BCC Iccrea Group and BNP Paribas Cardif signed a strategic partnership for life insurance in Italy. Alessandro Deodato, CEO of BNP Paribas Cardif in Italy and Mauro Pastore, General Manager of BCC Iccrea Group explain why this partnership is key to both companies.

Tell us a bit about the context of this partnership…

Alessandro Deodato: As CEO of BNP Paribas Cardif in Italy, my goal is to develop our business with the entrepreneurial spirit that is rooted in the company’s DNA and we are continually seeking partners with whom we can keep making insurance more accessible. Beyond the business, our relationship with BCC Iccrea Group started in an unusual way: I met Mauro Pastore in Wiesbaden a few months ago and we discovered that we both happened to be supporters of the same football team. So I knew this was the beginning of a very good relationship! As for the origins of the partnership in itself: we presented an offer to BCC Iccrea Group with another company (Assimoco, the Italian insurance branch of R+V Versicherung), in order to address their needs both in savings and protection. We accompany our partner in the savings spectrum and the life part of all Creditor Protection Insurance (CPI) products, whereas Assimoco’s perimeter is the non-life part of the protection business.

Mauro Pastore: In the area of savings, we were looking for a solid and technically qualified partner that could help us develop our strategy in the life branch of bancassurance, which is a product line we truly believe in. We were looking for a partner that could help us make BCC Vita (our company dedicated to life insurance) grow to its full capacities by enhancing and optimising its global product range, as well as improving its promotion to the customers of our 115 local banks. To us, it was clear that BNP Paribas Cardif offered the quality financial product management that we needed, as well as technical and sales promotion capabilities that are among the best in the market.

Why were you both looking for an alliance?

Alessandro Deodato: We strategically wanted to continue diversifying our distribution setup and client base while continuing to build long-term partnerships in Italy. Scalability and long-term agreements are key drivers, as they allow us and our partners to grow in a healthy manner. BCC Iccrea Group’s cooperative DNA and distinctive client base were interesting entry-points, which makes them probably the best banking group to partner with for the next 15 years, at least! Beyond giving a fresh momentum to BCC Iccrea Group’s savings activity, this partnership also allows us to reinforce our own position in savings, as we acquired 51% of BCC Vita.

Mauro Pastore: We are a banking group, present throughout Italy and with a strong and historical relationship with our partners and communities. It was essential to complete our range of financial services thanks to an efficient partner, experienced in savings management and fund structuring, a partner that could assist us technically and in the field. We believe that savings and more globally insurance solutions are more than a simple option within our own value proposition. We care about the future of our customers, and the necessary protection and risk control guaranteed by insurance is part of our holistic service vision. The value proposition of BNP Paribas Cardif is comprehensive and offers great value compared with what is available in the market. Overall, they offer some of the most effective solutions in savings and protection, for example solutions that meet customers’ future needs, or other specific demands such as the protection of salary-backed loans, which are specific to Italy. We expect to exploit some of these new resources over the next 15 years, at first in the area of savings, to increase our growth and development.

What are the mains benefits of this alliance?

Alessandro Deodato: BCC Iccrea Group and BNP Paribas Cardif share the same vision: we want to prioritise customer needs above our own individual interests. Indeed, there is no success in a partnership if we do not put the clients at the heart of the equation. The cooperative world, which is part of BCC Iccrea Group’s historical DNA, takes that consideration even further, as individuals may not only be clients but potential shareholders as well. We believe we can contribute towards enhancing the investment products currently being offered to BCC Iccrea Group’s customers, while strengthening our partner’s competitiveness in the Italian market. The idea is to help them broaden and complete their range of financial products thanks to a product mix in savings, by leveraging not only general funds, but also unit-linked investment capabilities. We also aim to improve performance and investment horizons thanks to our unique know-how and customer-retention expertise. More generally, our goal is to be a growth engine for BCC Iccrea Group: increasing the promotion of BBC Vita’s product range to the cooperative banks could be a driver to boost savings inflows and thus contribute to our partner’s growth. With our combined strengths, we believe we can help BCC Iccrea Group become one of the best banking groups in Italy, and be part of this great success story ourselves as well.

