Authority and scope
Sections ↑The AFM is the Netherlands conduct supervisor for financial markets. For a brokerage account, the useful check is the exact legal company, the service it is permitted to provide and whether it holds a Dutch authorisation or operates through a European passport.[1][2]
Authority essentials
| Measure | Value | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Primary role | Conduct supervision and investment-firm authorisation | Prudential supervision can involve De Nederlandsche Bank or a home-state authority.Source 1 |
| Register | Investment firms and credit institutions providing investment services | Search the statutory and trading names, location and status.Source 2 |
| European passport | Incoming firms remain primarily supervised by their home-state authority | An incoming passport is not an AFM licence and AFM supervision is limited.Source 2 |
Registers and permission checks
Sections ↑Read the register fields together
| Field | What it establishes |
|---|---|
| Legal and trading name | Match the company named in the agreement, not only the app brand.Source 2 |
| Licence or passport category | Distinguish Dutch authorisation from an incoming European passport.Source 2 |
| Activities | Check whether the named company may provide the proposed investment service.Source 2 |
| Current entry | Retain the date and recheck before relying on a permission.Source 2 |
Check the exact legal entity, permissions, current status and scope in the official record. A brand connection in our coverage does not establish authorisation.
Rules for firms and products
Sections ↑Conduct points
| Rule area | Practical meaning |
|---|---|
| Best execution | The firm must take sufficient steps to obtain the best possible result under its policy; this is not a promise of the best price on every order.Source 3 |
| Client classification | Retail, professional and eligible-counterparty rules differ.Source 1 |
| Cross-border service | Home-state and host-state responsibilities depend on the passport and activity.Source 2 |
Client assets and protection boundaries
Sections ↑Client-asset separation is the first line of protection: investments and customer money should be kept apart from the investment firm’s own assets under the applicable rules. If the firm fails, the question is whether customer property can be returned. A shortfall in missing property is different from a fall in the value of property still held for the customer.[6]
Complaints and dispute resolution
Sections ↑Choose the route
| Issue | Published route |
|---|---|
| Firm-specific complaint | Complain to the investment firm and retain the response and evidence.Source 4 |
| Regulatory signal or question | Use AFM contact/reporting channels for matters within its remit.Source 4 |
| Individual redress | The applicable dispute-resolution or court route is separate from supervisory reporting.Source 4 |
AFM directs customers to complain to the firm first, then to Kifid if the response is unsatisfactory or absent and the institution and dispute fall within Kifid’s scope. Not every provider is a member. Check eligibility before filing; AFM also warns that taking the dispute to court affects access to Kifid.[5]
Reporting misconduct and enforcement
Sections ↑A report to AFM helps it assess conduct and possible supervisory action. It does not replace a Kifid application or court claim for the individual customer’s remedy. Preserve the original complaint, final reply, agreement and transaction record so that the contractual dispute and any alleged rule breach are clearly distinguished.[5]
Compensation and firm failure
Sections ↑Dutch investor compensation
| Topic | Published position and meaning |
|---|---|
| Maximum and event | Up to €20,000 per eligible investor when a covered failed firm cannot return qualifying money or financial instruments.Source 6 |
| Eligible investors | DNB describes coverage for private investors and qualifying small businesses, with statutory exclusions.Source 6 |
| Cross-border firms | Dutch-covered firms’ foreign branches can fall within the Dutch scheme. An incoming EEA firm generally uses its home-country scheme.Source 6 |
| What it excludes | Investment-price losses are not covered. Advice-only services and crypto-asset service providers are not brought into the scheme merely by their regulatory status.Source 6 |
| Separate guarantee | DNB administers the scheme; the bank deposit guarantee is a different arrangement.Source 6 |
Official contacts and resources
Sections ↑Official routes
Scope Official company and passport search.
Use the authority’s official website for current official routes. Purpose-specific resources have not yet been established in this profile.
Sources & further reading
- Authorisation and supervision of financial firms Autoriteit Financiële Markten · Accessed 15 Oct 2026
- Register of investment firms and European passport firms Autoriteit Financiële Markten · Accessed 15 Oct 2026
- MiFID II best-execution investor protection Autoriteit Financiële Markten · Accessed 15 Oct 2026
- AFM contact and reporting routes Autoriteit Financiële Markten · Accessed 15 Oct 2026
- AFM: complaints and Kifid Autoriteit Financiële Markten · Accessed 15 Oct 2026
- DNB: investor compensation De Nederlandsche Bank · Accessed 15 Oct 2026
A documented resource is not a finding of eligibility or compensation coverage. Consult the named body and current official terms for your firm, product and circumstances.
Report an error or submit an update
Covered broker profiles
Profiles connected to this authority in our coverage. This is not a complete official register or a list of approved brokers; see each entity’s dated status.
ABN AMRO Self-Directed Investing
A detailed Dutch reference to ABN AMRO’s Basic and Plus self-directed accounts, including service-fee bands, transaction charges, product access, My Dealingroom, order handling, periodic investing, transfers, closure and protection.
- Operating status
- Active
- Headquarters
- Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Sources checked
- 15 Oct 2026
BUX
A European execution-only profile of BUX Basic, Plus and Prime, covering monthly and asset-based charges, order types, foreign-exchange markups, cash interest, stock lending, withdrawals, transfers, custody and AFM evidence.
- Operating status
- Active
- Headquarters
- Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Sources checked
- 15 Oct 2026