FSMA compliance: the complete checklist for your insurance brokerage website

The FSMA regularly inspects the websites of insurance intermediaries. If your site doesn't display the required information, you risk a warning — or even a sanction. Here are the essential points to check, based on FSMA Circular 2015_16 and the Law of 4 April 2014.

What the FSMA checks on your website

The FSMA imposes specific obligations on insurance and credit brokers regarding online communication. This information must be accessible from every page of your site, not just hidden in the terms and conditions.

Your FSMA registration number and your intermediary category (broker, agent, sub-agent). Your professional liability insurance (insurer name and policy number). Your enterprise number (BCE/KBO) and VAT number. Contact details for the complaints service and the Insurance Ombudsman. Your remuneration method (commissions, fees, or mixed). The name of the responsible editor.

If any single one of these elements is missing, your website is not compliant.

Product pages are also affected

What many brokers don't realise: every page on your site that presents an insurance product is considered advertising under the Royal Decree of 25 March 1996. The rules that apply go well beyond simple legal notices.

Balanced presentation of advantages and risks. No misleading wording (100% guaranteed, risk-free, etc.). Consistency with the official product documents (general conditions, IPID sheets). Clear distinction between your role as intermediary and that of the insurer.

If your site presents specific products, additional obligations apply: exact product name, product type, description of coverage, exclusions, contract duration, reference to information documents.

And if you mention returns (life insurance, pension savings), articles 15 to 22 of the Royal Decree impose strict rules on presenting past performance and future projections.

The problem with generalist web agencies

A standard web agency does good work on design. But without knowledge of the brokerage sector, it systematically misses regulatory requirements. We recently witnessed this: a Belgian brokerage firm with multiple offices received an FSMA inspection. Its WordPress site, designed by a generalist agency, didn't meet any of the display requirements. In four days, we migrated the content, restructured the site and deployed a compliant version on BrokerWeb.

How to stay compliant over time

Compliance is not a one-off exercise. Circulars evolve, and a site that's compliant today may not be in six months.

That's the key advantage of working with a technology partner specialised in brokerage. BrokerWeb sites integrate FSMA obligations directly into their structure — registration number, professional liability, Ombudsman, remuneration method are automatically displayed on every page. When regulations change, all sites are updated simultaneously, automatically and at no extra cost. No quote to approve, no waiting time, no additional invoice.

The difference between a site "built once" and a site maintained by someone who monitors regulatory changes for you.

Is your site compliant?

Take five minutes. Open your site. Look for your FSMA number, your professional liability insurance, the Ombudsman, your remuneration method. If you can't find them within 30 seconds, an FSMA inspector won't find them either.

If you have any doubt, contact us for a free compliance audit. Fifteen minutes is all it takes to identify any shortcomings before the FSMA does.