In summary…
To choose a financial advisor in Lyon, check six points in ten minutes. Three of them can be found in the official register of the’ORIAS (orias.fr): the registration number, categories, and professional association. Three requests must be submitted in writing: advice independent or not, Remuneration in euros, letter of assignment. The office address and ranking are not included.
Balmont Conseil is a firm not independent In regulatory terms: a financial investment advisor, member of ANACOFI-CIF and insurance broker (ORIAS 13003497), receives commissions on contracts sold. Verify this on the register, as you would for any other firm.
You have three Lyon-based firms in your favorites, and their websites look very similar. "CGP" is the common term for the profession; the register lists registration categories, not a business name. To understand the value of a ranking, see how to read it.
1. On the ORIAS register: number, categories, association
Registration with ORIAS is mandatory, and its website allows you to verify that an intermediary is authorized to distribute insurance, banking, or financial products. As of December 31, 2024, the register had 69,970 registered professionals, including 26,953 insurance brokers and 7,054 financial investment advisors (ORIAS 2024 annual report). Registration is renewed annually, on March 1st according to this report: an expired registration is meaningless.
| Control | Where to do it | What you are reading |
|---|---|---|
| Registration number | ORIAS register, field "Find an intermediary"« | The number, identity, and SIREN number: they must match his documents |
| Categories | Same record | Financial investment advisor for investment advice; insurance broker for insurance contracts |
| professional association | Same record | An association approved by the AMF for a financial investment advisor; an association approved by the ACPR for a broker |
Financial investment advisor, broker, agent: three different statuses
The financial investment advisor (CIF) provides investment advice. Membership in a professional association approved by the AMF (French Financial Markets Authority) is mandatory; the association itself is the one that receives the approval. The AMF can also supervise and sanction a CIF that fails to meet its obligations.
In the insurance sector, the ACPR distinguishes several categories. broker A general agent is mandated by their client and is not bound by an exclusive agreement with any one insurer. A general agent is bound to one or more insurers by a contractual exclusivity agreement. An insurance agent holds a mandate from one or more insurers, with or without exclusivity. Since April 1, 2022, a broker must be a member of an association approved by the ACPR (French Prudential Control and Resolution Authority): without this membership, ORIAS (French Register of Insurance, Banking and Financial Intermediaries) will not accept registration or renewal. They must also provide proof of professional liability insurance of at least €1,500,000 per claim and €2,000,000 per year, and a financial guarantee of at least €115,000. Request the certificates.
Specifically. Our ORIAS registration number is 13003497: look it up. You'll see the categories "financial investment advisor" and "insurance broker," and ANACOFI-CIF listed as an association. According to the AMF (French Financial Markets Authority), ANACOFI-CIF has 3,001 registered CIFs (key figures for 2024). For details of the verification, see How to verify that an advisor is properly accredited.
2. Independent or non-independent: two ways of advising
The financial advisor (CIF) must tell you, before giving any advice, whether or not they are providing independent advice. independent An advisor evaluates a wide and diverse range of products from multiple providers and must not be paid by the institution that manages the product: if they receive commissions, they must pass them on to you in full, and they may charge you a fee. not independent may be remunerated by the institution that manages the product; if this remuneration continues over time, it must regularly verify that your investment remains suitable for your situation.
Among the investment firms monitored by the AMF (2024 fiscal year), 81 %s report non-independent advice, 7 exclusively independent advice, and 12 both. The non-independent model is therefore the most common. This is neither a flaw nor a guarantee of quality: the distinction stems from European regulations (Directive 2014/65/EU, known as MiFID II), and what matters to you is the written response.
For the technician. Directive 2014/65/EU (MiFID II), recitals 72 (indicate whether the advice is provided on an independent basis), 73 (sufficient range of products from different providers), and 74 (benefits paid by third parties to the client, only minor non-monetary benefits being permitted). AMF General Regulation, Article 325-5 (client onboarding document); AMF position DOC-2006-23, questions 4.1, 4.2, and 6.3 (version consulted: amended on October 23, 2018). Categories of insurance intermediaries: Insurance Code, Article R. 511-2, as cited by the ACPR.
3. Remuneration, onboarding document, engagement letter
A firm is paid by fees that you settle, by commissions that the product supplier pays back to them from the fees you incur, or from both. In any case, ask for the amount in euros per year; the method is detailed in the cost of a consultant in Lyon.
- Onboarding document This document is provided when a new client is established, before the engagement letter is signed. It summarizes the CIF's status and ORIAS number, and indicates the institutions with which it has a significant financial or commercial relationship.
- Quiz Before making any recommendation, the financial advisor will ask you about your objectives, financial situation, knowledge, and ability to withstand losses. Without your answers, they cannot advise you.
