Your knowledge and experience of investing
Why do we want to know more about this?
We need information about your knowledge and experience of investing. This will enable us to better assess which investment products are suitable for you. It is for this reason that we would like to ask you to answer a number of questions about your knowledge and experience before you start investing. For example, in which type of investment products you invest, for how long you have been doing so and how often you place orders for them.
Do you invest in Self Directed Investing Plus and do you want to start investing in complex investment products? Before you can place your first order in a complex investment product, you must pass a knowledge exam on that complex investment product.
Learn and test your knowledge
Not that familiar with the investment product yet? You will find information about the investment product here. You will also find frequently asked questions for some complex investment products.
Learned enough? Can you estimate the risks and are you willing and able to take those risks? Take the knowledge exam and test your knowledge. Passed? Then you can place your first order.
Questions about your knowledge and experience
Would you like to place an investment order? Then we always check whether you have experience with the investment product and whether you are aware of its characteristics and risks. That is why we ask you to answer a number of questions about your knowledge and experience in Internet Banking (duration: approximately 5 minutes).
We assess your order against the knowledge and experience you have provided to ascertain whether an investment product is suitable for you. Based on your answers, do you have too little knowledge and experience for an investment product? Or have you not yet answered all the questions? Then you will see a warning with your order. Have you gained more knowledge and experience? Then you can always change your answers.
Knowledge exams for complex investment products
Investing in complex investment products carries additional risks. Therefore, it is important that you know and understand how these products work and the risks involved. We test this through a knowledge exam. You must have passed the knowledge exam of that complex investment product before you place your order. Do you want to invest in options? In that case, it is also subject to the condition that you also sign the Options Sub-agreement.
Explanation and overview of the knowledge exams
The knowledge exams are available through Internet Banking and consist of a maximum of 10 questions. You can take the exam 3 times a day until you pass. For a knowledge exam with 10 questions, you will have passed if you have answered 8 or more questions correctly. Have you passed an exam? If so, you will see a green tick next to that exam in Internet Banking. This means that you do not have to take the knowledge exam (again). There are only two attempts possible for the knowledge exams of Private Equity and Complex Stocks (SPAC’s). After the second failed attempt you can retake the exam after three months.
Non-Complex Investment Products
Complex Investment Products
This is how you get to the questions and the knowledge exams
The knowledge and experience questionnaire
In Internet Banking
- Log in and go to your account overview.
- Click on your Self Directed Investing investment account.
- Select ‘Knowledge and experience’ and click on questionnaire or exam.
- In your personal overview you can see for which investment products you have answered the questions and taken a knowledge exam.
In the ABN AMRO app
- Log in and go to your account overview.
- Click on your Self Directed Investing investment account.
- Select ‘Self service’.
- Click on ‘Knowledge and experience’ and subsequently on questionnaire or exam.
- In your personal overview you can see for which investment products you have answered the questions and taken a knowledge exam.
The knowledge exams
In Internet Banking
- Log in and go to your account overview.
- Click on your Self Directed Investing investment account.
- Select ‘Knowledge and experience’ and click on questionnaire or exam.
- In your personal overview you can see for which investment products you have answered the questions and taken a knowledge exam.
In the ABN AMRO app
- Log in and go to your account overview.
- Click on your Self Directed Investing investment account.
- Select ‘Arrange yourself’.
- Click on ‘Knowledge and experience’ and subsequently on questionnaire or exam.
- In your personal overview you can see for which investment products you have answered the questions and taken a knowledge exam.
Would you like to know more about complex investment products?
You can learn more about each type of (complex) investment product in our step-to-step guide. It includes a detailed description of each type of investment product. In this way, you will learn more about the characteristics and risks that you may encounter.
Frequently asked questions about the knowledge exams
What are complex and non-complex investment products?
Complex investment products are investment products that are derived from other investment products, combinations of different investment products or investment products with deviating conditions. Examples are options, structured products, complex bonds, hedge funds and complex investment funds.
Complex investment products have special characteristics and entail additional risks. It is important that you understand how they work and the risks involved. That is why we test your knowledge of these complex investment products through an exam.
Non-complex investment products include most shares, bonds, investment funds and exchange traded funds (ETFs). These are standard investment products with standard characteristics and standard risks. For this it is sufficient that you inform us how much experience you have with these investment products and whether you know the product. We do not test your knowledge of these products through an exam.
Why do I have to take an exam?
Complex investment products have special characteristics and entail additional risks.
It is important that you understand how they work and the risks involved. We test this through a knowledge exam.
Have you passed the knowledge exam for a complex investment product? Then you can place your order for it. Not passed the knowledge exam yet? Then you will see the following message with your order: “You have not passed the knowledge exam yet. To be able to invest in this investment product, you must first pass the knowledge exam. Test your knowledge here”.
I have to retake the exam! Why?
Developments in the financial markets can move quickly. We adjust the knowledge exams accordingly. As a result, it can sometimes happen that you have already taken a knowledge exam and subsequently have to retake it.
I passed, but still cannot place my order. How is this possible?
- You must have passed the knowledge exam of that complex investment product before you place your order.
- Do you want to invest in options? In that case, it is also subject to the condition that you also sign the Options Sub-Agreement.
- If you have not completed the knowledge and experience questionnaire or if you have stated that you do not have a lot of knowledge and experience, you will receive a warning.
Other reasons why you cannot place an order include:
- You have answered the questions and have passed the knowledge exam on your own account, but you want to place your order for another account for which you have not yet passed the exam. For example, for an account that you jointly hold with other people. As a result, you must also take the knowledge exam for that other account.
- You want to place an order for a different complex investment product than the one you passed the exam in. For example, an investment product that resembles a special bond, but falls into the category of structured products because of one or more characteristics.
- You have passed your knowledge exam, but the investment product is not part of the range for the type of investment form you have chosen.
Why are there different knowledge exams about complex investment products?
With different knowledge exams for the different categories of complex investment products, you will only receive questions about the complex investment product category of which you want to test your knowledge or in which you want to invest. This means that you do not have to answer questions about other categories of complex investment products in which you do not intend to invest.
For which orders do we test your knowledge and experience?
We test your knowledge and experience on the basis of the orders that you place through Internet Banking or the ABN AMRO app. Are you investing with our advice? In that case, we also test on the basis of orders placed by your investment advisor.
Investing involves risks
Investing involves risks. You could lose (some of) the money you invested. If you are going to invest, it is important that you are aware of this. Invest with money you can spare. Read more about the risks associated with investments.