AFM Regulatory Updates

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This is a speech by AFM leadership at a compliance conference emphasizing the importance of unified European action on financial market regulation. The content references three themes—Resilience, AI, and Europe—and five conditions for centralized supervision, but provides no specific rules, guidance, or enforcement...

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This is a regulatory guidance document from the AFM (Dutch financial regulator) presenting findings from a market survey on internal audit functions. It identifies expectations for banks, insurers, and financial service providers regarding independent testing and governance controls.

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The update announces the elimination of mandatory three-yearly trustworthiness reassessments for policy-makers at financial institutions in Caribbean Netherlands (effective 23 July 2026), aligning local oversight with European Netherlands practice.

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This is an AFM news article featuring an interview with Kaya de Lange, CEO of BeFrank (a premium pension institution). The content discusses the Dutch pension system transition (transitie), emphasizing the importance of participant understanding and trust, communication clarity, and layered disclosure.

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This is a podcast episode by the AFM (Dutch financial regulator) discussing a dispute resolution decision regarding pension fund obligations to answer participant questions and information disclosure via MijnOmgeving.

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This is an AFM regulatory guidance article addressing pension administrators' obligations to provide clear, balanced, and personal explanations of differences between forecast and final transition statements.

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The AFM (Dutch financial regulator) is announcing a formal compliance investigation into whether pension funds are meeting statutory communication requirements when participants enter the payout phase.

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The article is a biographical portrait of Hanzo van Beusekom, a newly appointed AFM board member responsible for pensions, insurance, and asset management. It discusses his background, management philosophy, and approach to risk-based supervision, but contains no binding rules, guidance, enforcement precedent, or...

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This is an informational AFM bulletin clarifying regulatory expectations for how pension administrators (pensioenuitvoerders) must notify participants when providing information via websites or portals.

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This is a regulatory news item reporting AFM's 2024 questionnaire findings on Wwft (AML) and Sanctiewet compliance by investment fund managers (AIFM). The update identifies specific compliance gaps (66% lack transaction profiles, 55% unregistered with FIU-Nederland, ~45% of daily policymakers lack Wwft training),...

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This is an informational announcement of the AFM's quarterly determination of the toetsrente (test rate) for mortgages with fixed-rate periods under 10 years, set at 5% for Q4 2026. The toetsrente is a pre-existing consumer protection mechanism used by mortgage lenders to calculate financing capacity.

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This is an informational blog article by Eva-Lotte Bakker (AFM head of market access) discussing financial resilience, savings buffers, and behavioral economics. It advocates for automatic savings as a default setting and highlights collaborative initiatives (SFGN, Wijzer in geldzaken) to help 500,000 Dutch households...

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The content is a press release announcing a royal decoration (Officer in the Order of Orange-Nassau) awarded to Jos Heuvelman upon his retirement from the AFM. While it mentions his contributions to financial market confidence, pension transition, and consumer financial literacy, these are retrospective descriptions...

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This is a column by AFM board chair Laura van Geest discussing the systemic issue of regulatory burden in the Netherlands (€16.8bn annually, 1.5% of GDP). While it references specific policy initiatives (EU Commission's 35% administrative burden reduction target, Cabinet-Jetten's 500 rules scrapping goal, and AFM's...

Why this matters

This is an informational news release presenting AFM's annual complaints data collection from 170 insurers covering 2025. The report documents trends (overall 3.2% decline to 121,000 complaints, but a 5.1% rise in damage insurance complaints) and improved processing times (15.5 days average).

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This is a news item (press release) reporting a final enforcement decision by the AFM against Vodafone Financial Services for failing to conduct mandatory income and expenditure assessments (ILT) before granting consumer credit for phone purchases.

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AFM regulatory update on DORA compliance progress and implementation gaps. Informational content summarizing sector-wide developments, compliance improvements (94% register approval), and areas requiring attention (incident reporting, policy documentation, threshold calculations).

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AFM announcement regarding T+1 settlement cycle transition scheduled for October 11, 2027 in the EU. Informational guidance on regulatory requirements and implementation deadlines (December 7, 2026 and October 11, 2027).

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AFM guidance on compliance and internal audit function improvements for fund managers. Addresses documentation quality, outsourcing oversight, and proportionality justification. Informational supervisory guidance from European Common Supervisory Action (CSA) coordinated by ESMA.

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AFM enforcement action against individual for market manipulation through 'marking the close' trading practice on Euronext Amsterdam. Violation of EU Market Abuse Regulation Article 15. Informational regulatory enforcement news with €625,000 fine imposed on M.

