BETTER FINANCE - European Federation of Investors and Financial Services Users

BETTER FINANCE's Scientific Council and its Strategy Committee convened to establish priorities for enhancing EU policy advice on financial markets, savings, and investments.   𝐊𝐞𝐲 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐈𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐞𝐝: 📲 𝐍𝐞𝐨-𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 (𝐃𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐈𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠): Exploring the evolving landscape of digital investing and its impact on consumer protection and market efficiency. This includes evaluating the implications of business models for European #retailinvestors, assessing the performance of featured products, and ensuring cost transparency. As neo-brokers proliferate, it is essential to balance their benefits with potential risks by examining their diverse, integrated, and often complex services, which can include banking, payments, and automated investing. 💸𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡, 𝐋𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐲, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐕𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐲: A future research project focused on financial planning, financial literacy, and value for money to ensure financial health. The project aims to identify which approaches deliver the best outcomes for consumers: ✅providing financial education, ✅offering financial advice, or ✅ongoing monitoring of individuals and/or household financial health coupled with timely decision-making.   Special thanks to the participants from our Scientific Council: Pierre-Henri Conac, Jan Sebo, Nicolas Veron, and barbara alemanni, and from our Strategy Committee: Jella Benner-Heinacher, Jean BERTHON, and Alin Iacob.   Let’s continue working towards a consumer-centric financial market that prioritises transparency, informed decision-making, and robust consumer protections, particularly in the digital space.   #FinancialMarkets #CMU #ConsumerProtection #PolicyAdvisory #FinancialLiteracy #DigitalInvesting #BETTERFINANCE #Innovation

Your shares represent more than just financial assets—they provide you with a voice in the companies you invest in. The Shareholders' Rights Directive II (SRD II) empowers minority shareholders to actively participate in corporate governance, ensuring their rights are safeguarded and their voices heard. Under SRD II, you have the right to: ✅ Receive timely notices for general meetings and essential information  ✅ Participate in voting processes without restrictions  ✅Use proxy voting and stewardship  However, many shareholders continue to face challenges. A study conducted by 𝐁𝐄𝐓𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐅𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐄 & 𝐃𝐒𝐖 𝐢𝐧 2022 revealed that less than half of shareholders were able to vote at AGMs, and nearly two-thirds had to actively seek out AGM information. EU shareholders deserve a seamless and transparent process to ensure a more efficient and equitable system. Stay informed with BETTER FINANCE for the latest developments in shareholder rights! 

Who really decides how you invest your money? You or your bank?    Check the latest video by BEUC - The European Consumer Organisation to understand common practices financial advisors use to sell greenwashed and poorly performing products.    BETTER FINANCE stands for transparent and impartial advice that empowers retail investors to make informed financial decisions. 

The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) organised a public hearing on its assessment of shortening the settlement cycle (T 1), in which Aleksandra Mączyńska, Managing Director of BETTER FINANCE, spoke on behalf of retail investors.   In assessing the costs and benefits for retail investors of moving from two to one day in trade settlement, Mączyńska said the change is "𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘮𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘥." However, Mączyńska noted that it is important for "𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘷𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘴𝘺𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘮𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦," adding that the move should be "𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘥, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥."   She also mentioned that the shortened cycle diminishes the counterparty risk, reducing the window of uncertainty between the trade and the completion. A decreased counterparty risk implies a lower amount of capital tied up in margin accounts, which would reduce costs for retail investors in the long term. European Central Securities Depositories Association (ECSDA), European Association of CCP Clearing Houses (EACH), Federation of European Securities Exchanges, EFAMA

Are you a young person passionate about finance? BETTER FINANCE is looking for a dedicated professional to join our team as a 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 & 𝐏𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐲 𝐀𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭 (internship). If you're driven, proactive, and eager to contribute to the financial well-being of European citizens, we want you to join our team! If you join us you will get to: ✅ work with a young, flexible, and dynamic organisation; ✅ work remotely 2-3 days per week; ✅ work for a mission-focussed NGO serving EU citizens and serving as a counterbalance to the lobby of the financial sector. Applications are open until 23:59 on 𝐓𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐝𝐚𝐲, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 23𝐫𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐉𝐮𝐥𝐲. 👇For more information, check the job post below

Are you a young person passionate about finance? BETTER FINANCE is looking for a dedicated professional to join our team as a 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 & 𝐏𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐲 𝐀𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭 (internship). If you're driven, proactive, and eager to contribute to the financial well-being of European citizens, we want you to join our team! If you join us you will get to: ✅ work with a young, flexible, and dynamic organisation; ✅ work remotely 2-3 days per week; ✅ work for a mission-focussed NGO serving EU citizens and serving as a counterbalance to the lobby of the financial sector. Applications are open until 23:59 on 𝐓𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐝𝐚𝐲, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 23𝐫𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐉𝐮𝐥𝐲. 👇For more information, check the job post below

Stay Informed with BETTER FINANCE! Our latest EU Financial Policy Insights Newsletter is here, packed with insights on financial transparency, investor rights, sustainable finance and ESG, and the latest events and publications from BETTER FINANCE. Featured this month:  ✅ European Commission's Shareholder Rights Directive (SRD) ✅ European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA)'s Draft Guidelines under the Markets in Crypto Assets Regulation (MiCA) ✅ European Commission and European Central Bank event on European Financial Integration ✅ Federation of European Securities Exchanges (FESE) and EuropeanIssuers position on retail investor participation in corporate bond markets  ...and much more 👉Stay ahead of the curve with BETTER FINANCE – Read our latest issue and subscribe to our bi-monthly newsletter now: https://bit.ly/bf-news-eu

📢Press Release📢 BETTER FINANCE acknowledges the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA)'s announcement of the new members appointed to its Securities and Markets Stakeholder Group (SMSG). Out of 171 eligible applicants, four of BETTER FINANCE's representatives have been selected to join the SMSG. However, we must highlight that consumer and user interests remain underrepresented compared to industry stakeholders. Follow the link for the full press release: https://bit.ly/pr-bf-esma Guillaume Prache Christiane Hölz Sari Lounasmeri

📢Press Release📢 European Financial Supervisors have listened to investors and proposed simplified categories for the 𝐒𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 (𝐒𝐅𝐃𝐑)! Addressing concerns raised by individual investors about its current complexity and potential for #greenwashing, the ESAs' proposal aims to empower retail investors. The introduction of a new 'Transition' category represents a significant advancement, empowering #investors to actively contribute to the greening of the brown economy. Research from Yale University and Boston College underscores the critical importance of this approach. BETTER FINANCE welcomes the ESAs' joint opinion on the SFDR, which aligns closely with its own proposals. To read the full position of BETTER FINANCE on the European Financial Supervisors' position, check the link: https://lnkd.in/dmj3rMPe

🔴 #ESMA has appointed new members of its Securities and Markets Stakeholder Group. Academics, consumer and employee representatives, users of financial services, SMEs and financial market participants will start their 4-year term on 1 July 2024. They will provide ESMA with advice on its policy work and will be consulted on technical standards and guidelines → https://lnkd.in/dmXsrc4G. 🗨️ Verena Ross, ESMA Chair: With their strong expertise, diverse professional backgrounds and broad geographical representation, we have ensured ESMA will be receiving different stakeholder views and input from across the EU. [...] I look forward to hearing the SMSG members’ perspectives on market developments and to receiving valuable advice on numerous files under ESMA’s remit. 💡 What is the #SMSG? https://lnkd.in/d-MpAZBP