BETTER FINANCE Position Paper on the EU Retail Investment Strategy (executive summary)

The European Federation of investors and Financial Services Users fully supports the clear stated objectives of the European Union’s very welcome “Retail Investor Strategy”. ENSURE A LEVEL PLAYING FIELD IN ...
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BETTER FINANCE Applauds and Supports Proposed Ban on Sales Commissions Paid to Retail Distributors of Investment Products

BETTER FINANCE considers the recent proposal to ban “inducements” (commissions) in “retail” investment services to be a very significant milestone in investor protection and firmly urges EU Member States to ...
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Letter to Commissioner McGuinness: “Towards “Bias-Free Advice” for Retail Investors”

On 27 July 2022 BETTER FINANCE wrote to Commissioner McGuinness to stress the importance of individual investors' access to bias-free advice for the success of the Capital Markets Union and ...
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BETTER FINANCE response to the EU Commission Consultation on the New EU System for the avoidance of double taxation in the field of withholding taxes

Individual, non-professional (“retail”) investors are significantly demotivated or hampered from investing cross-border within the EU due to:
  • The widespread de facto double taxation of investment income within the “Single ...
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ESMA Report Confirms BETTER FINANCE Findings of Investor Detriment through “Fixed Fee Splits” in Securities Lending

A report published on Tuesday 31 May 2022 by the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA), confirms BETTER FINANCE’s findings that fund managers often don’t seem to act in the ...
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Securities Lending: Income Attribution & Conflicts of Interests in EU Retail Investment Funds

In 2021, the total income generated by securities lending operations globally stood at €7.8 billion, up by 21% compared to 2020. The majority of operations and lenders are outside the ...
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The New Investing Environment for Retail Investors | Expectations and Challenges Ahead

BETTER FINANCE published a report in support of its response to the EC Consultation on the EU Strategy for Retail Investors, illustrating the current state of affairs, detailing how to ...
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Retail Investing Surge Cushions Economic Downturn and Calls for Adequate Reforms

Over the last two years, health-related restrictions and economic shutdowns had unforeseen effects on European capital markets. An increase in disposable income available for EU households to invest, and at ...
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Last chance for Member States to support EU citizens as investors and finally ban Payment for Order Flow (PFOF)

Member States have until 31 May to actively support transparent, efficient, and accessible equity markets for retail investors and submit their written comments to the French Presidency working on the ...
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