The Financial Services Authority is planning a series of workshops in November and December to help dealers prepare for the new rules on the sale of insurance-related products from January 14, 2005.

Dates and venues will be announced next month. The FSA will also be producing fact sheets at the end of September on how it will approach certain types of rule breaches. As a result of the new regime, the General Insurance Standards Council’s regulatory activities will cease in January.

In the switch from voluntary to statutory regulation, the Financial Ombudsman Service will have jurisdiction over all firms authorised by the FSA. It has invited mortgage and insurance intermediaries, including automotive retailers, to attend a free series of informal question and answer sessions. These are to be held from 10.50am at:

  • October 5 – Moat House, Peterborough PE3 6SG
  • October 12 – Hall Garth Club, Darlington DL1 3LU
  • October 20 – Lakes Court Hotel, Carlisle CA1 1QY
  • October 27 – Plymouth Hoe Moat House, Plymouth PL1 2HJ
  • November 3 – Apex European Hotel, Edinburgh EH12 5LQ
  • November 10 – Holiday Inn, Barnwood GL4 3RX
  • November 16 – Britannia Hotel, Coventry CV1 5RP
  • November 24 – Croydon Park Hotel, Croydon CR9 5AA
  • December 1 – The Queen Hotel, Chester CH1 3AH
  • December 8 – Marriott Hotel, Sheffield S7 1NG
  • December 15 – The Randolph Hotel, Oxford OX1 2LN.