Extreme divergences between platforms and investor profiles in terms of asset allocation and expected returns reveal significant deficiencies in the suitability of the algorithms’ investment recommendations. From virtual meetings and parties to shopping and dating online, people have en masse moved countless aspects of their lives into the virtual sphere due to restrictions imposed by
BETTER FINANCE continued its research series into Robo advice with this sixth annual edition, mapping start-up platforms that provide Robo-advisory and investing services, and analysing their user-friendliness, transparency, costs, portfolio composition, the suitability of their recommendations, and sustainability (through mystery shopping). This year the research team selected 18 platforms providing investment advice in 11 countries
The EU offers pre-contractual information to non-professional investors before purchasing its investment products. Since 2018, the same Key Information Document (KID) has been used for these Packaged Retail and Insurance-based Products (PRIIPs). The European Commission asked the European Supervisory Authorities (ESAs) to survey the different stakeholders, beneficiaries, and issuers of the PRIIPs KID. The objective of this survey is to know
BETTER FINANCE is pleased to announce the affiliation of two new associate member organisations. The Finnish Foundation for Share Promotion (Pörssisäätiö), based in Helsinki, and Financial Inclusion Europe (FiInE), based in Brussels, are the latest organisations to join BETTER FINANCE’s ranks, bringing the total number of member organisations to 39, of which 29 are based
Available data and evidence show significant increases in the trading and investing activity of EU households, sparked by a new wave of young, previously inactive, non-professional investors. Many EU retail investors increased their exposure to listed equities and started to invest via execution-only services (brokerage accounts). Besides flattening the illiquidity curve during the period of
BETTER FINANCE presents its Evidence Paper on Banning Inducements in retail investment services. BETTER FINANCE screened available evidence (literature, surveys, experiments, and data) on the effects of allowing vs banning the receipt of inducements by distributors of retail investment services and products. Inducements designate remunerations, such as commissions or kickbacks, paid by third-party financial firms to
In June 2021, the German Association of Insured (BdV), together with the analyst Carsten Zielke and the European consumer organisation BETTER FINANCE, presented the results of their analysis of the current SFCR (Solvency and Financial Condition Report) of selected European life-insurers. Following up on this, BETTER FINANCE and BdV discussed their methodological approach, the interpretation
More than a year after the entry into force of the revised Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (MiFID II) and of the Regulation on Key Information Document for Packaged Retail and Insurance-based Investment Products (PRIIPs KID), BETTER FINANCE sought the views and experience of its member associations and their individual members on the effectiveness of
The Real Return 2021 – Austria The Real Return 2021 – Belgium The Real Return 2021 – Bulgaria The Real Return 2021 – Croatia The Real Return 2021 – Denmark The Real Return 2021 – Estonia The Real Return 2021 – France The Real Return 2021 – Germany The Real Return 2021 – Italy The
For the ninth year in a row, BETTER FINANCE embarked on the herculean task of gathering all the data on long-term and pension savings in 17 EU Member States and published its annual report on the real net returns of long-term and retirement savings. Unfortunately, the “Real Return of Long-Term and Pension Savings” Report remains