Brokers / Retail Intermediaries

A broker / retail intermediary is a regulated firm that engages in intermediation activities relating to certain financial products and/or provides advice in relation to those products and can be:

Industry Notices

Retail Intermediary Authorisations Webinar - Completing an Application Form for Authorisation as a Retail Intermediary - B Form

The Retail Intermediaries Authorisations Team will be hosting a webinar on 6 December 2023 at 10.00am. The purpose of the webinar is to provide applicants with a better understanding of the requirements of the retail intermediary authorisation process, provide some helpful tips for completing an Application Form for Authorisation as a Retail Intermediary - B Form, and to flag some common issues that can delay the progress of an application, for example poor referencing, inadequate evidence of appropriate governance, staffing and/or the location of the mind and management of a firm.

Any applicant interested in attending the webinar should email their contact details to [email protected].

Mortgage Intermediary Renewals under the European Union (Consumer Mortgage Credit Agreements) Regulations 2016 (CMCAR) and/or under the Consumer Credit Act, 1995 (CCA)

The Central Bank issues reminders to firms whose mortgage licence has an expiry date, nine months before the license is due to expire. A further reminder is sent to relevant firms six months before the license is due to expire. Some firms delay the submission of their application for authorisation under the CMCAR and/or CCA and do not leave sufficient time for the application to be assessed. This can result in the firm being unable to engage in mortgage intermediary/mortgage credit intermediary activities until such time as an authorisation is granted.

The Central Bank is seeking to address this issue, by offering firms whose mortgage licence has an expiry date, an opportunity to submit an application for authorisation at an earlier point. As part of the process, the Central Bank intends to host a webinar specifically for firms seeking to renew their mortgage license.

The Central Bank is now seeking expressions of interest from firms who wish to participate in this initiative, which aims to replace those authorisations with an ‘evergreen’ authorisation. To register your interest please email the [email protected] mailbox by 30 November 2023. Please include the firm’s full legal name and C number.

If a firm is unsure as to whether their authorisation has an expiry date, they should check their authorisation certificate or the relevant register on the Central Bank website to clarify this.

The Central Bank will continue to issue a notification to firm’s whose licence is due to expire, at the  times mentioned above.

Handbook of Prudential Requirements for Investment Intermediaries

This Handbook is effective from 1 October 2014 and replaces the Handbook of Prudential Requirements for Authorised Advisors and Restricted Intermediaries introduced in July 2006.

Newsletter

The Brokers/Retail Intermediaries section of the Bank is now publishing a newsletter entitled Intermediary Times three times a year. It will contain news, useful information on regulatory issues, and highlight recently-published documents of interest. Read more about the Intermediary Times.

Report on the Retail Intermediary Sector in Ireland

The Report on the Retail Intermediary Sector in Ireland, published on 28 February 2013, is now available to view here: Report on Retail Intermediary Sector in Ireland - February 2013.

Retail Intermediary Roadshow

The Presentations from the Retail Intermediary Roadshows are available to view: Retail Intermediaries Roadshows

Annual Online Return

Annual Online Return - To allow the Central Bank of Ireland to carry out its supervisory functions, all broker/intermediary firms are requested to submit an Annual Online Return. This section provides guidance for firms who are completing their return.

Useful Information

Authorisation - Under the provisions of the above legislation, firms are required to apply to the Central Bank of Ireland for authorisation or registration. It is an offence to engage in insurance/investment/mortgage intermediation without authorisation or registration. As well as completing an application form, applicants must complete an online Individual Questionnaire (IQ) to comply with Fitness and Probity requirements. Industry Funding Levy - All authorised firms must pay an annual industry levy to the Central Bank of Ireland.

Changes/amendments after Authorisation - Firms must inform the Central Bank of Ireland about any changes or amendments that may affect their authorisation e.g. change of address / trading name / Director or shareholding etc.

Reporting Requirements - In addition to completing an annual online return, please refer to the additional reporting requirements that your firm may be required to comply with.

Codes of Conduct and Regulatory Guidance - For further information on our Codes of Conduct and the regulatory requirements you are required to comply with.

Revocation - If you are considering cancelling your authorisation or registration, you will need to provide at least two months' notice to affected consumers to enable them to make alternative arrangements and to follow the voluntary revocation process.

Registers - If you wish to check if a firm is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland .Complaints against a financial services provider are handled by the Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman (FSPO) and not the Central Bank of Ireland.