Unreliable investment advice from AI or “finfluencers” and the promise of fast gains from crypto trading. These are examples of consumer protection risks that have recently emerged on the financial market. At the same time, risks linked to unsound lending and financial exclusion of consumers are still prevalent. These are some of Finansinspektionen’s (FI) observations in this year’s consumer protection report.
Swedes hold a large amount of financial assets, but the distribution of these assets is very uneven. Most Swedes hold a small amount of financial assets, while 5 per cent of the population holds approximately half of all assets. Few have direct savings in shares or funds. Those with large loans can be vulnerable to weakened economic conditions and therefore in general have a greater need for a financial buffer. FI’s data indicates that many mortgagors hold a small amount of assets, at least with the same bank where they have their mortgage.
Right now, the media is filled with reporting on cryptoassets, and various investment tips are being shared on social media. Even though regulations for the cryptomarket are under development, it will continue to be very risky for consumers to invest in crypto. We have listed four reasons not to invest in them.
Expensive and complex products are unsuitable for most consumers. Despite this, firms offer such products on a broad front. This is one of the consumer risks that FI highlights in this year’s consumer protection report.