or stakeholder pension scheme for the first time must provide that client with:22

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    1. (a)

      a key features illustration; and22

    2. (b)

      such other information as is necessary for the client to understand the consequences of the request;22

  7. (3D)

    a retail client’s request to designate personal pension scheme or stakeholder pension scheme funds to enable the retail client to make income withdrawals must provide that client with:22

    1. (a)

      a key features illustration; and22

    2. (b)

      such other information as is necessary for the retail client to understand the consequences of the request;22

  8. (3E)

    a retail client’s request to make an income withdrawal subsequent to (3B) or uncrystallised funds pension lump sum payment subsequent to (3C) must provide:22

    1. (a)

      such information as is necessary for the client to understand the consequences of the request; and22

    2. (b)

      where relevant, the information required by COBS 13 Annex 2.2.9R (Additional requirements: drawdown pensions and regular uncrystallised funds pension lump sum payments); 22

  9. (3F)

    a retail client’s request for a short-term annuity must provide: 22

    1. (a)

      a key features illustration; and22

    2. (b)

      such other information as is necessary for the client to understand the consequences of the request; 22

  10. (4)

    a cash-deposit ISA, cash-only lifetime ISA16 or cash-deposit CTF to a retail client, must provide a key features document to that client;

  11. (4A)

    16a lifetime ISA, which is not a cash-only lifetime ISA, to a retail client must provide to that client the information in COBS 14 Annex 1;

  12. (5)

    [deleted]17

  13. (5A)

    a unit in a KII-compliant NURS must provide the following to a retail client:17

    1. (a)

      a copy of the scheme’s NURS-KII document and (unless already provided) the information required by COBS 13.3.1R(2) (General requirements); and 17

    2. (b)

      if that client is present in the United Kingdom21, enough information for the client to be able to make an informed decision about whether to hold the units in a wrapper (if the units will, or may, be held in that way);17

  14. (6)

    [deleted]7

    7
  15. (7)

    a unit in a UCITS scheme, or in an EEA UCITS scheme which is a recognised scheme, to a client, must:7

    1. (a)

      provide a copy of the scheme'skey investor information document or, as the case may be, EEA key investor information document to that client; and7

    2. (b)

      where the client is a retail client, provide separately (unless already provided) the information required by COBS 13.3.1R (2) (General requirements) and, if that client is present in the United Kingdom21, the information required by (5A)(b).17

      7
  16. (8)

    [deleted]17

    7

[Note: in respect of (2) article 185(1) of the Solvency II Directive and in respect of (2)(b) articles 20(1) first paragraph, 20(2), 20(4) and 23 of the IDD20]

13 13

[Note: in respect of (7),7 articles 17 and 807 of the UCITS Directive]

7 7 7
COBS 14.2.1-A G

23 24If a retail client is invested in a pathway investment and makes a request falling within COBS 14.2.1R(3B) or (3E), but which is clearly incompatible with the investment pathway option selected by the client under COBS 19.10.17R(1), this should be brought to the client’s attention.

Provision of key investor information document or NURS-KII document

COBS 14.2.1A R RP
  1. (1)

    7This rule applies to:17

    1. (a)

      an authorised fund manager of a UCITS scheme or a KII-compliant NURS that is either an authorised unit trust, authorised contractual scheme or an ICVC; and17

    2. (b)

      an ICVC that is a UCITS scheme or KII-compliant NURS.17

    12
  2. (2)

    An authorised fund manager and an ICVC in (1) that sells units in a UCITS scheme or a KII-compliant NURS17 directly, or through another natural or legal person who acts on its behalf and under its full and unconditional responsibility, must ensure that investors are provided with the key investor information document for the UCITS scheme or the NURS-KII document for the KII-compliant NURS17.

  3. (3)

    An authorised fund manager and an ICVC in (1) that does not sell units in a UCITS scheme or a KII-compliant NURS17 directly, or through another natural or legal person who acts on its behalf and under its full and unconditional responsibility, must ensure that the key investor information document for the UCITS scheme or the NURS-KII document for the KII-compliant NURS17 is provided on request to product manufacturers and intermediaries selling, or advising investors on, potential investments in those UCITS schemes or KII-compliant NURS17 or in products offering exposure to them.

  4. (4)

    The key investor information document or the NURS-KII document17 must be provided to investors free of charge.

