Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority FINMA

About FINMA

The Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority FINMA is Switzerland’s independent federal financial market regulator. It began operations on 1 January 2009 following the merger of the Swiss Federal Banking Commission, the Federal Office of Private Insurance and the Anti-Money Laundering Control Authority. FINMA authorises and supervises banks, securities firms, insurance companies, financial market infrastructures, collective investment schemes, fund management companies, asset managers, trustees and other regulated financial institutions in Switzerland. Its core responsibilities include licensing, prudential supervision, enforcement and financial market regulation. FINMA monitors whether supervised institutions maintain adequate capital, liquidity, governance and risk-management controls, and it may investigate regulatory breaches, impose supervisory measures or withdraw authorisations. For forex and CFD services, FINMA supervises the authorised banks and securities firms through which regulated leveraged trading activities are provided. Its statutory objectives are to protect creditors, investors and policyholders and to support the proper functioning, integrity and stability of the Swiss financial market.