Mauro Pastore: It has only been a few months since we entered into this new partnership and we are already seeing strong collaboration. While we expect excellence from BNP Paribas Cardif in supporting us in the technical management of the product range, we provide them with our extensive network – around 2,500 branches – and our solid relationship with our customers. Joining forces and assets will soon make it possible to promote the product portfolio that we will have built together.

To what extent does this partnership contribute to improving value for clients?

Alessandro Deodato: Together we are working with the common aim to make insurance more accessible to BCC Iccrea Group’s customers. Our value proposition is a combination of compelling and unique promises, providing both financial and non-financial value to our partner and their customers. Throughout BBC Vita, we commit to improving investment product quality and financial security to meet their customers’ needs. Our goal is to is keep on delivering a combination of high-quality products and services to clients and retain their trust over the long term.

Mauro Pastore: Client value is at the heart of our strategy. We believe it is crucial to adapt and optimise our savings product range in order to design the solutions that our clients expect. We are a grouping of local banks founded on strong relationships and customer trust. We are used to listening to our customers with a level of attention that sets us apart, and for this very reason we need a partner that can help us give our clients all the attention and customer care they deserve. This is one of the reasons we chose to team up with BNP Paribas Cardif, as they are able to identify solutions specifically designed to meet the needs of the people who come to our branches. Their recognised expertise is particularly strategic for us; it will help us take our relationships with customers to another level, as well as finalising a new product offering with new benefits for both the distributing banks and end customers.

What are the next steps?

Alessandro Deodato: We are working hard, together with BCC Vita and BCC Iccrea Group, initially on product analysis, preparing to provide customers with the most appropriate and high-quality offer, as well as a comprehensive sales promotion, as soon as possible.

Mauro Pastore: As soon as we receive approvals from regulatory authorities, BNP Paribas Cardif’s acquisition of 51% of BCC Vita will become effective. Immediately afterwards we will dedicate ourselves to the design and fine-tuning of new savings products. If the partnership thrives, we expect BNP Paribas Cardif to acquire a further 19% of BCC Vita’s capital in the future.*

* Subject to approval by IVASS, the Italian insurance regulator.

Neuflize OBC, the private banking unit of ABN AMRO in France, and Cardif, the insurance subsidiary of the BNP Paribas Group, have announced plans for a long-term partnership in life insurance. This partnership will lead to a distribution agreement and the acquisition by Cardif of the life insurance company Neuflize Vie from its founding parent companies, ABN Amro and AXA.

Cardif, a major player in life insurance in France and Neuflize OBC, a leading wealth management bank in France, plan to combine their forces to drive their growth in life insurance for high net worth individuals. ABN Amro’s choice of partner follows a rigorous selection process involving several leaders in the European insurance segment. Cardif’s offer proved particularly attractive due to the insurer’s robust financial foundations, its product range, and its ability to offer personalized solutions for the Neuflize OBC bank.

The integration of teams from Neuflize Vie, specialists in custom-tailored wealth management solutions, with Cardif teams reflects a shared commitment to developing a long-term partnership to serve clients of Neuflize OBC. Cardif and Neuflize OBC have partnered for more than ten years within the framework of AEP, a B2B commercial brand of Cardif specialized in designing and marketing high-end life insurance and capitalisation products. The partners share a culture of excellence to meet the demanding expectations of a high net worth clientele. This new alliance will enable Cardif and Neuflize OBC to consolidate their respective leadership positions in asset management and wealth management in France.

