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Financial Services

The recent crises in financial markets have had hugely damaging economic effects and have called all aspects of financial regulation and monetary policy into review.

Well-informed economic analysis is essential in designing appropriate regulatory frameworks, and in providing insight to financial services firms.

Types of Study

We use a mix of quantitative and qualitative methods to deliver clear and focused advice to our clients.

Our experience ranges from a powerful critique of the draft Alternative Investment Fund Managers Directive for the Economic and Financial Affairs Committee of the European Parliament to a study developing indicators of consumer detriment from personal investment firms for the UK’s FSA; and from a market study of retail non-life insurance in Europe for the European Commission’s DG MARKT to exploring the implications of change in trading terms for the London Metals Exchange.

We are currently working with DG MARKT of the European Commission on its review of the MiFID.  We have developed quantitative and qualitative cost-benefit analysis of the possible impacts arising from the proposals for change.  MiFID is very wide-ranging in scope, including provisions that

The City of London published our study in late summer 2011 on the value of Europe's international financial centres to the EU economy. The report demonstrates that the activities of international financial centres are not socially useless (or even socially destructive) and that financial sector innovations are generally not destructive. International financial centres produce and contribute towards a whole host of socially useful functions that households, businesses and governments benefit from.

We are working for another client on the drivers of different models of distribution in insurance: considering the roles of consumer preferences, regulatory and technological initiative and relative profitability.  This work will continue into 2012.

Our clients are both public sector policy-making organisations, and private sector companies and associations. They have included the European Commission, the Financial Services Authority, the European Parliament, the City of London, the London Metal Exchange and the Irish Competition Authority.

Our Experts

Our team in this field includes:  Andrew Lilico, Ross Dawkins, Stefano Ficco, Geoffrey Wood and Derek Scott.

Primary contacts: Andrew Lilico, Ross Dawkins.