  5. (5)

    An authorised fund manager and an ICVC in (1) may, instead of providing the key investor information document or NURS-KII document17 to investors in paper copy in accordance with (2), provide it in a durable medium other than paper or by means of a website that meets the website conditions, in which case the authorised fund manager and ICVC must:

    1. (a)

      deliver a paper copy of the key investor information document or NURS-KII document17 to the investor on request and free of charge; and

    2. (b)

      make available an up-to-date version of the key investor information document or NURS-KII document17 to investors on the website of the ICVC or authorised fund manager.

[Note: articles 80 and 81 of the UCITS Directive]

Provision of a generic key features illustration15

COBS 14.2.1B R RP

9When the rules in this chapter require the offer or provision of a key features illustration, a firm may provide a generic key features illustration if that generic key features illustration has been prepared in accordance with COBS 13.4.2 R.

Provision of information: other requirements15

COBS 14.2.1C R RP

9A firm that arranges to facilitate the payment of an adviser charge or consultancy charge17, or an increase in such a charge17 from an in-force packaged product, must provide to the retail client sufficient information for the retail client to be able to understand the likely effect of that facilitation.

COBS 14.2.1D G

17Where a firm arranges to facilitate the payment of an adviser charge or consultancy charge for a new non-PRIIP packaged product, the information required by COBS 14.2.1CR should be included in the key features illustration.

COBS 14.2.2 R RP

The documents or information required to be provided or offered by COBS 14.2.1 R and COBS 14.2.1C R9 must be in a durable medium or made available on a website (where that does not constitute a durable medium) that meets the website conditions.

9
COBS 14.2.3 R RP
  1. (1)

    A firm that personally recommends that a retail client holds a particular asset in a SIPP must provide that client with sufficient information for the client to be able to make an informed decision about whether to buy or invest.

  2. (2)

    This rule does not apply if the asset is described in COBS 14.2.1 R.

Firm not to cause confusion about the identity of the producer of a product

COBS 14.2.4 R RP

When a firm provides a document or information in accordance with the rules in this section, it must not do anything that might reasonably cause a retail client to be mistaken about the identity of the firm that has produced, or will produce, the product.

Exception to the provision rules: key features documents and key investor information documents7

COBS 14.2.5 R RP

A firm is not required to provide:

  1. (1)

    a document, if the firm produces the product and the rules in this section require another firm to provide the document;

  2. (2)

    [deleted]21

    2
  3. (3)

    [deleted]21

    131317
  4. (4)

    [deleted]17

[Note: in respect of (3), article 185(8) of the Solvency II Directive13]

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Exception: key features illustrations2

COBS 14.2.6 R RP

2A firm is not required to provide a key features illustration for a product if the information that would have been included in that illustration is included in the key features document provided to the client. 2

COBS 14.2.6A R

18A firm is not required to provide a key features illustration in relation to a pension annuity if the firm provides the information required by COBS 19.9 (Pension annuity comparison information).

Exception to the provision rules: key features documents and key features illustrations2

COBS 14.2.7 R RP

A firm is not required to provide a key features document or a key features illustration2for:

  1. (1)

    [deleted]17

  2. (2)

    a life policy if:

    13
    1. (a)

      [deleted]21

    2. (b)

      the client is habitually resident outside the United Kingdom and the sale is not by distance contract.

  3. (3)

    a traded life policy; or17

  4. (4)

    an interest in an investment trust savings scheme.17

[Note: in respect of (2), articles 4(1) and 16 of the Distance Marketing Directive and article 185 of the Solvency II Directive13]

13

Exception to the provision rules: key features documents and key features illustrations2

COBS 14.2.8 R RP

A firm is not required to provide a key features document or a key features illustration2, if:

  1. (1)

    the client is buying or investing in response to a direct offer financial promotion without receiving a personal recommendation to buy or invest; and

  2. (2)

    the firm provides materially the same information in some other way.

Exception to the provision rules: key features documents, key features illustrations, key investor information documents and NURS-KII documents27

COBS 14.2.9 R RP

A firm is not required to provide a key features document or17 a key features illustration17 if:

2
  1. (1)

    the client is habitually resident outside the United Kingdom21 and not present in the United Kingdom21 when the relevant application is signed; or

  2. (2)

    the purchase is by a discretionary investment manager on behalf of a retail client; or

  3. (3)

    the sale is arranged or personally recommended by an investment manager and the client has agreed that a key features document is not required.17

  4. (4)

    [deleted]17

COBS 14.2.9A R RP

7For the purposes of the provision rules in relation to a key investor information document or a NURS-KII document17, a firm:

  1. (1)

    may satisfy the requirement to provide the document to the investor by providing it to a person who has written authority to make investment decisions on that investor’s behalf; and

  2. (2)

    is not required to consider as a new transaction:

    1. (a)

      a subscription to units in a UCITS scheme,17 an EEA UCITS scheme or a KII-compliant NURS17 in which the client already holds units; or

    2. (b)

      a series of connected transactions undertaken as the consequence of a single investment decision; or

    3. (c)

      a decision by the client to switch from one class of units to another in the same scheme;

      if an up-to-date version of the key investor information document or NURS-KII document17 for the scheme or the relevant class of units has already been provided to that client.