Combining Neuflize Vie’s innovative high-end solutions and the expertise of Cardif in insurance partnerships will allow the partners to bring a unique offer in the market. Neuflize OBC clients are assured of a seamless continuation of high-quality support matched to their private banking profiles. This partnership will also benefit Neuflize Vie’s other partners such as asset managers, independent private banks, family offices and asset management advisors, which are priority channels for both players. They will continue to benefit from the most cutting-edge products and services with the same quality of service and innovation through this new alliance.

The alliance of Cardif and Neuflize Vie will create an uncontested leader in high-end life insurance in France, supported by expert teams with recognized know-how.

“We are delighted at the prospect of this strategic alliance with BNP Paribas Cardif and the opportunity to collaborate in order to rapidly expand the offering of life insurance solutions that are central to the wealth management strategies of our clients.”

Laurent Garret, Country Executive Officer, Neuflize OBC

“I am excited about this unique opportunity for Neuflize Vie, recognized for its expertise, to partner with one of the life insurance leaders in France. We look forward to expanding our business together to benefit our clients and our partners.” 

Arnaud de Dumast, Chief Executive, Neuflize Vie

“We are proud that our long-term partnership with Neuflize OBC will enable us to work together to consolidate our position in the wealth management life insurance segment in France. This new alliance illustrates our capacity to jointly deploy our value proposition to benefit our partners.”

Pauline Leclerc Glorieux, Chief Executive Officer of BNP Paribas Cardif

“We are pleased with Neuflize OBC’s confidence in bringing our Life companies together, which will allow us to continue to offer our partners and customers products and services of the highest market standards.”

Fabrice Bagne, Deputy Chief Executive of BNP Paribas Cardif, France, Italy, and Luxembourg

This agreement remains subject to applicable procedures relative to employees involved, and to approval from relevant regulatory and competition authorities.

Building on the existing partnership, the two companies are launching insurance for homeowners, via a 100% digital journey reinforced by artificial intelligence (AI). 

Lemonade announces the launch of its new homeowners insurance in France, in partnership with BNP Paribas Cardif. This offer can be underwriting through the Lemonade App or online at lemonade.com/fr/and cardif.fr.

This new insurance is specifically crafted for customers in France, with the ability to get instantly covered starting from 10 euros per month. On top of the industry base coverage (fire, water damage, reconstruction costs, civil liability, etc.), the policy also provides a suite of add-ons to provide full scope coverage and flexibility including:

• School insurance, extended coverage to children up to 18 years old to provide coverage during school and extracurricular activities,
• Legal protection, helping customers in case of dispute with a third party, for a wide range of day-today situations (property, retail, work related and online reputation),
• Theft outside the home providing protection to customer belongings while on the go.

This new product fulfills Lemonade’s expansion since its entry in France since its entrance into the market in December 2020. As Lemonade continues to advance globally with its European business making significant strides in 2023, the launch of homeowners insurance alongside BNP Paribas Cardif will support the company’s growth.

The partnership comes within the framework of BNP Paribas Cardif’s strategic plan, which aims to leverage technology to enhance the customer experience, aligned with its mission of making insurance more accessible. BNP Paribas Cardif will also be able to propose this fully digital home insurance to its distribution partners.

Lemonade will benefit from the experience of an insurer with a widely recognized brand that has been operating in the French market for 50 years.

Risks are covered by both BNP Paribas Cardif and Lemonade, who act as co-insurers for this offer.

Founded in 2021, Upway is a French startup that sells refurbished electric bikes.
The company buys used e-bikes from retailers, manufacturers and private users and refurbish them in its workshops before selling to the end customers.

Upway has refurbished and sold over 20 000 e-bikes across France, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium and the US. They are offering all categories of e-bikes (from City/Folding to Cargo), and a large range of brands (Rad Power, Riese & Müller, Scott, Moustache,…), with up to 60% discounted price.

BNP Paribas Cardif has supported the French startup in its Series B fundraising in the beginning of this year through its C. Entrepreneurs fund (along with Cathay Innovation).

