FSA to consider what something might mean, if anything
Jan 22nd, 2008 by handolio
I’m still a bit perplexed by this BBC article. I picked up on it earlier when researching personal finance stories, and ended up writing about it for a client.
The thing is, the BBC seems quite sure that the FSA “is to examine the rules governing websites that compare insurance products”. And, at the time of writing, the article continues: “The move comes after the British Insurance Brokers’ Association (Biba) asked the FSA to tighten such rules.”
The Beeb’s picture caption even reads “The FSA probe is expected to cover general insurance policies”, but I couldn’t find any mention of it on the FSA site. Nobody else seemed to be reporting it, so I checked with the FSA who told me:
We have looked at this issue in the past, but decided that no action was needed in this area. However we are considering what BIBA’s research has found and will consider what this might mean, if anything, for how we approach this going forward.
I’d be interested to know whether the journalist heard something that lead them to think the FSA would definitely act, or whether they just had a moment.
One thing’s for sure, though: their version makes for a better headline.
The Times has picked up the story, too. Apparently it’s a policy U-turn.