Responses to COVID-19

Since the start of the pandemic, the OECD has played a leading role in supporting countries by gathering and sharing information about measures implemented by jurisdictions to protect and support financial consumers in response to COVID-19. To support policymakers and public authorities around the globe, the OECD has produced the following resources and publications:

Protecting Financial Consumers during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Detailed Analysis of Jurisdiction Measures and Implications (November 2021)

G20/OECD Report on Financial Consumer Protection and Financial Inclusion in the Context of COVID-19  (October 2021)

Financial Consumer Protection and Financial Literacy in Asia in Response to COVID-19 (July 2021)

Compendium of Measures to Address the COVID-19 Crisis (Updated throughout 2020)

Questionnaire on Financial Consumer Protection Measures re: COVID-19: Summary Analysis of Findings (October 2020)

Financial Consumer Protection Responses to COVID-19: Support for Financial Consumers (April 2020)

Protecting consumer assets, data and privacy

Digitalisation can bring many benefits to financial consumers, but also comes with new risks.  Positive outcomes include greater access to, and choice of, products and services available at lower costs, expanded speed, convenience, personalisation and security.  Risks include new forms of theft or fraud perpetrated online, data breaches, lack of privacy and digital security incidents. 

The Policy Guidance note on Financial Consumer Protection Policy Approaches in the DigitalAge: Protecting Consumers' assets, data and privacy has been developed by the G20/OECD FCP Task Force, and sets out flexible and non-binding guidance to support the implementation of the FCP Principles.

Ageing populations

The ageing population and the increase in longevity present opportunities and challenges across many countries, such as financially preparing people for ageing, supporting access to relevant financial products and services, ensuring older people are fairly treated and protecting older people from financial abuse.

The report on Financial Consumer Protection and Ageing Populations produced by the G20/OECD Task Force on FCP focuses specifically on issues and approaches for the financial consumer protection of older people as financial consumers. This report also sets out a number of examples from jurisdictions as well as policy considerations for policy makers and public authorities relating to the financial consumer protection of older people drawn from the analysis and research conducted.

To strengthen financial inclusion in the ageing society, the OECD and the Global Partnership on Financial Inclusion developed the G20 Fukuoka Policy Priorities on Aging and Financial Inclusion, which was endorsed by the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors at their meeting in Fukuoka, Japan on 8-9 June 2019.

The global financial crisis highlighted the need for more effective financial consumer protection measures as consumers face more sophisticated and complex financial markets. The availability of information has grown both in quantity and complexity and the pace of change, in terms of new product developments, product innovations, and technological advances, has increased dramatically.

Building and maintaining consumer confidence and trust in financial markets promotes efficiency and stability and helps to create positive outcomes for both financial institutions and their customers.

The OECD is working on how to enhance financial consumer protection, which includes determining what is required to help consumers gain the confidence, knowledge, information, security and choices they need to enable them to fully participate in financial markets.

Meetings

OECD/FinCoNet International Seminar on Performance-based Regulation & Financial Consumer Protection, 17 March 2021, virtual

OECD-SEBON Conference and roundtable on financial consumer protection and education in Asia-Pacific, 2-3 July 2019, Kathmandu, Nepal

ASIC-OECD Asia/Pacific Financial Consumer Protection Seminar, 28 September 2017, Melbourne, Australia

SEBI-OECD Asia Seminar: Emerging Trends in Financial Consumer Protection Across Asia, 4-5 February 2016, Mumbai, India

OECD/FCA conference on consumer financial protection, London, 23-24 September 2015

G20-World Bank-OECD conference on empowering consumers of financial products and services, Moscow, 15-16 June 2013

Seminar on the evolution of financial consumer protection and education in Asia, 13-14 December, Hong Kong (China)

Documents and links

G20/OECD High Level Principles on Financial Consumer Protection

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Financial Consumers in Asia

G20/OECD Report on Financial Consumer Protection and Financial Inclusion in the Context of COVID-19

Protecting Financial Consumers during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Detailed Analysis of Jurisdiction Measures and Implications

Financial consumer protection and financial literacy in Asia in response to COVID-19, 2021

Financial Consumer Protection Policy Approaches in the Digital Age

Questionnaire on Financial Consumer Protection Measures re: COVID-19: Summary Analysis of Findings

Financial Consumer Protection and Ageing Populations

Measures to address the Covid-19 crisis

Information Note on Financial Consumer Protection Responses to Covid-19

Cryptoassets in Asia: Consumer attitudes, behaviours and experiences, 2019

Compendium of Effective Approaches for Financial Consumer Protection in the Digital Age

OECD Recommendation on Consumer Protection in the field of Consumer Credit, 2019 ENG FRE

G20 Fukuoka Policy Priorities on Aging and Financial Inclusion, prepared by the OECD and the Global Partnership on Financial Inclusion, under the Japanese G20 Presidency, June 2019

Behavioural economics and financial consumer protection

Financial Literacy and Consumer Protection: Overlooked Aspects of the Crisis / français

Policy Framework for Effective and Efficient Financial Regulation: General Guidance and High-Level Checklist | français

G20 High-level Principles on Financial Consumer Protection

In February 2011, the G20 called on the OECD, the Financial Stability Board (FSB) and other relevant international organisations to develop common principles on consumer protection in the field of financial services. These principles were endorsed at the G20 meeting on 14-15 October 2011.

The G20/OECD Task Force on Financial Consumer Protection is currently focused on supporting the implementation of the High-level Principles.

Effective approaches to support the implementation of the remaining G20 High-Level Principles of Financial Consumer Protection and addendum, submitted to G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors, Cairns, 21 September 2014

Update report on effective approaches to support the implementation of the High-level Principles and Annex, submitted to the G20 Saint Petersburg Summit on 5-6 September 2013

G20 High-level Principles on Financial Consumer Protection, 2011

G20 finance ministers agree new principles to boost financial consumer protection | version française

Communiqué of the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors, 15 October 2011

Speeches by Angel Gurría at the G20-OECD High-level seminar on financial consumer protection, 14 October 2011

Angel Gurría speaks to G20 about financial consumer protection, 4 November 2011, Cannes

Online public consultation on draft high-level principles on financial consumer protection 1-31 August 2011