_{^*source: The Moving World report, UP partners}

Insurer BNP Paribas Cardif and Sistech, a non-profit that empowers refugee women through access to tech and digital jobs, have signed a partnership to support Sistech beneficiaries.  

This partnership aims to accelerate the professional inclusion of refugee women in tech and digital jobs. Entirely free for beneficiaries, the initiative is part of the Women & Girls in Tech program supported by the BNP Paribas Group, to which BNP Paribas Cardif contributes. This program aims to bring more women into the tech sector while having positive social impact. This approach resonates with broader initiatives by the insurer, which is committed to making a greater contribution to a more inclusive society. 

According to the 2022 Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI) report, only 19% of specialists in information and communication technologies (ICT) in Europe are women. Yet education and employability for women are not simply essential for equity, but also serve as critical drivers of innovation and performance in an increasingly competitive business environment. The support program designed for volunteer beneficiaries selected by Sistech spans three key stages in the professional inclusion journey of women who have been displaced, are seeking asylum, or are refugees.

• An employability program lasting ten weeks consists of weekly mentoring sessions and visits to businesses. This professional inclusion program includes support for creating essential job search resources (CVs, application letters, etc.).
• A digital orientation program lasting eight weeks comprises weekly sessions to enable the participants to discover and get an introduction to different digital skillsets.
• A training program lasting twelve weeks includes French classes, plus technical courses and weekly online learning sessions with trainers from Sistech. 

During each stage, BNP Paribas Cardif employees are invited to volunteer and help support the inclusion of women in vulnerable situations through language training or by presenting tech skills to the beneficiaries.  

Sistech founder Joséphine Goube comments:

“Refugee women not only show great courage and commitment, they also bring the substantial expertise and resources they have acquired during their previous professional activities. That’s why we see this partnership as both strategic and pragmatic. Because working together to support the reskilling of these women in jobs matched to their considerable expertise is clearly a win-win exchange. We know that with our support and with their determination, these women will enjoy tremendous success, both professionally at the companies they join, and on a personal level. We are very excited about working with BNP Paribas Cardif. The resources they are contributing confirms their commitment to investing in innovation and in the rich potential created by diversity.” 

Michael Nguyen, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Efficiency, Technology and Operations of BNP Paribas Cardif, adds:

“We are proud to embark on this partnership with Sistech, which provides concrete support for refugee women, providing them with material resources, top-quality training and the tools to find employment. This initiative is also very motivating for BNP Paribas Cardif teams, who are eager to contribute. At the same time, it addresses our need to increase the number of women in roles where there is a shortage of candidates.”

• The insurer BNP Paribas Cardif, BNP Paribas Wealth Management and Blackstone launch a new private assets unit-linked focused on private credit available within the framework of BNP Paribas life insurance, capitalisation contracts and individual retirement savings plans.
• Clients of BNP Paribas Wealth Management will enjoy exclusive access to this unit of account until April 5, 2024.
• Its launch, backed by Blacktone’s strategy and expertise, enables BNP Paribas Cardif and BNP Paribas Wealth Management to strengthen the range of private assets products offered to their clients by giving them access to a type of asset usually reserved for institutional investors 

BNP Paribas Wealth Management and BNP Paribas Cardif announce a partnership with Blackstone, the world’s largest alternative asset manager, to offer “Blackstone European Private Credit Fund”, a new unit-linked private debt-backed unit-linked account.  
This new support is available exclusively to BNP Paribas’ clients within the framework of BNP Paribas life insurance, capitalisation contracts and individual retirement savings plans.
Launched with an exclusive early access period until April 5^th 2024 for clients of BNP Paribas Wealth Management, “Blackstone European Private Credit Fund” is available through an investment fund focused on private debt… As an evergreen fund¹, it offers BNP Paribas Wealth Management and BNP Paribas Cardif’s individual savers an access to these solutions, a first since it has traditionally been available only to institutional investors.

