+32 25 14 37 77


image
Gateway to
Responsible Investing

Publications

publications-policy-research-better-finance
Search Our Publications

Our Research & Policy Aim

As a public interest organisation, BETTER FINANCE is committed to advancing the interests of individual investors and users of financial services throughout the European Union.

Our Goal

Our goal is to promote transparency, long-term value, and consumer protection in financial markets, ensuring that retail investors have a strong voice in policy discussions.

Our Approach

Working collaboratively with our member organisations, BETTER FINANCE undertakes rigorous analysis and research, engages in stakeholder consultations, and solicits expert contributions, resulting in well-informed, data-driven policy recommendations.

This approach ensures that EU financial regulations align with the interests of European citizens.

Explore Our Full Library of Publications

Financial Advice in the EU | ​Mapping the Rules Protecting Individual Investors

As announced in the Communication on the Savings and Investments Union (SIU)1,  the European Commission aims to give European citizens broader access to capital markets and companies better financing options. This renewed policy agenda builds on the still incomplete Banking Union (BU) but also, ...
Read More
/ Research papers, Capital Markets Union (CMU), Product governance & disclosures, Retail Investment Strategy

BETTER FINANCE Welcomes ESMA Report Showing ‘Free’ Advice Drains Nearly Half of Investor Fees, Eroding EU Retirement Savings

BETTER FINANCE welcomes ESMA’s recent publication of its groundbreaking report on “Total Costs of Investing in UCITS and AIFs”. The report sheds critical light on the true extent of the ...
Read More
/ Press Releases, Product governance & disclosures, Retail Investment Strategy, Supervision & Redress

BETTER FINANCE calls for structural reform to deliver a truly investor-centric retail journey

Following the European Securities and Markets Authority’s (ESMA) initiative to map the “retail investor journey”, BETTER FINANCE welcomes this timely step towards putting citizens at the heart of capital markets ...
Read More
/ Press Releases, Capital Markets (equity & bonds), Capital Markets Union (CMU), Digital Finance, Life Insurance & Pensions, Packaged Investment Products, Product governance & disclosures, Retail Investment Strategy, Savings and Investment Union

BETTER FINANCE Response to ESMA Consultation on the Retail Investor Journey

BETTER FINANCE welcomes ESMA’s initiative to map the “retail investor journey” as a step toward an investor-centric approach. Our response highlights that low retail participation is less about investor “reluctance” ...
Read More
/ Consultations, Capital Markets (equity & bonds), Capital Markets Union (CMU), Digital Finance, Life Insurance & Pensions, Packaged Investment Products, Retail Investment Strategy, Savings and Investment Union

Consultation Response to Commission’s Call for Evidence on Savings and Investment Accounts

Simple access to a wide range of investment products, incentives to adopt a long-term perspective and the freedom to switch service providers without undue costs are crucial elements of an ...
Read More
/ Consultations, Capital Markets Union (CMU), Retail Investment Strategy, Savings and Investment Union, Shareholder Rights & Corporate Governance

Consultation Response on the Integration of EU Capital Markets​

BETTER FINANCE Responds to the ​​European Commission’s Targeted Consultation on the Integration of EU Capital Markets​ ​​BETTER FINANCE welcomes the comprehensive examination that the European Commission is undertaking of the ...
Read More
/ Consultations, Capital Markets (equity & bonds), Capital Markets Union (CMU), Retail Investment Strategy, Securities Markets & Trading

A Review of SRD II Failures and Policy Fixes Proposals

When shareholder engagement is not treated as an enforceable ownership right, citizens are effectively denied a channel to shape the social and economic impact of listed companies, thus undermining shareholder ...
Read More
/ Research papers, Capital Markets Union (CMU), Retail Investment Strategy, Securities Markets & Trading, Shareholder Rights & Corporate Governance

BETTER FINANCE Asks EU Member States to be More Ambitious with Their European Savings Label Initiative

Brussels, 5 June 2025 - BETTER FINANCE, the voice of European savers and individual investors, expresses hopes but also concerns regarding the European Savings Label initiative to be launched today ...
Read More
/ Press Releases, Capital Markets Union (CMU), PEPP, Product governance & disclosures, Retail Investment Strategy

Consultation Response on the EU Follow-on Prospectus and the EU Growth Issuance Prospectus

Targeted consultation on the reduced content and the standardised format and sequence of the EU follow-on prospectus and the EU growth issuance prospectus BETTER FINANCE welcomes the introduction of the ...
Read More
/ Consultations, Capital Markets (equity & bonds), Product governance & disclosures, Retail Investment Strategy

Neobrokers – Trading Fractions Reinventing Retail Ownership and Challenging Regulation

A BETTER FINANCE Focused Paper on Fractional Investing The rapid expansion of neobrokers across the European Union has fundamentally reshaped the retail investment landscape by introducing mobile-first, low-cost platforms characterised ...
Read More
/ Research papers, FinTech, Retail Investment Strategy, Securities Markets & Trading

For timely updates on our advocacy and regulatory positions, consult our press releases

View Latest Press Releases