In accordance with its assessment in the most recent stability report, FI is leaving the countercyclical buffer rate unchanged in the fourth quarter. The buffer rate of 2 per cent, which was applied starting on 22 June 2023, shall thus continue to apply. The countercyclical buffer guide is calculated at 0 per cent.
On 6 December, the EU Member States approved a banking package that implements the last parts of the Basel III agreement in the EU. The European Parliament is also expected to approve the agreed rules in the near future.
Finansinspektionen publishes the capital requirements of the largest Swedish banks and credit institutions that belong to supervisory categories 1 and 2 as of the end of Q3 2023.
Today, almost all households invest in funds, either directly through private savings or indirectly through our pensions. However, close to one third of fund savers are unaware of how high the fund fee is and many risk paying too much for their savings. We are, therefore, now publishing the most common fees for some popular fund categories to help consumers monitor what certain funds cost.
The European Commission has announced that it does not intend to object to FI's intention to extend the current risk weight floor for Swedish mortgages. This means that FI may implement the measure.
It has become increasingly common for fraudsters to contact consumers by email saying there are cryptocurrencies registered at the person's email address. Consumers are told that these assets can be released for a fee. This is the conclusion of Finansinspektionen’s review of investment fraud cases during the third quarter of the year.
TRS 2 system closed on Wednesday, 27 September.
In accordance with its assessment in the most recent stability report, FI is leaving the countercyclical buffer rate unchanged. The buffer rate of 2 per cent, which was applied starting on 22 June 2023, shall thus continue to apply. The countercyclical buffer guide is calculated at 0 per cent.
Finansinspektionen has decided to introduce risk weight floors for exposures towards the commercial real estate sector according to article 458 in CRR. At the same time the current risk weight floor under Pillar 2 will be removed. The new floors will enter into force on 30 September 2023.
The TRS 2 system's test environment will be closed for maintenance on Wednesday, 6 September.
Finansinspektionen publishes the capital requirements of the largest Swedish banks and credit institutions that belong to supervisory categories 1 and 2 as of the end of Q2 2023.
Last year, Finansinspektionen (FI) published a record number of warnings of firms suspected of investment fraud. The trend continues. During the first half of 2023, the number of warnings increased by nine per cent compared to the same period last year.
Henrik Braconier is the new executive director of Banking. For the past nine years, Henrik has served as Finansinspektionen’s chief economist.
The five largest Swedish banks are resilient and have the ability to withstand a sharp deterioration in market conditions, based on the stress test conducted by the European Banking Authority (EBA).
The European Commission has announced that it does not intend to object to FI's intention to introduce risk weight floors for bank loans to commercial real estate. This means that FI may implement the measure.
Finansinspektionen’s (FI) Director General Daniel Barr joined the Board of Supervisors of the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority (EIOPA) in July 2023.
Susanna Grufman, deputy director general and executive director of Markets, is leaving FI for the Riksbank.
FI leaves the countercyclical buffer rate unchanged. The buffer rate of 2 per cent, which will be applied as of 22 June 2023, shall thus continue to apply. The countercyclical buffer guide is calculated at 0 per cent.
Finansinspektionen has reciprocated the Norwegian systemic risk buffer.
It will be possible to submit TR files, but feedback will not be sent until after 12 pm on Monday 12 June.
Finansinspektionen has decided to issue an injunction to the currency exchange company My Change Scandinavia AB (My Change) to immediately cease its operations. The reason is extensive and severe deficiencies in the firm’s work to combat money laundering and terrorist financing.
Finansinspektionen publishes the capital requirements of the largest Swedish banks and credit institutions that belong to supervisory categories 1 and 2 as of the end of Q1 2023.
Finansinspektionen has notified the Commission and the European Systemic Risk Board (ESRB) that it intends to introduce weight floor for commercial real estate in accordance with Article 458 of the CRR. This will replace the current Pillar 2 risk weight floors for exposures secured by commercial real estate. The measure is planned to be effective from 30 September 2023.
Per Nordkvist, currently the deputy executive director of the Banking section, will take over as acting executive director.
Finansinspektionen grants Swedish Financial Benchmark Facility AB (SFBF) authorisation as an administrator of STIBOR under the EU regulation on benchmarks (BMR).
FI has taken several measures since 2010 to reduce the risks associated with households’ high levels of debt. These measures include the amortisation requirements and the mortgage cap. FI welcomes the Government’s announcement today presenting an inquiry to look more closely at how these measures have functioned.
