Personal Account Dealing, Market Abuse and Insider Dealing eLearning Course

Personal Account Dealing refers to employees trading financial instruments (such as shares, bonds, derivatives, or funds) in their own personal accounts while working in a regulated firm. Because employees may have access to confidential or price-sensitive information, firms impose strict rules, such as pre-clearance, trading restrictions, and disclosure requirements - to prevent insider dealing, conflicts of interest, and market abuse.

Market abuse refers to illegal behavior that undermines the integrity and fairness of financial markets. It typically involves misuse of information or manipulation of market prices.

Insider dealing (also called insider trading) is the illegal practice of buying or selling shares or other securities using confidential, non-public information about a company.

Personal Account Dealing (PAD) training educates employees on the rules and restrictions around trading financial instruments in their own accounts. It helps staff understand when personal trades may create conflicts of interest, breach internal policies, or violate regulatory requirements such as the FCA’s Conduct of Business Sourcebook (COBS).

Insider dealing training teaches employees how to identify inside information, understand when trading on such information becomes illegal, and recognise red flags that could expose the firm to regulatory scrutiny. The training ensures staff comply with the UK Market Abuse Regulation (MAR) and the firm’s internal insider-trading controls.

Because firms are legally required to prevent market abuse and insider dealing, this course helps ensure employees understand their obligations, reducing regulatory, financial, and reputational risk.

Firms often struggle with PAD compliance when employees lack a clear understanding of what the rules require, fail to complete certifications and attestations, or are not adequately trained on how to identify and manage insider-information risks.  

Challenges also arise when staff rely on “ignorance” as an excuse, do not report suspicious activity, or intentionally bypass pre-clearance and reporting requirements. These gaps create serious exposure for firms, increasing the likelihood of fines, criminal sanctions, regulatory action, and reputational harm. Strengthening awareness through structured training is essential to prevent such breaches.

The FCA expects firms to clearly understand the PAD risks within their business, set out robust policies and processes, and build a culture where following PAD rules is standard behaviour. Firms should ensure every relevant employee knows the restrictions on personal trading, promptly reports their transactions, and that any outsourced service providers maintain accurate records that can be supplied on request. Above all, firms must keep proper records of all personal trades and take appropriate action when breaches occur, including investigation and disciplinary measures where necessary. 

The FCA expects regulated firms to provide regular, role-appropriate training that helps employees understand different forms of market abuse, how to detect suspicious behaviour, and how to escalate concerns. Training must cover topics such as insider dealing, unlawful disclosure, market manipulation, and the firm’s reporting obligations under MAR, including STOR (Suspicious Transaction and Order Report) requirements.

Under the Market Abuse Regulation (MAR), insider dealing occurs when a person possesses inside information and uses it to buy or sell financial instruments, attempts to trade, or recommends/induces others to trade based on that information. It also includes cancelling or amending orders that were placed before obtaining the inside information.

Anyone who handles confidential information, executes trades, researches markets, works in investment/portfolio roles, or is covered by your firm’s PAD policy - including contractors, analysts, managers, and senior leadership.

The module aligns with global regulations (UK MAR, EU MAR, US SEC rules) and demonstrates that your firm has taken “reasonable steps” to educate employees, a key factor regulators consider during investigations. 

Yes. It reinforces employee understanding of PAD rules, pre-clearance, holding periods, reporting obligations, restricted lists, and the consequences of unauthorised personal trading.

By helping employees identify inside information, avoid unlawful disclosure, understand trading restrictions, and follow proper controls thus lowering the chance of misconduct or accidental breaches.

Firms may face heavy fines, licence restrictions, loss of investor trust, litigation, regulatory investigations, and reputational damage, even if misconduct is unintentional.

The course provides a global overview, including UK MAR, EU MAR, U.S. SEC rules, and examples from multiple jurisdictions, making it suitable for multinational orgs. 

Through scenario-based examples that show how MNPI (Material Non-Public Information) appears in real-world contexts such as IPOs, mergers, financial results, and major business developments. 

Yes. Learners see real company penalties and insider-dealing cases, which highlight the serious consequences of non-compliance for both employees and employers.

Absolutely! Your firm’s PAD rules, approval workflows, restricted lists, policies, and escalation steps can be embedded directly into the training. 

It provides documented evidence of employee understanding, crucial during regulatory audits or investigations into suspected market abuse.

Annual or bi-annual refreshers are recommended, especially for staff with access to MNPI or those working in trading, research, deal teams, or compliance-sensitive roles.

Even accidental breaches can trigger regulatory action. The course teaches employees how to identify red flags early and follow correct procedures before trading or sharing information. 

By fostering awareness, consistent decision-making, responsible conduct, and a proactive understanding of risks, helping build a culture where employees think before they act. 

The delivery is fully flexible. If you have an in-house LMS, we can provide the course as a SCORM-compliant package. If not, we offer a seamless SaaS-based hosting option for easy access and deployment.