Objectives:

Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to:

• Analyze the fundamental principles and historical development of **consumer financial protection** globally and nationally.
• Identify and differentiate the mandates and enforcement powers of key regulatory bodies (e.g., central banks, specialized consumer protection agencies).
• Evaluate the specific legal and regulatory requirements applicable to various financial products, including lending, deposits, payments, and insurance.
• Assess the impact of international standards and regional agreements on domestic consumer protection frameworks.
• Develop strategies for integrating consumer protection considerations into the design and delivery of financial services.
• Examine the role of supervisory technology (**SupTech**) in enhancing regulatory oversight of consumer protection compliance.
• Analyze the regulatory response to emerging consumer risks in the context of **digital financial services (DFS)** and Big Data.
• Interpret and apply key legislative instruments that govern market conduct and consumer disclosure requirements.

• Compliance Officers and Managers in Financial Institutions
• Regulatory Analysts and Policy Makers from Central Banks and Supervisory Authorities
• Internal Auditors and Risk Management Professionals
• Legal Counsel specializing in Financial Services Law
• Consumer Protection Advocates and NGO Staff
• FinTech Innovators and Legal/Compliance Teams
• Senior Executives responsible for Market Conduct and Ethics
• Government Officials involved in Financial Sector Development

• Case Studies analyzing major regulatory enforcement actions.
• Group Activities on designing compliant product disclosure statements.
• Discussions on balancing innovation with consumer protection safeguards.
• Individual Exercises applying UDAAP/Market Conduct principles to real-world scenarios.
• Role-playing supervisory dialogues with financial institutions.
• Expert Q&A on legislative interpretation.

Unit 1: Foundations of Consumer Financial Protection

• Evolution of Consumer Protection Laws and the role of financial crises.
• Defining the consumer financial protection mandate and its economic rationale.
• Core principles: Fairness, transparency, disclosure, and redress mechanisms.
• Balancing financial stability, integrity, and consumer protection objectives.

• Overview of international standard-setters (e.g., OECD, G20, World Bank).
• Analysis of the World Bank Good Practices for Consumer Protection.
• Regional frameworks (e.g., EU, ASEAN, COMESA) and cross-border issues.
• Case studies of effective and challenging regulatory regimes.

Unit 2: Key Legislation and Regulatory Bodies

• Structure and jurisdiction of specialized consumer protection agencies.
• The role of Central Banks and integrated regulators in market conduct.
• Analyzing the primary legislation governing consumer credit and fair lending.
• Understanding the powers of investigation, enforcement, and remedy.

• Regulation of deposit accounts, terms, and fee transparency.
• Consumer protection in the insurance sector (solvency vs. conduct).
• Rules governing payment systems and e-money services.
• Mortgage and secured lending disclosure and sales practices.

Unit 3: Market Conduct and Disclosure Standards

• Mandatory disclosure requirements: The "Know Your Customer" of products.
• Effective design of key fact statements and product summaries.
• Truth in advertising and marketing rules for financial services.
• The legal concept of informed consent and its practical application.

Unit 4: Digitalization and Emerging Risks

• Regulating mobile money, agent networks, and FinTech platforms.
• Addressing algorithmic bias and fairness in credit scoring and pricing.
• Data privacy, security standards, and open banking protocols.
• Cybersecurity risks and consumer liability in digital transactions.

• The regulatory approach to innovation: Sandboxes and Proportionality.
• Supervisory Technology (SupTech) for monitoring market conduct.
• Consumer protection challenges related to crypto-assets and NFTs.
• Financial literacy and its role as a regulatory tool.

Unit 5: Enforcement, Redress, and Supervisory Mechanisms

• Designing an effective Market Conduct Supervisory Framework.
• On-site and off-site supervision techniques for consumer protection.
• Risk-based supervision and identifying high-risk practices.
• The role of internal audit in consumer compliance monitoring.

• Establishing and managing effective Internal Complaint Handling Mechanisms.
• Role of Financial Ombudsmen and Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) schemes.
• Regulatory enforcement actions, penalties, and remedial orders.
• Case studies on major consumer protection litigation and outcomes.