Anyone else finding KYC/AML a major bottleneck lately with EU brokers?
It feels like the goalposts for onboarding just keep moving. I've been trying to get set up with a new broker for some specific European equity exposure, mainly looking at DAX futures and a basket of FTSE names, and the KYC process is becoming an absolute nightmare. The documentation requested is bordering on intrusive, and the turnaround times for verification are stretching into weeks. It's not just one outfit either; I've tried a couple of different Tier 1 and Tier 2 firms, and it's a consistent drag. The old guard used to be clunky, but this new level of scrutiny, combined with what feels like understaffed compliance departments, is really making it hard to diversify or even just shift funds efficiently. Are others seeing similar friction, or am I just hitting a bad patch with these particular firms?
Totally agree. I've heard similar complaints from others trying to set up accounts in the EU. Seems like the scrutiny has ramped up considerably across the board.