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Dutch supervisory authorities' joint press release on digital autonomy and reducing IT service provider dependencies. Addresses operational resilience through supply chain risk management and cybersecurity considerations aligned with DORA and NIS2 Directive implementation.

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AFM guidance on supplementary health insurance product development processes (PARP). Addresses consumer protection through proper product governance, customer interest integration, and role clarity of second-line control functions. Informational regulatory guidance with no immediate compliance deadline indicated.

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AFM guidance on improving internal quality reviews (IKO) for statutory audit organizations. This is informational content addressing audit quality assurance, monitoring mechanisms, and governance practices.

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AFM press release on embedded insurance practices. Focuses on consumer protection concerns regarding steering mechanisms in online choice environments that increase unsuitable product selection risk. Informational regulatory guidance calling for improved design practices rather than enforcement action.

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FSC press release discussing AI-driven cybersecurity threats to financial stability, private credit growth monitoring, and resilience requirements. Informational statement from regulatory committee addressing systemic risks and coordination needs across financial sector.

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This is an opinion column by AFM Chair Laura van Geest discussing regulatory supervision philosophy and learning culture in financial services. It addresses how supervisors can balance enforcement with growth-oriented approaches, using examples from banking (anti-money laundering) and accounting sectors.

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This is an informational article about an AFM pension industry event covering cost transparency, choice guidance, and survivor pensions. The content discusses regulatory engagement with pension funds, execution organizations, and insurers on conduct and disclosure matters.

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Interview with pension ombudsman discussing Dutch pension system transition, focusing on member communication, choice guidance, and regulatory oversight. Content is informational/editorial rather than announcing new regulatory requirements.

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AFM podcast episode discussing pension plan loan restrictions removal and transparent member communication requirements. Covers conduct of business and disclosure obligations for pension providers. Informational/educational content from regulator, not urgent directive.

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AFM guidance on testing online pension choice guidance tools for errors. Addresses consumer protection risks from faulty calculations and the need for proper testing procedures involving multiple expertise areas. Informational bulletin preceding a full investigation report.

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AFM guidance on pension scheme voluntary continuation and compensation communication. Addresses inadequate disclosure practices by pension administrators regarding participant choice options and financial consequences. Informational regulatory guidance requiring improved consumer communication standards.

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This is an informational news article announcing the AFM's five-year regulatory evaluation results (2021-2025). The evaluation covers the AFM's supervisory effectiveness across multiple domains including crypto, cybersecurity, and sustainability. It is a positive assessment with recommendations for improvement.

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Speech by AFM board chair on pension system reform, focusing on consumer understanding and trust in pension arrangements. Informational content addressing regulatory perspective on pension landscape challenges rather than prescriptive regulatory action.

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AFM and DNB consultation on updated regulatory rules for financial enterprises in Caribbean Netherlands. Covers application of Wfm BES and Wwft BES legislation. Consultation period runs until 28 August 2026 with expected implementation in H2 2026.

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AFM regulatory guidance on DMFSD implementation (effective 19 June 2024) regarding consumer protection in online financial services. Addresses dark patterns and manipulative design in digital customer journeys across multiple financial sectors.

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AFM announcement regarding implementation of revised Consumer Credit Directive (CCDII) effective November 20, 2026. Covers expansion of regulatory scope to include buy-now-pay-later and other previously exempted credit forms.

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AFM and BFT joint regulatory update on sanctions risk management among accounting firms with regular licenses. Addresses awareness of Russia sanctions compliance, client screening, and control procedures. Informational guidance with improvement recommendations for the accounting sector's sanctions risk controls.

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AFM's SREP Market Overview 2025 provides regulatory guidance on implementation gaps in internal controls, IT risk management, and governance. This is informational content highlighting supervisory expectations rather than announcing new rules.

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This is a general newsletter subscription announcement from AFM highlighting their commitment to fair and transparent financial markets. It contains no specific regulatory requirements, deadlines, or actionable guidance.

Why this matters

This is a general newsletter announcement from AFM promoting fair and transparent financial markets. It contains no specific regulatory requirements, deadlines, or actionable guidance. The content is informational and promotional in nature, addressing the AFM's broad mandate across multiple sectors and firm types.

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AFM speech addressing AI-driven cyber threats and resilience requirements. Applies broadly across financial services sectors with emphasis on vulnerability management, patch management, and incident response. Classified as informational/advisory content rather than binding regulation, hence null urgency.

Why this matters

This is a general newsletter subscription announcement from AFM (Dutch financial regulator) emphasizing their commitment to fair markets and market conduct. No specific regulatory requirement, deadline, or enforcement action is mentioned. Content is informational/promotional in nature, therefore urgency is null.

