Article 52
Information about investment advice
1.
Investment firms shall explain in a clear and concise way whether and why investment advice qualifies as independent or non-independent and the type and nature of the restrictions that apply, including, when providing investment advice on an independent basis, the prohibition to receive and retain inducements.
Where advice is offered or provided to the same client on both an independent and non-independent basis, investment firms shall explain the scope of both services to allow investors to understand the differences between them and not present itself f as an independent investment adviser for the overall activity. Firms shall not give undue prominence to their independent investment advice services over non-independent investment services in their communications with clients.
2.
Investment firms providing investment advice, on an independent or non-independent basis, shall explain to the client the range of financial instruments that may be recommended, including the firm's relationship with the issuers or providers of the instruments.
3.
Investment firms shall provide a description of:
(a)
the types of financial instruments considered;
(b)
the range of financial instruments and providers, analysed per each type of instrument according to the scope of the service;
(c)
where relevant, the sustainability factors taken into consideration in the selection process of financial instruments;
(d)
when providing independent advice, how the service provided satisfies the conditions for the provision of investment advice on an independent basis, and the factors taken into consideration in the selection process used by the investment firm to recommend financial instruments, including risks, costs and complexity of the financial instruments.
4.
When the range of financial instruments assessed by the investment firm providing investment advice on an independent basis includes the investment firm's own financial instruments or those issued or provided by entities having close links or any other close legal or economic relationship with the investment firm as well as other issuers or providers which are not linked or related, the investment firm shall distinguish, for each type of financial instrument, the range of the financial instruments issued or provided by entities not having any links with the investment firm.
5.
Investments firms providing a periodic assessment of the suitability of the recommendations provided pursuant to Article 54(12) shall disclose all of the following:
(a)
the frequency and extent of the periodic suitability assessment and where relevant, the conditions that trigger that assessment;
(b)
the extent to which the information previously collected will be subject to reassessment; and
(c)
the way in which an updated recommendation will be communicated to the client.