ACPR (supervisor)
The Autorité de Contrôle Prudentiel et de Résolution, attached to the Banque de France. It supervises banks, insurers and intermediaries, enforces customer-protection rules and can sanction breaches (duty to advise, pre-contractual information, anti-money-laundering). For a broker it is the reference regulator for sound commercial conduct.
Key points
- The ACPR supervises banks, insurers and financial intermediaries in France under the Banque de France.
- It enforces customer-protection rules, notably the duty to advise.
- It has jurisdiction over anti-money-laundering and counter-terrorism financing (AML/CTF).
- Sanctions range from a warning to withdrawal of authorization or significant fines.
Frequently asked questions
Why should a credit broker know the ACPR's role?
The ACPR can inspect intermediaries' commercial practices, notably the quality of advice given, the delivery of pre-contractual documents and compliance with AML/CTF obligations. A breach detected during an inspection can lead to a formal notice, a financial penalty or removal from the register. For a broker, knowing this scope allows processes to be built for compliance from the outset.
What is the difference between the ACPR and the AMF for a credit professional?
The AMF (Autorité des marchés financiers) regulates financial instruments, markets and investment advisors. The ACPR supervises the banking and insurance sector, making it the natural regulator for IOBSPs and insurance intermediaries. Both can, however, be simultaneously competent for an actor offering both credit and savings products.
How does the ACPR concretely supervise credit intermediaries?
Inspections can be documentary (examination of records) or on-site (physical inspection of premises and client files). The ACPR can also be alerted by a dissatisfied borrower, triggering a targeted investigation. In all cases, the broker's ability to quickly produce documents tracing the advice given and information provided to the client is critical.
In practice
Following a complaint from a borrower who felt they had not been properly informed about the cost of their borrower's insurance, the ACPR audited the broker and found the absence of a standardized information sheet: this gap led to a formal compliance notice with a strict deadline.
Official sources
- Prudential supervision and resolution authority · ACPR (Banque de France)
- The banking-operations intermediary (IOBSP) · ABE Info Service (Banque de France / ACPR)
- Single register of intermediaries · ORIAS