[Note: article 80 of the UCITS Directive]

COBS 14.2.10 G RP
7
  1. (1)

    [deleted]17

    7
  2. (2)

    The FCA would regard a decision to subscribe to a regular monthly savings plan as a single investment decision for the purpose of COBS 14.2.9AR (2)(a). However, a subsequent decision by the client to increase the amount of the regular contributions to be invested in units of a particular scheme or to direct the contributions to a different scheme, would in each case constitute a new transaction.7

COBS 14.2.11 R RP

[deleted]17

Exception: successive operations

COBS 14.2.12 R RP

In the case of a distance contract comprising an initial service agreement, followed by successive operations or a series of separate operations of the same nature performed over time, the rules in this section only apply to the initial agreement.

COBS 14.2.13 R RP

If there is no initial service agreement but the successive operations or separate operations of the same nature performed over time are performed between the same contractual parties, the rules in this section only apply:

  1. (1)

    when the first operation is performed; and

  2. (2)

    if no operation of the same nature is performed for more than a year, when the next operation is performed (the next operation being deemed to be the first in a new series of operations).

The timing rules

COBS 14.2.14 R RP

When the rules in this section require a firm to:

  1. (1)

    [deleted]17

    7
  2. (2)

    provide a key features document17 or any other document or information to a client, the document or information must be provided free of charge and in good time before the firm carries on the relevant business; or7

    7
  3. (3)

    provide a key investor information document,17EEA key investor information document or NURS-KII document17 to a client, it must be provided in good time before the client's proposed subscription for units in the scheme.7

[Note: article 807 of the UCITS Directive]7

7 7

Exception to the timing rules: child trust funds

COBS 14.2.15 R RP

A key features document for an HMRC allocated CTF must be provided as soon as reasonably possible after the CTF has been opened.

Exception to the timing rules: distance contracts and voice telephony communications

COBS 14.2.16 R RP
7
  1. (1)

    A firm may provide a document, or the information required to be provided by the rules in this section, in a durable medium immediately after the conclusion of a distance contract, if the contract has been concluded at a client's request using a means of distance communication that does not enable the document or information to be provided in that form in good time before the client is bound by the contract.7

  2. (2)

    The exception in (1) does not apply in relation to the provision of an EEA key investor information document,17 a key investor information document or a NURS-KII document17 required to be provided under COBS 14.2.1 R and COBS 14.2.1A R.7

COBS 14.2.17 R RP
7
  1. (1)

    Where the rules in this section require a document or information to be provided, in the case of a voice telephony communication, a firm must:7

    7
    1. (a)

      if the client gives explicit consent to receiving only limited information, provide the abbreviated distance marketing disclosure information () orally to the client;7

    2. (b)

      if the client does not give explicit consent to only receiving limited information, and the parties wish to proceed by voice telephony communication, provide the distance marketing information () orally to the client;7

    3. (c)

      in the case of (a) or (b), send the documents or information to the client in a durable medium immediately after the contract is concluded.7

  2. (2)

    The exception in (1) does not apply in relation to the provision of an EEA key investor information document,17 a key investor information document or a NURS-KII document17 required to be provided under COBS 14.2.1 R and COBS 14.2.1A R.7

    7

Providing additional information to the client

COBS 14.2.18 G
  1. (1)

    19A firm that provides the product information required by this section is not precluded from providing additional information to the client (for example, in order to assist the client’s understanding of the proposed transaction).

  2. (2)

    When a firm provides additional information it should:

    1. (a)

      ensure that the additional information does not disguise, diminish or obscure important information contained in the product information required by this section;

    2. (b)

      consider whether any other rules or requirements in any EU-derived21 regulations apply to the communication of that additional information. For example, for marketing communications relating to a UCITS scheme21see COBS 4.13.2 R; and

    3. (c)

      have regard to the fair, clear and not misleading rule, the client’s best interests rule and Principles 6 and 7.