Each month, our team curates a selection of key highlights from the banking and insurance world.
In this 36th edition: a concise roundup of regulatory updates, ecosystem trends, and technological breakthroughs shaping the industry.
A focused briefing designed to get straight to the point, read it, share it, and don’t miss out!
Regulatory | Borrower insurance: three new banks sanctioned
Three additional banks have been sanctioned for failing to comply with the legal deadlines related to switching borrower insurance, confirming the stricter enforcement of substitution rules.
Key takeaways:
Administrative fines imposed by the DGCCRF (Directorate General for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control) for failure to meet obligations, notably the legal deadline of 10 business days. In addition to CIC Est (€196,000), the sanctions affect Caisse d’Épargne Île-de-France (€80,000), BRED Banque Populaire (€298,000), and Crédit Agricole Paris Île-de-France (€323,518).
Banks must respond to substitution requests within 10 business days. Delays, silence, unsubstantiated refusals, or requests for documents not required by law are considered obstacles and may be sanctioned.
The Lemoine Law allows borrowers to change insurance at any time, free of charge and without penalties, provided there is equivalence of coverage. It requires banks to process requests within the deadlines, justify refusals, and issue an endorsement upon acceptance. The recent sanctions aim to make this freedom effective.
Source : Assurance emprunteur : trois nouvelles banques sanctionnées pour non-respect des règles
Ecosystem | BoursoBank: banking fees abolished for certain estates
Adopted unanimously, Law No. 2025-415 of May 13, 2025, known as the Pirès Beaune Law, now regulates the practices of financial institutions when settling estates. It strengthens family protection and brings greater clarity and predictability to applied costs, with entry into force on November 13, 2025, and a cap to be specified by decree.
Key takeaways:
Estate settlement fees are abolished for assets below €5,000, in line with the threshold for the heirs’ certificate. Above €5,000, fees will be capped. This cap will be set by decree following an opinion from the Consultative Committee of the Financial Sector (CCSF).
In the absence of a regulatory framework, estate fees varied widely (average €233 according to UFC-Que Choisir), sometimes bearing little relation to the value of the assets. These practices were deemed disproportionate and a source of inequity for families.
Some banks had already anticipated the reform: Crédit Mutuel and CIC waived fees for estates under €10,000 and eliminated certain charges. Others (e.g., Crédit Agricole CMDS, Centre Loire, BoursoBank) offered free processing up to €25,000.
Source : BoursoBank – Fin des frais bancaires pour certaines successions
Technology | Beyond tech, customers want human contact with their insurer (Argus study in partnership with Capgemini)
French policyholders favor a hybrid model: digital for the simplicity of routine processes, human interaction whenever stakes are high or emotionally charged. Distrust of a fully automated relationship and AI remains strong, with significant differences depending on age and usage context.
Key takeaways:
Human interaction remains decisive at key moments: nearly two-thirds of policyholders reject a 100% digital relationship (70% reject voicebots, 58% chatbots). For taking out a policy (47%) or handling disputes or major life events, they prefer branches and phone calls. The lack of human contact is the main drawback of AI.
Preferred channels remain the phone (53%), email (44%), branches (33%), and websites (27%), far ahead of chat (6%). Branches and phone are favored for subscriptions, disputes, and high-intensity moments, while websites and mobile apps are mainly used for information, tracking, and administrative tasks, especially among younger users.
AI adoption remains cautious: only 18% use it several times a day, and nearly 60% would refuse a contract recommended by AI. Interest is significantly higher among under-35s (around 50%) than among over-55s (under 30%).
Source : À côté de la tech, les clients veulent du contact humain avec leur assureur – Étude
Regulation, ecosystem, tech: the key takeaways each month
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