The scope is broad. Commercial and cooperative banks — supervision of banking law, capital requirements, risk. Insurers and reinsurers. Open pension funds (OFE) and pension companies. Non-bank lenders (payday, instalment) — since 2017 they must be listed on the Register of Lending Institutions. Consumer and mortgage credit intermediaries — a broker register is compulsory. Capital markets: the Warsaw Stock Exchange, fund managers, brokers. Register of payment agents.
KNF keeps several public registers worth checking before signing anything. Register of Lending Institutions (rejestrfp.knf.gov.pl) — check whether a non-bank lender is listed. A lender that is not is operating unlawfully; signing with them is legally risky. Register of credit intermediaries — check whether the mortgage broker handling your application is listed. Register of investment-firm agents. KNF public warnings: a list of entities suspected of breaking the law (illegal pyramids, fake brokers, investment scams).
A KNF complaint makes sense when a firm has breached financial-supervision law (a bank breaching mortgage rules, a lender offering a loan without required disclosures). Complaints about contract terms, service quality or credit decisions usually go to UOKiK (unfair practice) or the Financial Ombudsman (individual dispute mediation), not KNF.
Frequently asked questions
It supervises every lender listed on the Register of Lending Institutions. Unlisted firms operate unlawfully. Foreign lenders (Lithuanian, Estonian) can operate under an EU passport but must notify KNF.
Usually 30–60 days. KNF does not mediate individually — for mediation go to the Financial Ombudsman. KNF can open a supervisory case against the firm, but that is not immediate compensation for you.
Kreditano is an information-comparison site, not a credit intermediary within the meaning of the consumer credit act (we do not collect application data). Every listed lender is in the KNF Register of Lending Institutions.