Enhanced protection for retail investors : MiFID II and MiFIR

Changes are being made to a key piece of European law whose purpose is to protect you when you buy or invest in financial products. The Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (MiFID) is being updated and strengthened in some important areas and will be known as MiFID II.MiFID is central to the regulation of financial markets in the European Union. It regulates the provision of investment services in financial instruments (such as shares, bonds, derivatives and various structured products) by banks and investment firms, and the operation of traditional stock exchanges and alternative trading venues. One of its core objectives is to ensure a high degree of harmonised protection for investors in financial instruments.We highlight some of the more important changes taking place to MiFID which we think are most relevant to you as a retail investor.