Nearly 10 million Europeans will seek financial guidance via the Internet by 2002, according to a new report from research firm, Forrester Research. It predicts consumers will take a more active role in managing their financial destiny.

The pressure is now on banks and financial institutions to maximise the capabilities offered by the Internet, it says. The report recommends focusing on the overall customer relationship to achieve this.

Forrester predicts Switzerland and Germany will lead the way in developing online financial services.