Fraudsters want to establish a credible façade to be able to deceive consumers. One way of achieving this is to make it look like the consumer is being contacted by a real authority or a real company. This then creates trust, enabling the fraudster to convince consumers to pay made-up fees. Finansinspektionen has seen several examples of this during the first quarter of 2023.
The Government has appointed Camilla Asp to Finansinspektionen’s Board of Directors.
FI is proposing to introduce risk weight floors for exposures towards the commercial real estate sector according to article 458 in CRR. At the same time the current risk weight floor under Pillar 2 would be removed. The new floors are proposed to enter into force on 30 September 2023.
Finansinspektionen (FI) has passed a decision to reciprocate the Norwegian Ministry of Finance’s decision to extend average risk weight floors of 20 per cent for retail exposures collateralised by real estate in Norway and of 35 per cent for corporate exposures collateralised by real estate in Norway.
Mortgagors are under pressure from rising interest rates. At the same time, the majority of new mortgagors continue to have good margins in their personal finances. These are the conclusions drawn by Finansinspektionen in this year’s Swedish Mortgage Market report, which is being presented today.
During 2022, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) carried out a special assessment of the financial sector in Sweden, a so-called FSAP (Financial Sector Assessment Program). FSAPs are conducted regularly for member countries with systemically important financial markets. The most recent FSAP for Sweden by the IMF was in 2016.
FI leaves the countercyclical buffer rate unchanged. The buffer rate of 2 per cent, which will be applied as of 22 June 2023, shall thus continue to apply. The countercyclical buffer guide is calculated at 0 per cent.
Swedbank is receiving a remark for the bank’s lack of internal control following a change to a business-critical IT system last year. The bank must also pay an administrative fine of SEK 850 000 000.
There may be some minor disturbances in the TRS 2 system on March 18 and 19 in both the production environment and the test environment. The disturbances are due to planned maintenance. In the event of problems, rapporteurs are advised to try again later during the day.
TRS 2 system closed on Wednesday, 15 March.
As of 1 March, we have a new heading in the main navigation panel of our website: Payments. Here you will find all information related to activities within the payments sector.
Finansinspektionen publishes the capital requirements of the largest Swedish banks and credit institutions that belong to supervisory categories 1 and 2 as of the end of Q4 2022.
You do not need special insurance when buying, for example, a new TV or a dishwasher. This is the conclusion of our review of so-called gadget insurance, which is often offered in retail. If you have home insurance, you have good protection.
Malin Alpen is currently the head of compliance at Getswish AB, which provides the service Swish to participating banks. Malin has worked extensively in the financial market with payment-related matters, including at Handelsbanken, the Swedish Ministry of Finance and Sveriges Riksbank.
The Government has today appointed Daniel Barr as the new Director General of Finansinspektionen.
The European Systemic Risk Board (ESRB), the EU’s macroprudential overseer, has issued a general recommendation on risks linked to vulnerabilities in the commercial real estate (CRE) markets in the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. The recommendation calls for improved monitoring of such risks to the financial system, along with both micro- and macroprudential policy measures to address identified vulnerabilities where necessary.
Despite the contracting economy and the uncertainty in both the Swedish economy and the world in general, investment fraud was on the rise last year. In 2022, FI issued 3,471 warnings – 25 per cent more than in 2021. One new observation during the year is that fraudsters more frequently demand payment in bitcoin to avoid detection.
All submitting entities that received incorrect validations with error codes CON-070 and CON-160 may now resend the incorrectly rejected transactions.
We have updated the design of our start page and several other pages. Much of the content on the pages has stayed the same, but some things have been given a new name and location.
Swedish Financial Benchmark Facility AB 's (SFBF) application to become an authorised administrator of STIBOR in accordance with the EU’s Benchmark Regulation (BMR) has of 2 January 2023 been assessed to be complete.
One out of six who borrow from a consumer credit institution, previously called instant loan firms, receives a collection notice. Among all lenders, one out of five unsecured loans was approved for a person who does not have any money left after paying their monthly subsistence costs. Given the expected economic development – high inflation and higher interest rates – this percentage could increase to every third borrower. All of these observations indicate that credit assessments are insufficient. This is the conclusion of a consumer credit survey that FI is presenting today.
