The Autoriteit Financiële Markten (AFM) is the Financial Supervisory Authority of the Netherlands. It was established in 2002 as part of a reorganization of the Dutch financial regulatory authorities. The AFM is responsible for supervising and regulating the financial markets in the Netherlands, including the securities markets, insurance markets and lending markets.
The AFM’s responsibilities include protecting the interests of investors and consumers, promoting transparency and integrity in financial markets, preventing fraud and market manipulation, and supervising financial companies and their products and services.
The AFM has regulatory and sanctioning powers and works closely with other financial regulatory and supervisory authorities in the Netherlands and abroad. Its main objective is to ensure that the Dutch financial markets operate efficiently, fairly and transparently, and that investors and consumers are protected from any illegal or inappropriate activity.
You can check their website here https://www.afm.nl/nl-nl/consumenten
Invest safely in AFM-regulated products
The AFM supervises all financial products available to consumers in the Netherlands. This means that when you invest or save with a licensed institution, you have a regulator watching your back. Here are two popular AFM-regulated options for expats:
- Trade Republic — Buy ETFs, stocks and earn up to 3.25% interest on your uninvested cash. One of the fastest-growing regulated brokers in Europe, available in the Netherlands.
- Brand New Day — AFM-licensed investment and pension provider. Open an individual investment account or build your pension as a freelancer (ZZP).
Both platforms are licensed and supervised by the AFM and DNB (De Nederlandsche Bank), so your investments are protected by Dutch financial law.