- Letter of assignment This document, drawn up in duplicate and signed by you and the advisor before any consultation takes place, outlines the scope of the engagement, how it will be carried out, and the remuneration. The CIF (Financial Investment Advisor) cannot delegate its drafting or signing, even to the person who presented it to you.
4. Eight questions to ask on a first date
- What is your ORIAS number, and under which categories are you registered?
- Which professional association do you belong to?
- Is your advice independent or not, and how does that change your remuneration?
- Who pays you for my case, and how much does that represent in euros the first year, and then each year?
- With which institutions do you have a commercial or financial relationship?
- Before making any proposals, could you please send me your client onboarding document and your draft engagement letter?
- Who will follow me after the signing, how often, and at what price?
- Which mediator can I contact if we disagree?
For a leader, the page dedicated to topics specific to business leaders complete this list.
5. In case of disagreement: written complaint, then mediation
With a CIF (Financial Investment Advisor), first file a complaint. If you do not receive a response within two months, or if the response is unsatisfactory, you can contact the AMF mediator no later than one year after your written complaint. Mediation is a free public service; the mediator's recommendation is issued within 90 days of receiving all the required documents, a period that can be extended for complex cases.
For insurance disputes, the Bank of France indicates that the insurer or broker must acknowledge receipt within ten days and respond within a maximum of two months; the insurance ombudsman, whose services are free, then issues an opinion within 90 days. Ask for the ombudsman's name before signing anything.
At Balmont Conseil: what you can control
Balmont Conseil is a simplified joint-stock company (SASU) established in January 2013: we have been supporting business leaders, professionals, and families for almost 14 years. Here are our answers to the questions above.
| Point to check | Our response |
|---|---|
| ORIAS number | 13003497 |
| Categories | Financial investment advisor; insurance broker |
| professional association | ANACOFI-CIF |
| Independent or not | Not independent |
| Remuneration | Commissions on contracts signed; a customized service at €500 including VAT per hour; a fixed-price assessment. Example of a commission: entry fees of 0.5 % on Luxembourg life insurance contracts. |
| Links with a bank or an insurer | No capital links; 23 partner companies and management firms |
| To start | The X-ray of your contracts It's free, the first consultation is also free (in Lyon or via videoconference), and the annual follow-up is also free, including remotely. |
Details of our offers can be found on the page Offers & fees.
Our position
A ranking shows you who is featured. The checklist tells you who is compliant and what you pay. Choose the firm that agrees to answer the eight questions in writing before offering you a product, including us. If any of the answers are rejected, do not schedule a second appointment. We are not independent, and we state this from the outset; what you verify is the firm number, the engagement letter, and the amounts in euros.
Frequently asked questions
How to verify a financial advisor on the ORIAS register?
On orias.fr, use the "Find an intermediary" field or the advanced search. The profile displays the registration number, identity, status, SIREN number, and professional association. Verify that the categories correspond to what is being offered: financial investment advisor for investments, insurance broker for insurance contracts.
Is a financial investment advisor approved by the AMF?
Not directly: it is registered with ORIAS and belongs to a professional association, and it is this association that is approved by the AMF.
Is a non-independent firm less reliable?
Nothing more, nothing less: both types of advice are permitted. A non-independent firm can be paid by the institution that manages the product, and must inform you of this in writing. Judge them based on their documentation and the accuracy of their figures in euros.
Book an appointment
The initial consultation is to establish your exact situation and determine if there is anything that can be done—sometimes there is nothing, and we will say so as well. Thirty minutes, with no obligation.
Book an exchange with Balmont Conseil
Alexis Sagnier, financial and real estate investment advisor, insurance broker, AMF certified. ORIAS 13003497. Updated on 24/10/2026.
Official sources consulted
- ORIAS — Register of intermediaries in insurance, banking and finance (consultation of the register, categories, renewal)
- ORIAS — 2024 Annual Report (staff numbers as of December 31, 2024, renewal as of March 1)
- ACPR — Insurance intermediaries (categories, professional association, civil liability, financial guarantee)
- AMF — Guide «Financial Investment Advisors (FIAs)» (June 2019)
- AMF — «What you need to know about financial investment advisors?» (October 19, 2018)
- AMF — Position DOC-2006-23, questions and answers on the CIF regime
- AMF — Key figures for financial investment advisors, 2024 financial year (December 2025)
- AMF — Guide «Are you experiencing a dispute with a financial intermediary?» (AMF mediator)
- AMF — The mediator: file a preliminary complaint
- Bank of France — What to do in case of an insurance dispute
- EUR-Lex — Directive 2014/65/EU on markets in financial instruments (MiFID II)
