Gregory Kennedy

The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg accounts for 36% of UCITS assets globally, indicating numerous advantages to domiciling an investment fund here. However, as the investment landscape evolves, its competitiveness is diminishing, particularly in comparison to jurisdictions such as Ireland.

Expecting firms covered by DORA to possess the skills, time, and capacity to function as ICT experts is yet another regulatory demand that offers little in terms of investor protection. The added layers of control imposed on investment firms are poised to escalate costs far more than they bolster safeguards.

A thriving fund industry rests on the foundation of a robust regulatory framework, assuring investors that their assets will be safeguarded against misappropriation. Nevertheless, the pursuit of greater protection often accompanies higher fees, prompting investors to scrutinise regulatory requirements for tangible and effective outcomes.

Since its implementation in 2021, the EU Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR) has successfully redirected flows from non-ESG funds to ESG ones. In Luxembourg, over 50 percent of Ucits funds are now classified as either an Article 8 or 9 fund, marking a significant surge in sustainability-focused investments.

On the 4th of September 1996, Luxembourg signed its most recent tax treaty with the United States of America. According to that agreement, Lux-based ETFs pay a 30% withholding tax on income received from US securities, as opposed to the 15% paid by their Irish counterparts.

On September 23rd, residents of the Gare district protested against the escalating levels of insecurity in their neighbourhood. While residents bear the brunt, asset managers, their clients, and employees are also affected by the increasing anti-social behaviour in the area.

The typical reasons that prompt asset managers to acquire new software often include recommendations from regulators following an onsite visit or the realisation that their current resources cannot efficiently handle projected workloads. These decisions are predominantly reactive, seldom proactive, writes Gregory Kennedy in his latest column for Investment Officer Luxembourg.

It was 2020, and there were countless stories of young investors becoming millionaires overnight by investing in cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin. I didn’t want to miss out, so I decided to invest a modest amount of 2500 euros.

Curiosity

The possibility of becoming a millionaire was enticing, but I also saw this as a way to educate myself about a ‘new’ concept called blockchain. This technology was the foundation of cryptocurrencies and was set to transform countless industries.

Urban Angehrn, the former chief executive of the Swiss financial regulator, FINMA, recently stepped down, citing the toll on his health from “permanent stress levels,” months after orchestrating the rescue of Credit Suisse by UBS. However, it is not only people in high-profile jobs who experience burnout.

A few years ago, a younger version of myself also experienced burnout.

In May 2022, Stuart Kirk, head of responsible investment at HSBC, assured investors that they need not worry about climate risk. “Climate change is a not a financial risk we need to worry about,” he argued. He also expressed his dissatisfaction with the heavy workload that sustainable regulations imposed on his department.