Consumer responsibility

Does the existence of a regulator mean that you can trust that nothing ever goes wrong? Unfortunately not. As a consumer you therefore have your own responsibilities. And you also regularly come into contact with the financial markets because, after all, you have a pension, insurance and possibly a loan or a mortgage.

Therefore, if you wish to purchase a financial product, make sure that you are aware of all the necessary information first. Dutch people often tend to take a quick decision about purchasing a financial product. If you are buying a car or a kitchen you will sometimes have to think about it for months in advance, whereas a mortgage or a life insurance policy, for example, is often chosen very quickly and sometimes regretted in retrospect.

That is why you should look into the product before you buy it. Read the terms and conditions and give proper consideration to the risks compared to the benefit that you will get from the product. One place where you can find the necessary information is in the Financial Information Leaflet. Make sure as well that you know enough about the product provider. For example, does the provider have a permit? Good research can prevent a lot of problems later.