The AMF is a regulatory authority that oversees not only financial markets, but also corporate financial communications and the marketing communications of investment firms and issuers of financial products. Its action is essential for the proper functioning of financial markets and for investor protection. It can also assist you in resolving disputes with a financial intermediary.
But concretely, what is its role for individuals and how can you use it in your investor efforts? Café de la Bourse revisits the missions of the AMF (Autorité des Marchés Financiers), the services it offers to private investors, as well as the major trends observed among investors through the AMF’s latest studies in 2026.
Autorité des marchés financiers: what is the AMF?
The AMF has a general-interest mission that it carries out with its own budget. It is not subsidised by the state nor does it depend on tax revenues. It is financed by the companies that go public and list investment products.
Created in 2003, the AMF is an independent public authority (API), which means that it carries out regulatory duties without being directly attached to the government, while acting within the framework of public policies for the protection of savings and the proper functioning of financial markets.
The two main missions of the AMF are:
- the supervision of financial markets: quotes, operations, etc.
- the supervision of financial information disseminated by companies: listed companies have transparency obligations on all information that could move their share price. The AMF ensures that their communications comply with the principles of accuracy, precision, and sincerity so that all investors have access, at the same time, to reliable information and can invest with full knowledge.
Beyond these main missions, the AMF also protects private investors, regulates financial products, and fights fraudulent practices. It can, for example, publish warnings, sanction actors in breach, and regulate certain commercial practices.
In this framework, the AMF is increasingly focusing on the use of new technologies in finance, notably artificial intelligence. In the face of the rise of these tools, it seeks to better frame their use, particularly when they are used to produce analyses or recommendations intended for investors. The aim is to avoid the dissemination of biased or misleading information, while ensuring sufficient transparency on how these tools work.
The AMF stresses the need to maintain human supervision and to properly inform savers about the limits of these technologies, so that they can make informed decisions.
What is the AMF’s role with private individuals?
The AMF also plays an educational role for private investors. It provides on its website amf-france.org substantial information on investors’ rights, on the asset management companies it has approved, on asset classes – equities, bonds – and investment products – UCITS and trackers, SCPI and OPCI, private equity, etc. It also offers educational content (guides, alerts, dossiers) to help savers better understand the risks associated with investments.
Finally, the AMF offers investors facing difficulties with a financial intermediary or an issuer the option to bring their complaint to the AMF Mediator. Attached directly to the AMF president, the mediator helps settle disputes amicably, free of charge and confidentially, related to financial products. In 2024, the AMF mediator received more than 2,200 requests and processed nearly 2,000 cases, illustrating the central role of this mechanism for individuals.
Moreover, the AMF can open investigations based on investor reports in cases of suspected market manipulation, misleading information, or fraudulent practices. These reports directly contribute to market surveillance and savers’ protection, in a context marked by the rise of financial scams, especially online.
How can the AMF concretely help a private investor?
The AMF is a public service dedicated to investors, whose mission is to protect savings, ensure market transparency, and assist individuals in their démarches. When in doubt, with questions, or facing a difficult situation with a financial intermediary, do not hesitate to seek help from the AMF. Let us see concretely how you can use the AMF and how it can assist you in your day-to-day investing life.
Verify a financial actor with REGAFI
Before opening an account with a broker or subscribing to a financial product, it is essential to verify that the actor is indeed authorised to operate in France. For this, you can consult the official REGAFI registry (Register of Financial Agents), accessible at this address: https://www.regafi.fr
This registry lists all establishments authorised by the authorities, notably those permitted to offer investment services.
Concretely, you simply enter the institution’s name in the search bar to verify whether it has the proper authorisation and which activities it is allowed to perform (order reception, portfolio management, advice, etc.). This verification is an essential reflex to avoid scams and ensure you entrust your money to a regulated actor.
For crypto actors, the logic is somewhat different: you do not go through REGAFI, but through the AMF-regulated specific statutes. To check whether a platform is registered or authorised as a PSAN (provider of services on digital assets), you can consult the AMF’s official whitelist here: https://www.amf-france.org/fr/espace-epargnants/proteger-son-epargne/listes-blanches
This link allows filtering actors according to their status (PSAN registered or authorised), but also to find platforms with the PSFP status (provider of crowdfunding services), which concerns crowdfunding sites.
In practice, a few clicks are enough to verify whether a platform is recognised by the regulator before investing there.
Consult AMF blacklist lists
Another useful reflex if you have doubts about a broker or an offer that seems too good to be true: take a look at AMF’s blacklist. It is accessible directly here: https://www.amf-france.org/fr/espace-epargnants/proteger-son-epargne/listes-noires-et-mises-en-garde
You can check whether the platform’s or company’s name appears among actors identified as not authorised or fraudulent. It is not an absolute guarantee (some very recent scams may not yet be listed), but it is a good filter to avoid the most well-known traps.
In practice, taking a few seconds to perform this check can clearly prevent unpleasant surprises.
To go further, we republish the blacklist of Forex brokers, the blacklist of sites not authorised in France in the Diversified category, or the blacklist of sites not authorised in France in the Cryptocurrency category, enriching our articles with tips to spot scams and practical advice for safe investing.
Contact AMF Épargne Info Service
If you have a question or doubt, you can also contact AMF Épargne Info Service directly. This service dedicated to individuals provides information on a product, an actor, or a situation that seems unclear. You can reach them via this form: https://www.amf-france.org/fr/demande-de-renseignements or by phone at 01 53 45 62 00. It is a good reflex to have in case of hesitation, especially before making an investment decision.
Reach the AMF Mediator
In the event of a dispute with a financial intermediary, the first step is to try to resolve the issue directly with the customer service or complaints department of the institution concerned.
If the response is not satisfactory or if there is no response within a reasonable time, you can then reach the AMF Mediator. This process is free and helps to find an amicable solution with the help of an independent third party. The request is made online, via the dedicated form available on the AMF website: https://www.amf-france.org/fr/le-mediateur. It is often an effective way to resolve a situation without going through a judicial procedure.
Synthèse des grandes tendances de l’investissement en France en 2026 selon les dernières études de l’AMF
| AMF Study | Key Figures | What it means for the private investor |
| ETFs | Number of investors quadrupled between 2019 and 2024 266,300 active investors in Q2 2024 45% of 25- to 35-year-olds invest in ETFs Average age: 41 (vs 52 for stocks) |
ETFs are becoming the gateway to the stock market Strong adoption by younger investors Rise of passive management |
| Trading | 89% of private investors lose money Average loss: €10,887 per client |
Speculative trading remains highly risky Significant losses for the majority of individuals |
| AI and Finance | 90% of players use or will use AI More than 50% of uses already in production Risks: technological dependency, data quality |
AI becomes essential in finance Powerful tools but requiring caution and oversight |
| Stock Market | Contracyclical behaviour of individuals Strong presence in small-cap stocks |
Private investors often buy during downturns Appetite for riskier assets |
| Savings Barometer | 24% of women invest vs 45% of men 34% of women accept risk vs 57% of men Growing interest in investing among women |
A significant gap persists Risk attitude remains decisive Progressive democratization of investing |
All of our information is, by nature, generic. It does not take into account your personal situation and does not constitute any personalized recommendations for executing transactions and should not be construed as investment advice, nor as any encouragement to buy or sell financial instruments. The reader alone is responsible for the use of the information provided, and no recourse against the publisher of Cafedelabourse.com is possible. The publisher’s liability cannot be engaged in case of error, omission, or unsuitable investment.