By investing in large European companies, “Blackstone European Private Credit Fund” allows investors to diversify their assets and aspire to higher income potential through floating rate private debt, while benefiting from Blackstone’s scale and experience.

Rashmi Madan, Head of EMEA for Blackstone Private Wealth Solutions:

“We are delighted to partner with BNP Paribas Wealth Management and Cardif to bring our European private credit strategy to their clients. This initiative is part of our mission to expand individual investors’ access to private markets in France and across Europe. France is a key market for us, and we see strong appetite from individual investors’ to diversify their portfolio to include private markets.” 

“We are pleased to launch exclusive access to this private debt unit-linked for our French private clients. It will enable them to invest in attractive European companies through senior secured loans and to strengthen their portfolio diversification. BNP Paribas Banque Privée has solid internal expertise in private markets, enabling us to work with the best-in-class asset managers, such as Blackstone.”

adds Nicolas Otton, Head of BNP Paribas Banque Privée.

“We are pleased with this partnership with Blackstone, which enables us to expand our private markets offering within the life insurance,capitalization and individual retirement savings plans contracts distributed by BNP Paribas Private Banking in France. This new private debt fund underlines our commitment to providing an investment solution that makes savings meaningful for clients seeking diversification”

states Fabrice Bagne, BNP Paribas Cardif Deputy Chief Executive Officer, France, Italy and Luxembourg.

_{¹Evergreen funds (also known as “open-ended funds”) are flexible investment vehicles with no fixed end date.}

BNP Paribas Cardif and Orange, which have partnered for insurance coverage of mobile devices since 2018, today announce the rollout of a solution that automates approval of claims for device breakage or oxidation. Policyholders making a claim can apply a score calculated using artificial intelligence (AI) to receive a decision within seconds. The AI-based solution replicates the human decision process thanks to an algorithm constructed from data reported by customers, as well as data on past behavior.

Customers can also choose to opt out from this solution and have their claim processed by claims managers. This processing option will also be applied if claims are not automatically approved using AI. 

This approach reflects BNP Paribas Cardif’s commitments to placing the customer experience at the heart of the insurer’s strategy, benefiting the over one million Orange clients who have taken out BNP Paribas Cardif insurance cover to protect their smartphones, tablets, watches and accessories. BNP Paribas Cardif leverages artificial intelligence to better meet policyholder expectations and make insurance more accessible. This in particular includes faster insurance subscription and fast processing when a claim is made. 

Baptiste Auffret, director of BNP Paribas Cardif affinity partnerships, commented:

“Responding to a claim in under five seconds is a great way to boost customer satisfaction. This automatic claims approval solution marks a new stage in our partnership with Orange and reflects our shared vision of delivering the best possible customer experience. BNP Paribas Cardif is committed to applying innovations made possible by technological advances and artificial intelligence to more efficiently manage the loss ratio while meeting the needs and expectations of its partner’s customers. Thanks to this new solution we have cut the time in approving claims from an average of two hours to just seconds.” 

Guillaume de Riberolles, director of financial products and services at Orange France, said:

“Mobile phones have become absolutely essential to the daily lives of our customers, which is why we need to provide them with immediate solutions in the event of a problem. After introducing a solution to replace phones within 24 hours, we worked with our partner BNP Paribas Cardif to enable claims approvals in just a few seconds thanks to artificial intelligence. Orange sees this innovation as a way to increase customer satisfaction and ensure the best possible experience when they make a claim for damage to their phone.” 

BCC Iccrea Group and BNP Paribas Cardif sign a strategic partnership for life insurance in Italy

BNP Paribas Cardif will acquire a 51% stake in BCC Vita along with an agreement with BCC Banca Iccrea for the exclusive distribution.

BCC Banca Iccrea, parent company of the BCC Iccrea Group, and the insurer BNP Paribas Cardif have signed a strategic bancassurance partnership in life insurance.

