 South Africa - Financial Services Board »
Financial Services Board
- Regulating insurers, intermediaries, retirement funds, friendly societies, unit trust schemes, management companies, and financial markets.
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 Argentina - Comisón Nacional de Valores »
Comisón Nacional de Valores
- The National Securities Commission of the Argentine Republic ensures the transparency of Argentina's securities markets, watches over the market price formation process and thus protects investors.
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 Gibraltar - Financial Services Commission »
Financial Services Commission
- Statutory body corporate established by the 1989 Financial Services Commission Ordinance.
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 Italy - Commissione Nazionale per le Società e la Borsa »
Commissione Nazionale per le Società e la Borsa
- CONSOB is the public authority responsible for regulating the Italian securities market, the activity of which is aimed at the protection of the investing public.
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 Malaysia - Securities Commission of Malaysia »
Securities Commission of Malaysia
- Combined Malaysian regulator with the aim of protecting the investor, and encouraging and promoting the development of the securities and futures markets in Malaysia.
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 Papua New Guinea - Securities Commission of Papua New Guinea »
Securities Commission of Papua New Guinea
- The SCPNG is a division of the Investment Promotion Authority.
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 Netherlands - Pensions and Insurance Supervisory Authority of the Netherlands »
Pensions and Insurance Supervisory Authority of the Netherlands
- Pensioen + Verzekeringskamer (PVK) is responsible for the supervision of insurance companies and pension funds in the Netherlands.
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 Brazil - Securities and Exchange Commission of Brazil »
Securities and Exchange Commission of Brazil
- Comissão de Valores Mobiliários, with a section of regulations of interest to foreign investors.
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 Russia - Federal Financial Markets Service »
Federal Financial Markets Service
- FFMS, the federal executive body that supervises the financial markets, and regulates pension savings. Maintains stability in the financial markets, makes the markets efficient and attractive to investors, and increases market transparency thereby reducing investment risks.
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 Portuguese Insurance Institute »
Instituto de Seguros de Portugal is the body that controls and supervises the business of insurance and reinsurance, pension funds and brokerage.
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 Belgium - Banking, Finance and Insurance Commission »
Banking, Finance and Insurance Commission
- The single supervisory authority for the Belgian financial sector.
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 Japan - Financial Services Agency »
Financial Services Agency
- The FSA is responsible for ensuring the stability of the financial system in Japan, protection of depositors, insurance policy-holders and securities investors.
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 Swedish Financial Supervisory Authority »
Finansinspektionen is responsible for supervising companies in the insurance, credit and securities markets.
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 South Korea - Korea Financial Supervisory Commission »
Korea Financial Supervisory Commission
- Lists recent proposals and initiatives, with links to English versions. More in Korean.
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 Financial Action Task Force on Money Laundering »
Inter-governmental body developing and promoting policies to combat money laundering and terrorist financing. Includes a summary of the FATF country evaluations.
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 Latvia - Securities Markets Commission of the Republic of Latvia »
Securities Markets Commission of the Republic of Latvia
- Ensuring overall stability in the financial and capital markets.
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 Anguilla - Financial Services Department »
Financial Services Department
- Includes ACORN, Anguilla's Commercial Online Registration Network, by which companies can be registered.
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 Bulgaria - Financial Supervision Commission »
Financial Supervision Commission
- Unifies the regulatory functions formerly performed by the former State Securities Commission, the State Insurance Supervision Agency and the Insurance Supervision Agency.
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 India - Securities and Exchange Board of India »
Securities and Exchange Board of India
- SEBI protects the interests of investors in securities and promotes the development of the securities market through appropriate regulation.
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 Turkey - Capital Markets Board of Turkiye »
Capital Markets Board of Turkiye
- The regulatory and supervisory authority in charge of the securities markets in Turkey
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 Panama - Superintendencia de Bancos »
Superintendencia de Bancos
- Some information in English, mostly in Spanish.
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 China Securities Regulatory Commission »
The CSRC is the executive branch of State Council Securities Commission, which is the central market regulation authority.
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 Thailand - Office of the Securities and Exchange Commission »
Office of the Securities and Exchange Commission
- Supervises Thailand's capital markets.
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 New Zealand - Securities Commission of New Zealand »
Securities Commission of New Zealand
- To encourage, promote and facilitate good securities and corporate practice and to discourage malpractice, both in the promotion of securities and in the management of investors' funds.
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 Namibia Financial Institutions Supervisory Authority »
With information about the legal position of NAMFISA, its consumer education bulletins, and an online complaints form.
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 Chile - Superintendencia de Valores y Seguros »
Superintendencia de Valores y Seguros
- The Chilean securities and insurance regulator, with copies of most financial laws, and more content in Spanish.
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 United Kingdom - Financial Services Authority »
Financial Services Authority
- Regulator of all providers of financial services in the UK; Bank of England retains responsibility for systemic risk.
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 Hungarian Financial Supervisory Authority »
Also known as Pénzügyi Szervezetek Állami Felügyelete.
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 Hong Kong - Office of the Commissioner of Insurance »
Office of the Commissioner of Insurance
- Regulatory body set up for the administration of the Insurance Companies Ordinance.
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 Bangladesh - Securities and Exchange Commission »
Securities and Exchange Commission
- Mission is to protect the interests of securities investors; develop fair, transparent and efficient securities markets; and ensure proper compliance with securities laws.
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 Norway - Banking, Insurance and Securities Commission of Norway »
Banking, Insurance and Securities Commission of Norway
- The Kredittilsynet, with limited content in English, mostly in Norwegian.
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 Iceland - Financial Supervisory Authority »
Financial Supervisory Authority
- The Fjármálaeftirlitsins is responsible for the official regulation and supervision of financial operations in Iceland.
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 Estonia - Finantsinspektsioon »
Finantsinspektsioon
- Papers and rules by the Financial Supervision Authority, an autonomous agency of the Bank of Estonia.
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 Germany - Bundesanstalt für Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht »
Bundesanstalt für Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht
- BaFin, the Germany's Federal Financial Supervisory Authority.
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 Hong Kong - Securities and Futures Commission »
Securities and Futures Commission
- Unified regulator for Hong Kong's financial markets.
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 Australian Prudential Regulatory Authority »
APRA is the prudential regulator of banks, insurance companies and superannuation funds, credit unions, building societies and friendly societies.
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 Australian Securities and Investment Commission »
Enforces company and financial services laws to protect consumers, investors and creditors; regulates and informs the public about Australian companies, financial markets, financial services organisations and professionals who deal and advise in investments, superannuation, insurance, deposit taking and credit.
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 Netherlands Authority for the Financial Markets »
Autoriteit Financiële Markten. Includes a warning list of those known to be offering financial services without proper authorization.
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 Society of Financial Examiners »
Professional society for examiners of insurance companies, banks, savings and loans, and credit unions.
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 Austrian Financial Market Authority »
Combines the former regulatory roles of the Federal Ministry of Finance and the Austrian Securities Authority (Bundes-Wertpapier-Aufsicht).
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 Danish Financial Supervisory Authority »
The Finanstilsynet attends to the financial regulation in Denmark, and is an institution under the responsibility of the Minister for Economic Affairs.
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 International Organization of Securities Commissions »
Has as members the individual securities regulators.
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 Isle of Man - Financial Supervision Commission »
Financial Supervision Commission
- Manx body responsible for the licensing and supervision of banks, building societies, investment business, collective investment schemes and corporate service providers.
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 France - Autorité des marchés financiers »
Autorité des marchés financiers
- A subset of the notices and rules are available in English, most only in French.
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If there are only a few years left on your current loan, it's no use refinancing with a long term loan. You may need extra cash but with a long term loan, you'll end up paying more for the entire loan term.
If you know that you will be moving in 3 to 5 years, you might want to consider refinancing to a 3 or 5 year ARM (adjustable rate mortgage). These loans typically have a much lower rate that a traditional fixed rate loan such as a 30 year fixed, but they do have a fixed rate for the first 3 or 5 years of the loan. This will enable you to benefit from the lower rate, but you won't ever have to worry about the risk of a rate adjustment because you will be selling the home before the fixed-rate period ends.