The V.A.T.-tariff for the building of new houses is decreased from 21 percent to 6 percent. The descent is only valid for the year 2009 but there are some votes to continue this measure in future.
The people are definitely interested. This is noticeable to the request of information and the increase of entering contracts. The descent of the V.A.T-tariff is not the only cause of the ascent. The very low interest rates and ‘the insurance guaranteed living’ instigate the rising of new building projects. This year it is very favourable to buy, to build or to renovate a house.
The construction firms are doing well because of these measures, some even better than before the financial crisis. The improvement is only remarkable for the residential market but not for all the building firms.
The three measures are really helping the construction firms. This sector has known hard times, now the government is finally helping. I think it is everyone’s dream to have a propriety of their own and with these measures it can happen. I don’t think that the provisions should only be for one year because of the economic crisis. It is always difficult to find such a huge capital and definitely to make the down payments. The resources should be permanent, because the prices of propriety will continue to increase.
Sofie De Cooman
http://www.demorgen.be/dm/nl/3324/Financiele-crisis/article/detail/812214/2009/04/08/Verlaging-btw-tarief-redt-de-bouwsector.dhtml
zondag 3 mei 2009
zaterdag 2 mei 2009
Flemish government has to keep investing
The “building union” formulated their most important points of interest. They especially ask the Flemish Government to keep investing, even during the period of election.
“To prevent a collapse in the building activity and employment in the sector, the Flemish government has to keep up their regular investment inputs”, that is what the union of “KMO-building company” says. Which means that the transition to the next government may not have a negative influence on the investments. So the best solution is to invest as soon as possible and put the concrete projects on the market.
The union also asks the Flemish government to import the insurance “guaranteed living” again for builders and buyers. This insurance provides a coverage for who cannot pay off his or her mortgage loan because of involuntarily incapacity of work or disability.
I think it is a good thing that “the building union” indicates what the government should take in account. And I also find it true that what the union says about the fact that the government has to keep investing in the building sector.
There is already a financial crisis and if the government stops investing because for example the elections then there will be less work and more unemployment. When the percentage of unemployment is already very high.
Ruth Blommaert
http://www.hln.be/hln/nl/936/Nieuws/article/detail/674522/2009/02/06/Bouwunie-Vlaamse-regering-moet-blijven-investeren.dhtml
“To prevent a collapse in the building activity and employment in the sector, the Flemish government has to keep up their regular investment inputs”, that is what the union of “KMO-building company” says. Which means that the transition to the next government may not have a negative influence on the investments. So the best solution is to invest as soon as possible and put the concrete projects on the market.
The union also asks the Flemish government to import the insurance “guaranteed living” again for builders and buyers. This insurance provides a coverage for who cannot pay off his or her mortgage loan because of involuntarily incapacity of work or disability.
I think it is a good thing that “the building union” indicates what the government should take in account. And I also find it true that what the union says about the fact that the government has to keep investing in the building sector.
There is already a financial crisis and if the government stops investing because for example the elections then there will be less work and more unemployment. When the percentage of unemployment is already very high.
Ruth Blommaert
http://www.hln.be/hln/nl/936/Nieuws/article/detail/674522/2009/02/06/Bouwunie-Vlaamse-regering-moet-blijven-investeren.dhtml
Wanted: purchaser for Ethias Bank
Ethias wants to get rid of Ethias Bank because they want to concentrate them more on their insurance activities. The popular “First-account”, a pure insurance product stays with Ethias. This decision forms part of “Plan Horizon 2011” , the saving plan of Ethias. Beside it there are almost 170 other decisions that have to guarantee an extra earning capacity of 150 million. This due to the financial crisis.
Ethias also wants to reduce the staffing. But this without really firing people, they want to do it by advanced retirements and partly replacements.
At the taking over will be considered that the people that work for Ethias bank will keep there job. Ethias also wants to keep a strategic view over the bank products, so they can offer them to their clients. Two other important goals of “Plan Horizon 2011” are the reconfirmation of the values and the development of an appealing commercial management.
Ethias also wants to strengthen their position as insurer of public services and their employees. Some products have to change and become better. They will also lower the cost of sponsoring and operation. ..
In my opinion it is a good idea of Ethias to concentrate them back on what they used to do. They also have a whole catalogue of what they are going to do, so they really want to work on it. But at the other side, I think they have no other choice. It is changing or going bankrupt. Every financial institute has problems. They are doing to many things like selling bank product, insurance products, loans, stock exchange… and they lose control. So banks decide to go back to basic. I hope it all works out!
De Ridder Steffie
Complaints about insurance companies risen with 6 percent!
Last year, insurance companies got 6 percent more complaints then the previous year. This comes out of a report from insurance companies. There were also 3 percent more complaints about intermediaries. The majority of all complaints seems to be founded. Last year, the biggest increase the insurance companies had, was in the subject of the live insurances. But also in the subjects health care and living, the number of complaints increased. But there is also a very remarkable decrease. The complaints about the car insurances decreased with no less than 10 percent! 44 percent of all complaints go about contracts. People have lots of difficulties to end a contract and they complain about it in this survey.
The increase of all complaints is the consequence of the obligation the keep the balance between the bonuses and the costs of every case in which there is damage done because of the high health insurance costs and the lower refund. In 56 percent of all cases, the complaints are done in this area.
I understand some people who are complaining about the insurance companies. They don’t pay out very easy when someone has an accident. They often wait for three or four months before they make even with their clients. For people who don’t have much money, it must be hard to wait on the insurance money if you know to have to receive it. But on the other hands, insurance companies have to be sure when they pay money out, it’s not just like that. They have do an investigation to see if the person really had damage and in which conditions.
