About this
Report
Chairman's
Foreword
Corporate
Management Report Appendices Governance
Consolidated Financial Company Financial
Statements Statements
Dilemma: Interest-Only Mortgage
Rabobank has 775.000 customers with an interest-only
mortgage-loan. Some of these customers face the risk of not
being able to pay their mortgage after retirement, which
depends on a variety of individual life circumstances.
Rabobank has proven effective at contacting these
customers, sitting down with them and providing insights.
Since October 2018, customers can also do an online check
to find out more about their specific situation. Rabobank sees
it as its responsibility to point out every possible risk to these
customers and persuade them to take action. In the public
debate about this problem, banks are likely to be held
responsible for preventing customers from being forced to
sell their home, for example. But in the end, it is of course up
to the customer to actually take action, e.g. increase
prepayments or switch to another mortgage etc. A dilemma
in which Rabobank will continue to do whatever is neccessary
to reach out to these customers, help them to become aware
of possible risks and take action accordingly.
Helping Customers Achieve Future-Proof Growth
In 2018 we kick-started three comprehensive programs inspired
by our mission, 'Growing a better world together'. The first was
in the Netherlands in February: the 'Financial Health for Everyone'
program enhances the financial self-reliance of individual retail
customers.
We stepped up our efforts to help business clients achieve future-
proof growth. Entrepreneurs are going through a period of major
transitions. Rabobank wants to help them innovate and grow, and
to become more digital, dynamic and sustainable. In 2018 we
dedicated a part of our website to sharing best 'growth' practices
and relevant insights for entrepreneurs. We offered them
workshops and masterclasses, launched a special 'E-team', re
trained our local advisers and continued our academy
(Ondernemers Academy). We also helped over 140 companies to
successfully transform their business in 7 regional Circular
Economy Challenges. We set up different partnerships to
enhanceourimpact,forinstance, with MKB Nederland (the Dutch
SME sector organization) and Linkedln, we're organizing
'Digitalization'workshops in every region, and we partnered with
EY for the EY Entrepreneur of the Year awards. As financing
remains an important part of our business, we developed several
new financing propositions, for example, in crowd-funding,
leasing and others.
Annual Report 2018 - Management Report
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