The three major banks, SEB, Handelsbanken and Swedbank, will continue to maintain a systemic risk buffer of 3 per cent at group level. This decision was made following FI’s biennial review of the systemic risk buffer in accordance with the European Capital Requirements Directive.
Länsförsäkringar Bank has been deficient in its work to prevent money laundering and terrorist financing. The bank is therefore being issued a remark and must pay an administrative fine of SEK 90 million.
FI leaves the countercyclical buffer rate unchanged. The buffer rate of 2 per cent, which will be applied as of 22 June 2023, shall thus continue to apply. The countercyclical buffer guide is calculated at 0 per cent.
Finansinspektionen will prevent greenwashing in the financial sector through preventive measures and supervisory activities. Today, in a new report that is submitted to the government, FI presents a strategy to prevent greenwashing.
Therese Östling Waller is currently the HR manager at SVT. Therese has extensive experience within HR, including from the Swedish Public Employment Service, where she was head of the HR department for several years.
Major Swedish banks demonstrate considerable resilience in the stress test Finansinspektionen (FI) conducted in 2022. The test identifies the potential effects on the five largest Swedish banks’ financial positions when interest rates and inflation increase. This memorandum (only available in Swedish) describes the method behind the stress test and its results.
Rising interest rates, decreased risk-taking and a slowing economy are weighing on highly indebted commercial real estate firms and households. The rapid transition to higher interest rates and a decreased willingness to take risk means financial stability risks have increased since spring. At the same time, this transition may lead to lower risk-taking and indebtedness in the long run, thus lowering stability risks.
Finansinspektionen publishes the capital requirements of the largest Swedish banks and credit institutions that belong to supervisory categories 1 and 2 as of the end of Q3 2022.
The TRS 2 system will be closed for maintenance on Wednesday, 23 November. It will be possible to submit TR files, but feedback will not be sent until after the maintenance is completed.
Susanna Grufman has been the deputy director general since March 2020 in addition to her role as executive director for Markets. She will take over today, 21 November, as acting director general as Erik Thedéen steps down from his role as director general to become the head of the central bank.
SIP Nordic Fondkommission AB (SIP Nordic) is receiving a warning and must pay an administrative fine of SEK 6.7 million.
Celina Fondförvaltning AB (Celina) is receiving a warning and must pay an administrative fine of SEK 10 million.
From around the 26:th of October it has occurred that Buyer and Seller LEI have been wrongly validated, which has resulted in improperly issued error codes CON-070 and CON-160.
It will be possible to submit TR files, but feedback will be sent first after the maintenance has been completed.
FI will create a new operational section to focus on payments and preparedness.
Finansinspektionen has reciprocated the Norwegian systemic risk buffer.
The TRS 2 system will be closed for maintenance on Wednesday, 5 October.
The FTP server for the TRS 2 system will not be available on 28 September 2022 due to a change in certificate.
It will be possible to submit TR files, but feedback will be sent first after the maintenance has been completed.
FI leaves the countercyclical buffer rate unchanged. The buffer rate of 2 per cent, which will be applied as of 22 June 2023, shall thus continue to apply. The countercyclical buffer guide is calculated at 0 per cent.
The foreign money remittance provider Moneygram International SPRL has not had a sufficient scope in the general risk assessment of its operations in Sweden to its assessment of the risk of being used for money laundering or terrorist financing. Therefore, FI has decided to issue an injunction to Moneygram to resolve the deficiencies by 30 December of this year.
The minutes from the Financial Stability Council’s extraordinary meeting on 4 September is now available.
The disclosures provided about funds with sustainable investment as their objective are often unclear. This is the conclusion of an in-depth analysis conducted by Finansinspektionen (FI). In many cases, the disclosures provided in the funds’ prospectuses need to be clearer and more specific.
Finansinspektionen has closed an investigation into whether EQT AB was in violation of EU’s Market Abuse Regulation (MAR) when the company disclosed information on 7 September 2021 regarding a revision of the existing lock-up agreements. FI has closed the investigation.
The FTP server for the TRS 2 system's test environment will not be available on 14 September 2022 due to a change in certificate.
The Swedish Financial Stability Council agrees on measures to safeguard financial stability. The council met on Sunday the 4th of September for an extraordinary meeting due to the liquidity problems in the market for electricity derivatives.
When purchasing a mobile telephone, TV or appliances, for example, you often receive an offer to buy insurance for the newly purchased item. FI will now review whether so-called product insurances create unnecessary costs for customers without providing extra protection.
Finansinspektionen publishes the capital requirements of the largest Swedish banks and credit institutions that belong to supervisory categories 1 and 2 as of the end of Q2 2022.
Finansinspektionen has passed decisions concerning reciprocation of macroprudential measures in Lithuania, Belgium and the Netherlands.
Jacob Henriksson comes most recently from the Swedish Fortifications Agency where he worked for almost five years as CFO and deputy director general.
FI has decided to raise the countercyclical buffer rate to 2 per cent, which is its neutral level. This was already communicated in the report Stability in the Financial Markets. Due to the 12-month implementation period, this rate will start to go into effect at the end of June 2023.
Svea Ekonomi, which has now merged with Svea Bank, and Resurs Bank have been deficient in their credit assessments of consumers who received large unsecured loans. Both banks are therefore receiving a remark and an administrative fine of SEK 45 million and SEK 50 million, respectively.
Erik Thedéen will step down from his role as director general at FI on 1 January 2023 to become the head of Sweden’s central bank.
Finansinspektionen views seriously the complaints from consumers who have been denied a bank account, and the authority is now encouraging banks to carefully maintain data on how many people are experiencing problems opening an account. This data will give a clearer overview of the situation and help find solutions.
Starting today, Finansinspektionen will regularly publish the total of all short positions that must be reported to FI.
Rapporteurs need to update the application for periodic reporting that they have installed locally. The new version is now available to download and install.
Interest rates are rising rapidly in the wake of high inflation. High interest rates and lower risk appetite are placing downward pressure on risk-taking and asset prices. In the long term, this can slow the growth of debt and benefit financial stability. However, the large debts that built up over the extended period of low interest rates are putting pressure on highly indebted households and firms.
Finansinspektionen (FI ) intends to raise the countercyclical buffer rate to 2 per cent in Q2 2022.
The TRS 2 system will be closed for maintenance on Tuesday, 31 May, due to the roll-out of the European Securities and Markets Authority’s (ESMA) updated validation rules.
Starting today, and on every Wednesday at 1:00 PM, Finansinspektionen will publish aggregate outstanding short positions.
Finansinspektionen (FI) is issuing Nordnet Bank AB a remark for violations related to the bank's intraday short selling service. Nordnet must also pay an administrative fine of SEK 100 million.
Finansinspektionen publishes the capital requirements of the largest Swedish banks and credit institutions that belong to supervisory categories 1 and 2 as of the end of Q1 2022.
Finansinspektionen (FI) is appointing an auditor to map the IT incident that occured at Swedbank AB during the night between 28 and 29 April and resulted in incorrect balances being shown in customers’ accounts.
Finansinspektionen has invited several banks to a roundtable discussion on Friday, 20 May, on the right to open payment accounts. The background is that the number of complaints FI is receiving from consumers who are being denied a payment account is increasing. Some also have their accounts blocked or closed.
The financial sector must quickly become better at preventing and handling cyber threats. Customers and society at large must be able to trust that the critical services offered by financial corporations will function even during periods of uncertainty and in the presence of threats. As commissioned by the government, Finansinspektionen (FI) therefore has proposed a number of measures to increase resilience to cyber attacks in the financial sector.
The TRS 2 system has been experiencing operational disruptions following the technical maintenance performed on Wednesday. Some rapporteurs are having difficulty connecting or not receiving feedback.
Are banks correct in refusing to open accounts for certain consumers? And what role do credit intermediaries play in many consumers taking large unsecured loans? These are two of the issues that Finansinspektionen (FI) will look more closely at in 2022 and that we present in this year's Consumer Protection Report.
TRS 2 will be closed for maintenance the 4 May.
The objective of the new online tool is to facilitate and streamline the application process at FI. It should be easy to submit an application to Finansinspektionen correctly and difficult to submit an application incorrectly. It will also be possible to track an application through the different stages of FI’s processing. The first applications that can be submitted via the new online tool will be management and owner management suitability assessments, and this module is expected to be operational in the autumn.
New mortgagors took out loans that were 12 per cent larger last year than in 2020. The average loan-to-value ratio for new mortgagors rose from 307 to 327 per cent. This is the highest figure since FI started its mortgage survey. The stricter amortisation requirement has slowed rising loan-to-income ratios. The high debt means that borrowers’ personal finances are under more pressure when interest rates rise.