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AFM guidance on PEP (politically exposed persons) client due diligence procedures. Addresses AML/financial crime compliance with focus on risk-based approach, avoiding discrimination, proper definitions, outsourcing oversight, and staff training.

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AFM enforcement action against external accountant for audit quality failures. Disciplinary case upheld on appeal regarding insufficient professional skepticism and inadequate audit evidence collection. Informational news update on regulatory enforcement and professional standards maintenance in financial services.

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Interview-based news article featuring pension fund governance insights. Discusses board member competencies, diversity and inclusion in pension fund governance, and participant communication in the context of Dutch pension system transition. No regulatory action or deadline-driven content; informational in nature.

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AFM informational update on partner pension (partnerpensioen) coverage changes in the new Dutch pension system. Focuses on consumer protection through disclosure requirements and conduct expectations for pension providers and employers to inform participants about coverage gaps.

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AFM regulatory update on pension sector transition to new system. Focuses on consumer protection issues (limited pension accrual, unrealistic expectations, information gaps) and reporting findings from 'Sector in beeld pensioenen 2026'. Informational content about regulatory monitoring and consumer complaint data.

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AFM podcast discussing pension accumulation gaps ('grey area') among participants at insurers and PPIs based on 2024 data analysis. Focuses on consumer awareness of limited pension benefits and pension transition progress. Informational content from regulator, no immediate action required.

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AFM guidance on pension fund operators' obligations to properly guide retirees choosing between fixed and variable pension payouts under the Flexible Premium Regulation (FPR).

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AFM's annual Financial Stability Report addresses systemic risks affecting multiple financial sectors. Key concerns include geopolitical uncertainty impacting market volatility, cyber/AI fraud threats, gas derivatives trading supervision, and private credit liquidity risks.

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AFM speech addressing balance between data-driven personalization and insurance solidarity principles. Focuses on conduct expectations for insurers regarding algorithmic pricing and risk of consumer exclusion. Informational/guidance content rather than binding regulation, hence null urgency.

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AFM sector report on pension developments in 2024, focusing on young participants' investment choices, complaint handling procedures, and transition to new pension system. Informational content for pension providers regarding conduct standards and disclosure requirements.

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This is a speech by AFM board chair at AFME Sustainability Conference emphasizing sustainability as economic necessity. It is informational/news content rather than regulatory requirement, hence null urgency.

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AFM announces regulatory clarification initiative on execution-only investment services, specifically addressing automatic rebalancing and lifecycle investing. This is informational guidance development with consultation expected Q3 2026.

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AFM consumer warning about phone spoofing fraud targeting financial sector customers. Alerts about identity theft, credential harvesting, and unauthorized access attempts. Applies broadly across financial services as threat affects all regulated entities and their customers.

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AFM announcement regarding T+1 settlement cycle transition (from T+2 to T+1 effective October 11, 2027). Calls for market participants to complete readiness surveys by June 9, 2026.

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AFM announcement clarifying that Dutch financial firms will not receive separate AMLA eligibility reporting requests, as requirements are integrated into existing questionnaires. This is informational guidance on regulatory implementation for anti-money laundering compliance under the new European AMLA framework.

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AFM regulatory guidance on combating discrimination in banking services. Informational update outlining five expectations for banks to actively address discrimination in customer service, with emphasis on governance, detection, organizational culture, communication, and complaint handling.

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AFM audit report on DSI covenant for professional competency requirements under MiFID II and Wft. Informational news about covenant effectiveness, renewal plans, and recommendations for improvement. Addresses professional qualification standards for investment professionals at regulated firms.

Why this matters

This is a general newsletter subscription announcement from AFM (Dutch financial regulator) emphasizing their commitment to fair markets and market conduct. It contains no specific regulatory requirements, deadlines, or actionable guidance. Classified as informational/promotional content with null urgency.

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AFM press release on research findings regarding household investment barriers and opportunities. Focuses on consumer protection and conduct by promoting responsible investing while lowering barriers for non-investors. Informational content about regulatory commitment to sustainable financial well-being.

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AFM regulatory decision on deferred publication requirements for sovereign bond transactions. Affects market operators and investment firms operating trading venues. Implements MiFIR transparency rules with extended deferral periods for large transactions (€15-50M).

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This is an informational press release announcing the appointment of Richard Doornbosch as board member of the AFM (Dutch Financial Authority) responsible for capital markets and accounting oversight. It is governance/organizational news rather than a regulatory requirement or enforcement action.

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AMLA launches public consultations on AML-CFT risk assessment guidelines and regulatory technical standards for group-wide minimum requirements. This is informational content announcing consultation periods (deadline May 8, 2026) affecting multiple financial sectors on anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism...