Fideuram Direct and ABN AMRO bridge neobrokers, banks

Fideuram Direct and ABN AMRO’s BUX are combining neobroker simplicity with bank services by linking ETF savings plans, adviser access and savings features within digital platforms. Fideuram Direct connects ETF savings plans and cash deposits to managed investments and remote adviser support on a single digital platform. Andrea Favero, head of Fideuram Direct, noted clients often start independently with basic products such as cash deposits and ETF savings plans and later value “the possibility to build a long-term relationship with a financial adviser.”

ABN AMRO acquired BUX and operates it as “BUX, by ABN AMRO.” Yorick Naeff, head of innovation at ABN AMRO and a BUX cofounder, said: “You need to preserve the customer-centric mindset and speed of execution that make a neobroker attractive, while leveraging the stability and depth that customers expect from a bank.” BUX will remain a separate platform and is adding selected banking features, including a savings product developed with ABN AMRO that expands its interest-on-cash offering without converting the app into a full bank.

Fintech platforms commonly deliver more intuitive user interfaces and operate with organizational structures that are not constrained by legacy systems. Felipe Peñacoba Martinez, CEO of Getnet and former CIO at Revolut Bank (EU), said “decades of history, legacy systems and mindsets” can make it difficult for traditional institutions to match fintechs’ technological nimbleness. Banks provide regulatory expertise, established consumer trust and the capacity to support major life events such as buying a home or planning retirement.

Both Fideuram Direct and BUX let customers begin with low-cost, self-directed ETF plans and later add savings accounts or personalised advice, all within a single digital interface.