Our services financial regulations

Banking and insurance regulation, tariff law, cartel regulations and obtaining a majority share during takeovers can take their toll on business workflows. Experts at PwC support banks, financial services institutions, insurance and investment companies in meeting all regulatory guidelines.

Innovative equity and financial products, company takeovers and outsourcing are just a few of the areas covered in the banking and insurance sector. PwC's staff have become expert at doing everything that is legally possible to realise the full potential of these transactions. When banks and insurance companies are planning projects, PwC's specialists carefully analyse them from a regulatory perspective and then suggest various solutions. These services range from providing help with the license application to assistance with company takeovers. The following is a selection from the PwC's network's comprehensive experience:

Going international

German institutions that want to become internationally active - whether inside or outside of the European Economic Area - must comply with both German and local regulations. There may be differences in the effects and interpretation of the two, but both sets of regulations must be complied with. PwC's global network is there to support businesses in doing this - by providing experts to businesses wherever they are located.

Growth market investment funds

PwC's main activities are advisory services and provision of expert opinions, regarding the set up restructuring (mergers, outsourcing, using a master investment management company or Master KAG, etc.) and liquidation of public and special funds and reliability testing of various asset classes and innovative financial products. PwC's experts also support financial institutions in obtaining accreditation for foreign funds and ensuring ongoing compliance with all regulations for foreign UCITS (Undertakings for Collective Investment in Transferable Securities) and Non-UCITS funds (particularly hedge funds and private equity funds). PwC's advisory service on legislative and regulatory guidelines includes open and closed real estate funds and real estate investment trusts (REITs).

Equity/solvency requirements

They also draw up sample accounts showing the quantitative effects and investigate existing processes and controls - particularly in the area of risk management. A target-performance analysis is conducted using a database tool and is key in enabling our staff to address any unresolved issues in the project plan. They also provide support in its design, implementation and quality assurance as well as during the self-assessment required by the Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin). PwC also promotes exchange of specialist knowledge, undertakes project management and interfaces with other areas such as conversion to international financial reporting standards (IFRS). In the final stage of the project PwC's experts assist with the approval audit of the internal rating system by the Financial Supervisory Authority. 

What does corporate governance involve for a company's supervisory board?

Increasingly, new rules on corporate governance are affecting non-listed companies as well, and their supervisory boards must take this into account. What does this mean in practice? What liability does a board member actually have? What are his rights and responsibilities? PwC's specialists discuss and answer precisely these questions through seminars and individually tailored workshops for supervisory boards.

Securities trading

Expertise in compliance issues cannot be provided off the shelf.

We offer solutions that emphasise issues of investor protection and the integrity of capital markets at national and international level. PwC's experts ensure that businesses meet current requirements and are kept up-to-date with the rapidly changing legal situation, for example the EU Directive on Markets in Financial Instruments (MiFID).

Money laundering and fraud prevention

Our team consists of experienced risk specialists such as auditors, legal advisors and economic informatics experts, and also includes former police detectives, public prosecutors and corporate crime experts. Working together, they prepare risk analyses which inform clients' strategies to prevent fraud and money-laundering and to be alert to it early on. PwC's specialists review processes and make a substantiated assessment of the prevention measures in place to protect both assets and reputation, avoid legal penalties and increase public confidence in the company.

Benefiting from US withholding tax

A dual taxation agreement can have advantages: US citizens may be able to avoid payments by filing the appropriate tax declaration. The US tax authorities have given various opportunities to foreign banks and PwC's advisory services aim to present the advantages and disadvantages of each option for the client and to develop proposals on how to implement them correctly.