DWS, a German asset manager, has settled with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for $19 million. This settlement is over greenwashing allegations and is the SEC’s highest penalty related to environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria against an investment adviser. An additional $6 million penalty was imposed for anti-money laundering violations, totaling $25
In recent months, BETTER FINANCE members have received a large number of inquiries about the takeover of Crédit Suisse (CS) by UBS. Former CS shareholders consider the price of CHF 3 billion that UBS paid for Crédit Suisse in the form of treasury shares to be far too low. On the last trading day before
The recent ARTE documentary titled “The Future of our Pensions” explores how to make the EU pensions system more effective at providing adequate returns. This in-depth feature examines pension systems throughout the European Union and includes interviews with policymakers, scholars, stakeholders, and retirees to provide a comprehensive look at the current state of pensions in
KBC Against Small Savers? The CEO of the Belgian bank, KBC, has expressed criticism regarding the tax advantage granted to one-year government bonds. However, a more pressing concern lies in understanding why KBC, along with the majority of Belgian banks, offers less than 1% interest on savings for small one-year savers while being able to
BETTER FINANCE was quoted in a recent Reuters article on the ongoing discussion surrounding the European Union’s plans to enhance consumer protections in the financial services sector through its retail investment package. Notably, the EU aims to introduce ‘value for money’ safeguards as well as a ban on “inducements” for non-advised sales of investment products,
In a Financial Times article on the 24th of April 2023, BETTER FINANCE commented on the rise of self-directed investment and ETF savings plans in the EU. Neobrokers like Trade Republic, Scalable Capital, and Bux are driving the adoption of ETFs by European investors, offering lower costs, improved accessibility, and attracting new participants. BlackRock estimates
Today the appointment of Charles-Henri d’Auvigny as a member of the Board of the Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF) was announced. The Board is the highest governance body of the AMF, whose primary legal mission is the protection of savings. Charles-Henri d’Auvigny is President of the F2IC (Fédération des Investisseurs Individuels et des Clubs d’Investissement)
For its March Newsletter, DG FISMA (the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Financial Stability, Financial Services, and Capital Markets Union) interviewed Alin Iacob, the new chairman of the Financial Services User Group (FSUG), and Board Member of BETTER FINANCE. Alin Iacob is also the chairman of the Association of Romanian Financial Users (AURSF). In the interview,