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
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