About the founder

Confidence

A major sticking point in the financial sector is the damaged trust between customer and provider. Especially after all the usurious policies and bonus scandals. My view is that trust can be restored if providers start giving trust instead of hedging themselves in advance. Small print is a reaction to consumer abuse and profit maximisation by providers. Unfortunately, those fine print and mostly nonsensical terms and conditions now apply to everyone. These conditions are based on punishment and reaction to abuse. Sinful but apparently necessary.

For years, I held positions in the business world with the aim of positioning financial service providers as useful players. At FBTO, for example, we implemented a customer-friendly online strategy and allowed consumers to choose how to put together their insurance. And positioned a.s.r as a socially useful player that helps by doing and invests in a nicer world. An insurer is a helper. The campaign where we saved Blijdorp from bankruptcy with Olli the elephant and Feyenoord is an example. But also a campaign where Ditzo donates a million to the Antoni van Leeuwenhoek Hospital to cure cancer. Instead of pushing a TV commercial, Ditzo introduced a campaign with John de Wolf to cure cancer. Or a blue heart campaign for women with cardiovascular diseases. After all, a health insurer is there to improve care.

At Deck, we believe in a positive approach. A positive incentive, rewarding rather than punishing. We reward people who take responsibility for minor breakdowns with a competitive premium. And if you have real bad luck, you can count on ample coverage.

Driven by consumerism and profit maximisation, we have forgotten how insurance is even meant to be. If only providers, insurers and advisers, would brag a little less. No big buildings, authoritarianism, bonuses and meeting culture. And policyholders could take more responsibility themselves by not always immediately blaming the system, the big insurers. And also less quick to claim and complain. Then we come together again, together, like insurance was once conceived: together we put money in a pot and if someone has big bad luck then they can pay for the damage from that pot. This way, the premium is used in the interest of policyholders, customers. After all, it is their premium.

The idea behind Deck

Insurance was originally conceived with a wonderful purpose: anything you cannot bear alone you do together. This way, you can take risks in your life and there is a safety net if you are unlucky. You can carry on. Having lost this beautiful thinking, we started Deck.

Deck is a new way of insuring and built on an age-old principle. We have taken out the nonsense and waste that has come into insurance. Insurance without fiddling and nonsense you might say. Only insure what is necessary. Why should you start paying a high premium if your neighbour starts claiming sunglasses and iPhones? Why insure your sunglasses anyway? Your life goes on as usual if you lose them. Or you buy a new one. And this seems easy to say if you have sufficient income. But if you are less fortunate, this will also save you a lot of monthly premium. If you set that aside, you are always more advantageous. Insurance that covers small issues means a high expensive premium. Because all that waste and small claims have to be paid. And 90% of all fraud is committed in small claims, 75% of all claims are under 1,000 euros.

Misusing insurance, we at Deck think, is a waste. Deck is there for decent people. A group of people who want to live nicely while paying a low premium. Deck itself is not an insurer. Deck is an independent platform that serves the interests of customers. Deck works with different parties to accommodate risks. Deck would also like to be an insurer itself, but does not yet have the resources to cover all risks.

Our mission: take waste out of insurance and give this benefit back to our customers. After all, it is their premium.

Access a podcast where Bob gives his views on financial services here