Nathalie COUDEVILLE
SOURCE:
http://www.standaard.be/Artikel/Detail.aspx?artikelId=DMF20090428_072&word=verzekeringen
zaterdag 25 april 2009
Back to basic
Jan Hommen, the new CEO of ING, said that ING will cancel ten till fifteen non-core activities. This will bring in six till eight milliard euro. Already one point four milliard is realized by selling ING Canada. These disinvestments are part of a bigger strategic plan, ING wants to go back to basic on all levels. The customers have to come on the first place in everything ING does.
There will also be a division of the finance and insurance business. But they stay under the name ING. Further ING will concentrate on the deposit accounts, uncomplicated products and a strong marketing and distribution. They will also concentrate more on Europe , more specific the activities in the Benelux. There will also be a cost saving on fortune control. This by bringing it under one worldwide system.
On the field of insurance, ING will put the accent on life insurances and pension insurances. And the insurance activities are staying under regional management.
ING is right on schedule and that is noticeable because the share rose with 17,8 percent.
In my opinion it is a good idea to go back to basic. Because nowadays banks are doing a lot of different things, actually to many things and they forgot the mean principle of what a bank does. They are too busy with too many things. They are selling a lot of different financial products, all insurances, investments, loans… When they cancel some activities, like ING does, it will go better. It will also be easier and better for the customizer.
De Ridder Steffie
Source: http://www.standaard.be/Artikel/Detail.aspx?artikelId=K428S476
There will also be a division of the finance and insurance business. But they stay under the name ING. Further ING will concentrate on the deposit accounts, uncomplicated products and a strong marketing and distribution. They will also concentrate more on Europe , more specific the activities in the Benelux. There will also be a cost saving on fortune control. This by bringing it under one worldwide system.
On the field of insurance, ING will put the accent on life insurances and pension insurances. And the insurance activities are staying under regional management.
ING is right on schedule and that is noticeable because the share rose with 17,8 percent.
In my opinion it is a good idea to go back to basic. Because nowadays banks are doing a lot of different things, actually to many things and they forgot the mean principle of what a bank does. They are too busy with too many things. They are selling a lot of different financial products, all insurances, investments, loans… When they cancel some activities, like ING does, it will go better. It will also be easier and better for the customizer.
De Ridder Steffie
Source: http://www.standaard.be/Artikel/Detail.aspx?artikelId=K428S476
Two thirds of tenants have no fire-insurance
Two thirds of tenants have no fire-insurance. This was shown by an investigation of an independent expertise office Galtier Expertises NV. This agency sends experts, after every fire, to investigate the damage that has been done.
The biggest problem for the tenants is that they can lose all their belongings and if they do not have a fire- insurance the consequences will be much worse. With most fires, the tenants will be held responsible. Only if the fire is caused by a flash of lightening or a construction fault the tenant will not be held responsible.
The landlords insurance will cover the costs to rebuild his house in the original state. The insurance company will usually put the fault in the shoes of the tenant. If the tenant does not have a fire- insurance, he will personally be held responsible for the damage and will have to pay for it.
In my opinion it is a pity that mostly the tenant has to pay for the damage if he does not have a fire- insurance . But it is a fact that the tenant lives in the house and that he is responsible if something happens.
The most shocking fact is that two thirds of tenants have no fire- insurance. I think that a fire- insurance is one of the most important insurances because if the house is burned, you not only loose all your belongings, but you also have to pay for all the damages. Certainly if you are a tenant, this insurance is essential.
If there is a clause in the rental contract which contains “distance of story” the tenant is not under obligation to take out a fire- insurance. This means that the landlord takes responsibility, and that his or her fire- insurance will pay if there is any damage.
Ruth Blommaert
donderdag 23 april 2009
Insurance company sends a contentment survey to death person
The insurance company DVV has send a contentment survey about fire insurances to someone who died in a fire. In October 1998, there was a huge fire in an apartment in Meer. Tom Koyen lived there 18 months and he was the only one that didn’t survived the fire. Ten years later, there is a survey from DVV for the family of Tom. Off course, this is a very unpleasant surprise. The survey didn’t arrive with Tom’s parents but with the neighbors. They’ve brought the survey to the parents of Tom. In the survey, the question rose if the parents of Tom were satisfied about the way DVV handled things when Tom died or not. This was to improve their services. The parents of Tom were not happy with the letter and they took it to the office of DVV. The insurance company itself didn’t understand how this misunderstanding could happen! The insurance company apologized to the family and guarantees that this kind of mistakes will never happen again.
I completely understand why Tom’s parents were mad and sad. Their son died in a fire and DVV sends them a letter about the fire insurances. The memories and experiences they have with fires are definitely not positive. I think it’s inappropriate to send these kinds of surveys to people who’ve lost a son in a fire. The insurance company has to take care of their administration and these things, they should keep in mind. They have to know all the cases of deceased people and they should not sends surveys about the contentment of the fire insurances to them.
Nathalie COUDEVILLE
SOURCE: http://www.standaard.be/Artikel/Detail.aspx?artikelId=RM29CA2N&word=verzekering
I completely understand why Tom’s parents were mad and sad. Their son died in a fire and DVV sends them a letter about the fire insurances. The memories and experiences they have with fires are definitely not positive. I think it’s inappropriate to send these kinds of surveys to people who’ve lost a son in a fire. The insurance company has to take care of their administration and these things, they should keep in mind. They have to know all the cases of deceased people and they should not sends surveys about the contentment of the fire insurances to them.
Nathalie COUDEVILLE
SOURCE: http://www.standaard.be/Artikel/Detail.aspx?artikelId=RM29CA2N&word=verzekering
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