The choice of BCC Iccrea Bank (holding of the BCC Iccrea Group) came after a complex selection process involving several leading companies in the European insurance market with a consolidated position also in the life sector in Italy.

The proposal submitted by BNP Paribas Cardif, the insurance arm of the BNP Paribas Group stands out in terms of product range, with products customised specifically for the BCC Iccrea Group to support the sales network. Among other things, the agreement provides BNP Paribas Cardif with the purchase of 51% of BCC Vita, the BCC Iccrea Group’s life insurance company, set up in 2008 to promote life and protection insurance services through a wide range of policies able to meet the need of securing and protecting one’s savings. BNP Paribas Cardif will be able to extend the duration of the partnership up to a total of 15 years and to acquire an additional 19% of BCC Vita.

For the BCC Iccrea Group, the agreement will strengthen and align the product range of the 116 BCCs* that belong to the BCC Iccrea Group with respect to bancassurance, providing continuity to the commitment made by BCC Vita.

This agreement for exclusive distribution with BCC Banca Iccrea, holding of the second largest banking group in Italy by number of branches allows BNP Paribas Cardif to fulfill its diversification through new distribution networks, notably in Italy. At the same time, BNP Paribas Cardif will follow its strategic plan and its ambition to reinforce its position in the insurance market worldwide through new business opportunities.

A particular strategic role in the partnership will be played by BCC Servizi Assicurativi, the specialised insurance hub of the BCC Iccrea Group that has strengthened since August 2020, its personalised assistance and consulting services for customers and shareholders of member BCCs and its technological innovation support to the network of their 2,500 branches in Italy. BCC Servizi Assicurativi, founded with the mission of capitalising on the significant growth potential offered by the bancassurance sector, has progressively assumed the role of insurance competence centre for both the BCC Iccrea Group’s companies and the BCCs.

“I’m very pleased that we were able to close a commercial agreement for life insurance with BNP Paribas Cardif, an important partner both in Italy and in Europe”, commented Mauro Pastore, General Manager of the BCC Iccrea Group. “The partnership comes after a long internal evaluation that sought to identify a company that could ensure our 116 BCCs a complete, competitive product range and an operating model leveraging existing infrastructure throughout the country. It is with these resources that we want to gain new market share in the sector, through careful monitoring and a comprehensive offer that is able to respond to our customers’ wide-ranging and growing needs for protection”.

The effectiveness of the transaction is subject to the issuance of authorisations by the relevant authorities. 

^{*BCC : Banche di Credito Cooperativo}

 

Financial advisors show solid moral and look to the future with optimism despite successive crises.

• 80% of financial advisors believe their clients are seeking lower-risk investments for their assets and 73% say clients want to diversify their portfolios. 
• 93% of financial advisors say new clients contact them for retirement planning. 
• 80% of financial advisors remain confident in their profession.  
• 62% of financial advisors expect clients to be more attentive to yield in the coming months. 
• Regulation is the main challenge for the profession, cited by 69% of respondents.
• 7 out of 10 financial advisors are considering either an acquisition or divestment transaction. 

BNP Paribas Cardif has released the results of its 17th annual survey of financial advisors¹ . Conducted with Kantar, one of the world’s leading market research agencies, the 2023 BNP Paribas Cardif survey evaluated the morale of financial advisors and asked about the impact of the current geopolitical and economic situation on their business, as well as the expectations of their clients.

Optimism buoyed by solid business development momentum 

Three out of ten financial advisors say they have been impacted by the current geopolitical and economic situation, marked by inflation and higher interest rates, and  27% say this impact has been substantial, up from 16% in 2022. Nevertheless, 95% of the financial advisors feel the profession is quite healthy. The outlook for the profession remains optimistic for this year, driven in particular by solid business development momentum. Some 64% of the financial advisors say their clientele has grown over the past 12 months. This growth trend is found in particular at firms with three or more employees (73%). 
This momentum is also seen in the lower average age of the client base for half the advisors surveyed. What’s more, nearly a quarter of them are seeing more clients from less affluent income brackets among the new additions to their portfolios. Financial advisors are equally optimistic regarding the long-term development outlook, with 80% expressing their confidence in the profession over a 12-month horizon (compared with 78% last year), and 84% saying they project significant growth potential for the coming five years. 

