Research - Marktverkenning Beleggingsverzekeringen
Since 1994, together with Falco Valkenburg and a dedicated team of researchers, we have been trailblazers for more openness, transparency and ethics in financial products and services. In The Netherlands, we were amongst the first to blow the whistle on the way universal life insurance & unit linked insurance products were sold. Our research reports call for integrity gave rise to quite some publicity. Following our first report in 1994, one insurance company threatened us with a lawsuit. Later the insurers became the accused ones in one of the largest financial scandals in The Netherlands. Up to today, the matter still has not been fully solved. It's a sad story. It easily could have been solved when all involved would have been open to find a middle way. In our view, we are all involved. Of course, insurers have made mistakes. Consumers also saw guilder signs in their eyes (the Euro was not yet introduced). The government made the products conscious fiscally attractive and knew wat is was doing. Supervisors all were fine till, in 2006, an investigative team of journalists, exposed the case by the name of 'Usury Policies' ('Woekerpolissen'). Straight after that the Authority Financial Markets asked for our surveys. Insurance brokers did not always put the interest of their clients first. Banks accepted these products easily as cover for mortgages. In short, are not all stakeholders carrying some blame? #reconsidering the future
Download Report 1997 (deel 1) (naslagwerk)
Report 1999
