Canada’s Ombudsman for Banking Services and Investments registers 5% rise in cases in FY 2018

Maria Nikolova

Investment complaints decreased from 351 cases opened in 2017 to 345 in 2018.

Canada’s Ombudsman for Banking Services and Investments (OBSI) has posted its latest newsletter providing some insights into its work during fiscal year 2018.

In 2018, OBSI registered a 5% increase in cases opened, from 721 in 2017 to 760 in 2018. Investment complaints decreased from 351 cases opened in 2017 to 345 in 2018. Banking cases opened continued a multi-year trend, increasing from 370 in 2017 to 415 in 2018, up 12% year over year.

Compared to 2017, there were decreases reported in the top investment issues in 2018 in all categories except incomplete/inaccurate disclosure, which rose 17%. Cases related to suitability of margin or leverage decreased 39% compared to 2017.

Ontario remains the province producing the greatest number of complaints despite a decrease of 6% in cases opened. Cases opened in the Western provinces rose by 19%. Cases in Quebec and the Atlantic provinces were relatively flat. International cases increased to 23 in 2018, up from 10 in 2017.

Let’s recall that, in a Bulletin published in August, OBSI warned that binary options present a systemic risk.

OBSI said it had received numerous complaints from investors who used their credit card to purchase binary options. These investors later disputed credit card charges related to these transactions. They believed that because they did not receive the promised services (such as the ability to withdraw their investment capital) that the issuing credit card company should allow a chargeback or reversal of the charge. The Ombudsman found that the banks involved were not at fault for the failure of the chargeback request because they followed the normal chargeback policies and procedures.

Later, OBSI provided clarification on how it handles credit card chargeback cases. Let’s note that during fiscal year 2018, OBSI registered a 46% rise in issues related to chargebacks compared to 2017.

Read this next

Retail FX

Banxso announces 8.7% interest rate on deposits in South Africa

“With Banxso, they can enjoy the benefits of both worlds – earning competitive interest and having the freedom to trade, all within the same platform.”

Industry News

FINRA to publish transaction details in U.S. Treasury securities

“Consistent with our longstanding practice, FINRA is introducing greater transparency in a calibrated and careful manner, benefiting liquidity and resilience in this critical market while also mitigating potential information leakage concerns.”

Institutional FX

OpenYield launches “cheap and easy” fixed income trading for brokers

“We’re on a mission to make bonds cheap and easy to trade, and are excited about the opportunity to build generational capital markets infrastructure.”

Digital Assets

Sumsub and Mercuryo publish a guide for VASPs: “Mastering Travel Rule Compliance”

“At Sumsub, we’ve concentrated our efforts on filling the gap in understanding the complexity of Travel Rule regulation and helping organizations find the best solution to stay safe and compliant while minimizing costs and avoiding potential risks of non-compliance. This guide we created with Mercuryo, our trusted partner, is the ultimate navigation tool all VASPs can consult.”

Digital Assets

Bitget Wallet Leads with Record Swap Volume & New Crypto Innovations

This week, Bitget Wallet achieved a milestone by surpassing Metamask with a record 388,757 Swap order transactions, securing the global lead. The significant 7-day trading volume, almost 68,000 more than its rival, underscores its liquidity and user trust. This robust activity signals Bitget Wallet’s prominent role and reliability in the dynamic crypto market.

Digital Assets

Embarking on a Digital Currency Journey

Imagine you’ve stumbled upon a treasure map, leading you to untold riches hidden in the vastness of the internet. Instead of gold coins and jewel-encrusted goblets, this treasure comes in the form of digital currencies, the modern-day loot coveted by many.

Reviews

Traders Union Experts Share The Trading Analyst Review For 2024

Navigating options trading in rapidly shifting markets poses a considerable challenge. This is where options trading alert services become invaluable. They aid traders in keeping abreast of evolving opportunities and market trends. In this assessment, Traders Union experts scrutinize The Trading Analyst alert service to ascertain its efficacy. 

Digital Assets

BlockDAG’s Presale Achieves $9.9M: Aiming For A 5000-Fold ROI As Cardano’s Price Rises And Fantom Launches Sonic

Explore Cardano’s surge, Sonic’s efficiency, and why BlockDAG’s growth makes it the top crypto choice. A deep dive into the future of blockchain investments.

Digital Assets

US, UK probe $20 billion Tether transfers tied to Russian exchange.

U.S. and UK authorities are investigating the movement of $20 billion in the USD-pegged stablecoin tether (USDT) through Moscow-based exchange Garantex.

<