Financial advisors expect clients to be more demanding in terms of yield, in addition to security and diversification

The majority of financial advisors (59%) note continued concerns among clients regarding their investments. This phenomenon has led to stability and sometimes a drop in their financial investments. For 45% of the advisors, clients have taken steps to reduce the amount of investments in financial instruments. Furthermore, the profession reports that clients have sought to refocus their investments in less risky funds (80%) and diversify their invested assets beyond life insurance products (over 70%). Given levels of inflation and higher interest rates, 62% of the financial advisors expect their clients to place greater importance on the yield of their investments in the months ahead, in addition to security. 

With regards to the type of assets held in life insurance contracts, this year marked the return of euro funds and the development of certain asset classes among the investment solutions that the financial advisors propose to their clients. Some 39% of the advisors say they will propose more euro funds (compared with 14% in 2022), while 54% will suggest structured products, 44% bonds and 42% socially-responsible investments. 

Furthermore, in addition to life insurance products, protection and retirement products remain very much in demand. A full 93% of the financial advisors in the survey say that new clients have contacted them specifically to prepare for retirement, in addition to growing their assets, and 22% say retirement planning is the primary motivation. This led 37% of the advisors to say they will strengthen the position of individual retirement offerings in their portfolios over the coming two years, and 22% say they will expand their offer of collective retirement products. 

Lastly, financial advisors confirm the importance of social and environmental responsibility criteria in the choice of funds. The prominence of this aspect has stabilized over the past three years, and 62% of the advisors say that the environmental, social and governance (ESG) profile of a fund is important (66% in 2022). Half the financial advisors believe that more and more of their clients will be motivated to make meaningful investments and make targeted choices when they invest their assets. 

Changes in the profession: regulatory environment remains a permanent challenge for financial advisors

Today, 69% of financial advisors cite regulation as the primary challenge facing the profession, ahead of identifying investment solutions aligned with the economic context or asset allocation. The advisors recognize the utility and need to apply these regulations, since 69% see the regulatory framework as something that protects them, as well as their clients (64%), and 17% strongly believe that this is the case. This is reflected in the fact that the great majority of them (82%) rely on industry associations to keep them current about regulatory changes and to ensure their compliance, while 25% turn to financial establishments. 

Lastly, financial advisors are positive about the changes impacting the profession. The survey once again this year confirmed that the structure of the market continues to evolve, with a tendency towards consolidation. In this latest survey, seven out of ten financial advisors say they could be involved in either acquisition or divestment transactions (68% vs. 65% in 2022). 

¹ _{Methodology: online survey conducted by Kantar from 30 May to 27 June 2023, covering a representative sample (weighted according to size of the firms) of 158 financial advisors in France.}

 

 

Every two years, BNP Paribas Cardif and a number of its international entities conduct a survey of their partners. The survey covers four main themes relating to the services and solutions provided, and gives us a better understanding of our partners’ needs and levels of satisfaction:

• Partner relations
• Operational efficiency
• Customer experience
• Digital transformation

“Listening to our partners and measuring their levels of satisfaction is crucial for us. Our aim with this survey is to foster stable and long-lasting partnerships that benefit both our partners and our company. It helps us to better understand their needs and those of their customers, so that our response meets their expectations as closely as possible.”

Chris Murphy, Head of partnership management

We have around 500 distribution partners over 3 continents (Asia, Europe and Latam) giving us an in-depth, intimate understanding of the daily needs of our partners and policyholders. As an expert of insurance products, our partnership approach enables pooling of expertise and co-creation of innovative and relevant solutions for policyholders.