Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority

The Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority ( FINMA) (French Autorité fédérale de surveillance des marchés financiers, Italian Authority ' federale di vigilanza sui mercati finanziari ) supervised and controlled than Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority all areas of the financial sector, especially banks, insurance companies, stock exchanges, securities dealers and collective investment schemes and audit firms.

The FINMA is a public institution with legal personality and its headquarters in Bern. It is institutionally, functionally and financially independent from the central federal administration and the Federal Department of Finance affiliated only administratively. The Parliament has the ultimate supervision.

Anne Héritier Lachat Since 2011, is president of the board. Director is Mark Branson.

Establishment and organization

The FINMA started its activities on 1 January 2009. It was created from a merger of the Swiss Federal Banking Commission (SFBC ), the Federal Office of Private Insurance (FOPI) and the control body for the Prevention of Money Laundering ( Money Laundering Control ). The FINMA goes back to the law adopted by the Federal Assembly on 22 June 2007 Financial Market Supervision Act ( FMSA ). On 15 October 2008 implementing decree was made by the Federal Council.

The FINMA has organizational and budgetary autonomy. Your bodies are the Board of Directors and the Executive Board, which is divided into four areas: banking, insurance, retailing, and the Strategic and Central Services. FINMA is financed by fees and other charges of the supervised.

Purpose and Tasks

  • The FINMA pursued in accordance with the financial market acts intended to protect creditors, investors and insured persons.
  • The FINMA approves the operation of their authority subordinate enterprises and organizations and monitors.
  • She is responsible for combating money laundering and handles reorganization proceedings and bankruptcies if necessary.

Objectives of financial market supervision

The Financial Market Authority has two main objectives and a secondary objective

  • The first is the protection of creditors, investors and insured ( customer protection )
  • The second main objective aims at the contactor, the functioning of financial markets. This function includes protecting the stability of the financial system, the functioning of markets, confidence in the financial system and to protect the financial system from abuse by criminals
  • By keeping track of these goals, the supervision should help to strengthen the reputation and competitiveness of Finazplatzes Switzerland.
Federal Assembly (Switzerland) Integrated Authority File
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