Financial Ombudsman Bureau (FINE) 

The Finnish Financial Ombudsman Bureau (FINE) advices users of insurance, banking and securities services in problem situations and assists them with their complaints. Customers can turn to FINE for instance when they have received a negative decision from an insurance company on a claim or if they are dissatisfied with a bank’s or investment firm’s code of conduct and procedures. Contracting parties to the Financial Ombudsman Bureau are the Consumer Agency, the Financial Supervisory Authority and the Federation of Finnish Financial Services.

The Financial Ombudsman Bureau provides services free of charge. It is generally preferable to contact the Bureau first by phone, as the majority of enquiries and complaints can be handled solely by phone. If the Bureau’s assistance does not lead to a conclusion, the Bureau advises on alternatives available to the customer for solving the dispute.

The Bureau also provides advice in insurance and financial matters prior to the purchase of a service or product. Customers are provided with information on laws, contractual terms, the financial sector’s codes of conduct and procedures and legal precedents.

Scope of Financial Ombudsman Bureau’s activities

In matters concerning insurance and pensions, FINE advices consumers, small entrepreneurs and other such customers. The Bureau’s activities cover voluntary property and life insurance, statutory workers’ compensation insurance, motor liability insurance, patient insurance and environmental insurance as well as industry-wide pension funds’ supplementary pension insurance and employee benefit funds’ health insurance matters.

The Bureau does not handle issues concerning the statutory pension insurance, statutory health insurance or unemployment insurance.
In relation to banking matters, the Bureau’s role is to advise private individuals and small entrepreneurs.

In matters relating to securities, the Bureau advises non-professional investors in cases concerning the offering of investment services. This covers such cases as securities trading, investment advice, book-entry accounts, asset management and investment fund matters.

Committees issue recommendation statements

Upon written request, the Insurance Complaints Board, Banking Complaints Board and Securities Complaints Board, operating in connection with Financial Ombudsman Bureau, issue statements of recommendation in disputes between customers and service providers.

In many insurance and banking matters, a statement can also be requested from the Consumer Disputes Board. However, the Boards provide an alternative to each other regarding the handling of a case; this means that the Insurance Complaints Board and Banking Complaints Board do not initiate cases that are pending with the Consumer Disputes Board. The Consumer Disputes Board does not handle matters involving securities (such as shares, participation certificates or bonds) or investment-linked insurance.

24 October 2011