The “naughty corner” for miscreant banks and other wealth management institutions is getting crowded and also highlights why compliance is such a major spending and recruitment issue for firms these days. Charges of interbank rate fixing, lax anti-money laundering controls and questionable pricing policies have been levelled - and in some cases punished heavily.

Editor's note: This item has been updated for the HSBC case.

The “naughty corner” for miscreant banks and other wealth management institutions is getting crowded and also highlights why compliance is such a major spending and recruitment issue for firms these days. Charges of interbank rate fixing, lax anti-money laundering controls and questionable pricing policies have been levelled - and in some cases punished heavily.

Some of the failings that have been punished, such as Barclays’ misbehaviour over the interbank interest rate rigging affair, go back several years and as of the time of writing, firms have moved, or say they have done so, to clean up their act. Some firms making the headlines recently, most obviously HSBC (anti-money laundering) and Barclays (LIBOR rigging) are aware of the work they must embark upon to improve their reputation. These firms must engage as openly as they can with clients (and for that matter, constructive critics such as this publication). In the case of Barclays, for example, it has recruited top talent such as former UK Financial Services Authority chief executive Hector Sants to head up its efforts to improve compliance. Other banks have added to risk management teams in recent months, and no doubt will continue to do so.

By way of a guide to some of the problems that have hit these firms, here is a summary of the main institutions. Not all of the cases mentioned are complete and could be subject to further action. In the case of JP Morgan, the loss is not necessarily the result of any wrongdoing. The summary here is in no way a comment by this publication as to the specific responsibility of the firms concerned.

We also invite readers who want to comment on what is being done to improve compliance to share their thoughts with us at this publication, and they can email the editor at tom.burroughes@wealthbriefing.com

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