Our Objectives

Adviser:

An Independent Adviser or intermediary is defined as an individual who, not being attached to any supplier, is capable of examining with his/her customer - in complete freedom - the advisability of selecting a particular product or service from the range of products and services available on the market.

• an Adviser acts as a service provider for his or her client
• he/she is fully independent by nature, and an Adviser is required to offer absolutely impartial advice
• an Adviser is remunerated exclusively by his or her client
• an Intermediary can be independent (Broker) and he/she is to act either as a representative of his/her customer, or as a supplier of a product and/or service

Agent:

An intermediary is an agent if he/she is remunerated by the supplier whose product or service is proposed;

• the majority of European intermediaries represents between 3 and 5 product or service suppliers; they can hold several mandates (multi-tied agents)
• although a multi-mandated Intermediary cannot provide his or her customer with whole of market advice, the latter still has access to a selection of products and services. This is in excess of what an Intermediary who is single-mandated (representing only one product and/or service supplier), is able to offer, since in that situation there is obviously no choice offered

Advisers and Agents have joint obligations:

• to ensure the adequacy of their working capital with the necessary infrastructures for providing quality assistance for their clients/customers
• to be covered by a professional civil liability indemnity insurance
• to have the requisite experience, training and qualifications
• to be placed under the supervision of a public supervisory body