Demand for green and sustainable investments is increasing rapidly. This increases the risk of greenwashing, i.e. presenting organisations and products as more sustainable than what they are in reality. Finansinspektionen (FI) will therefore review that the disclosures provided about the funds classified as the most sustainable fulfil the strict requirements placed on them.
The data and methods available for measuring climate-related transition risks are under development. There is a lot of work going on in this area, in the banks and in organisations at national and international level, but it is important that the banks calculate and manage these risks already today. It is no good waiting for better data and fully standardised and harmonised methods to become available. Finansinspektionen (the Swedish Financial Supervisory Authority) and the Riksbank have jointly applied the Paris Agreement Capital Transit Assessment Tool (PACTA) to measure climate-related transition risks in the banks' credit portfolios. The results show that there are transition risks that banks have to take into account.
Insurance companies in the United Kingdom and Ireland raise their premiums more for loyal customers than they do for policyholders who change their provider frequently. Finansinspektionen (FI) will now look more closely at what happens in Sweden for home and auto insurance customers.
In accordance with the assessment in the most recent stability report, FI leaves the countercyclical buffer rate unchanged. The buffer rate of 1 per cent that was decided on 28 September 2021 will be applied as of 29 September 2022. Until then, the buffer rate is 0 per cent, which is the rate that has applied since 16 March 2020. The countercyclical buffer guide is calculated at 0 per cent.
EU is implementing new and expanded sanctions in response to the situation in Ukraine. Sanctions issued by the European Union in the form of regulations are directly applicable in Sweden.
Finansinspektionen publishes the capital requirements of the largest Swedish banks and credit institutions that belong to supervisory categories 1 and 2 as of the end of Q4 2021.
The application that is used for some periodic reporting to Finansinspektionen and that rapporteurs have installed locally on their computers will need to be upgraded later this spring. The reason for the upgrade is security improvements.
Finansinspektionen (FI) issues payment service companies Trustly Group AB (Trustly) and ClearOn AB (ClearOn) warnings for severe deficiencies under the anti-money laundering regulatory framework.
TRS 2 will be closed for maintenance Wednesday the 16 February.
Do firms lend money to people who cannot pay back the loan? Do financial firms work enough with their IT security? How green are green funds, in reality? These are three areas that Finansinspektionen (FI) will investigate more closely in 2022.
The notification threshold is permanently lowered from 0.2 per cent to 0.1 per cent.
TRS 2 will be closed for maintenance on Monday the 31 January.
TRS 2 will be closed for maintenance on Monday the 24 January.
As of 1 March, HR will become its own office and report directly to FI’s director general. Following this change, HR Director Karolina Lirón Källåker will become an executive director and join FI’s management team.
On 1 February, Susanna Grufman will become the executive director of FI’s Markets section. She will continue to serve as the deputy director general and maintain responsibility for consumer protection matters.
Swedish Financial Benchmark Facility AB (SFBF) submitted an application to Finansinspektionen (FI) on 27 December 2021 to become an authorised administrator in accordance with the EU’s Benchmark Regulation (BMR).
The Swedish Bankers’ Association published a recommendation yesterday on the actions users of the STIBOR reference rate should take if STIBOR were no longer provided. Finansinspektionen (FI) would therefore like to clarify how we will issue statements, if necessary, in the event STIBOR ceases to be provided.
In accordance with its assessment in the most recent stability report, FI is leaving the countercyclical buffer rate unchanged. The buffer rate of 0 per cent, which was applied starting on 16 March 2020, shall thus continue to apply. The countercyclical buffer guide is set at 0 per cent.
New reporting questions in 2022
The European Commission has announced that it does not intend to object to FI's intention to extend the current risk weight floor for Swedish mortgages. This means that FI may implement the measure.
Finansinspektionen publishes the capital requirements of the largest Swedish banks and credit institutions that belong to supervisory categories 1 and 2 as of the end of Q3 2021.
The economic recovery has been stronger than expected this year, in part due to strong support measures during the pandemic. At the same time, risks are building up, writes Finansinspektionen (FI) in its second stability report of the year. The report is being presented today by Director General Erik Thedéen and Chief Economist Henrik Braconier at a press conference.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) will conduct a review of the financial sector and the work of the authorities on financial stability, a so-called FSAP (Financial Sector Assessment Program) in 2022. FSAPs are conducted regularly for countries with systemically important financial markets. In its report, the IMF will highlight any flaws and risks in the system and propose measures to deal with them.