Research Report – BETTER FINANCE’s report, “Enhancing Financial Health and Wealth in the EU,” explores strategies to boost retail investor participation in the European Union’s capital markets, which remains limited despite the growing availability of financial tools and services. The report identifies three key pillars—financial education, personalised financial advice, and digital tools—as essential to addressing
Executive Summary The global financial landscape is increasingly focusing on transition investing, a strategic approach to channelling capital towards aspiring sustainable economic activities. This paper provides an overview of the current state, challenges, and opportunities in transition investing, with a particular emphasis on European markets and retail investor perspectives. BETTER FINANCE also assesses transition finance
Was 2023 the year when European retail investors finally obtained the “fairer deal” that outgoing European Commissioner Mairead McGuinness had wished for them (McGuinness, 2023)? As far as long-term and pension products are concerned, this report presents mixed results. While we published the full 2024 edition of the pension report, here we will present the
Was 2023 the year when European retail investors finally obtained the “fairer deal” that outgoing European Commissioner Mairead McGuinness had wished for them (McGuinness, 2023)? As far as long-term and pension products are concerned, this report presents mixed results. While European capital markets performed strongly in 2023, helping many pension funds and life insurance companies
BETTER FINANCE supports the findings of a key report titled Unmasking Digital Deception: A Data-Driven Approach to Mapping and Combating Online Investment Fraud in Europe. This report highlights the alarming rise of online investment scams that target retail investors across the continent, driven by the rapid digital transformation of the financial sector. The expert team
The report by CFA Institute and BETTER FINANCE critically reviews the EU’s listing rules, targeting reforms to improve public market accessibility for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). It aims to foster debate amidst the review of the Listing Act by the European Commission (EC) and the final legislative process. Key highlights include: Decline in Listed
Neobrokers’ Inception Paper | Summary This paper delves into the business models of neobrokers and their implications for retail investors, highlighting the transformative role these digital platforms play in the financial markets. It underscores the benefits and challenges associated with neobrokers, emphasizing the need for continuous scrutiny and regulatory vigilance to safeguard investor interests and
For long‐term and pension savers, the year 2022 was undoubtedly a calamitous one. Poor capital market performance and sky‐rocketing inflation across all European Union (EU) Member States resulted in disastrous returns, both in nominal and real terms, for virtually all of the product categories analysed in this report. This comes after a year 2021 that
The Real Return of Long-term and Pension Savings 2023 – Austria The Real Return of Long-term and Pension Savings 2023 – Belgium The Real Return of Long-term and Pension Savings 2023 – Bulgaria The Real Return of Long-term and Pension Savings 2023 – Croatia The Real Return of Long-term and Pension Savings 2023 – Denmark
For long‐term and pension savers, the year 2022 was undoubtedly a calamitous one. Poor capital market performance and sky‐rocketing inflation across all European Union (EU) Member States resulted in disastrous returns, both in nominal and real terms, for virtually all of the product categories analysed in this report. This comes after a year 2021 that