An interview with the Preferred Banking team: Yvonne Verwaaijen
Our Preferred Banking advisers are here to help you find answers to your financial questions, big and small. But who are these advisers? To help you get to know them better, we’ve interviewed Yvonne Verwaaijen. She’s been helping clients to make all sorts of financial decisions for over 14 years. “I love being able to highlight every dimension of a client’s choice.”
From business owner to adviser
“Before joining ABN AMRO, I owned a business in the beauty industry. I’d often work on my own, and that really started to demotivate me at one point. I missed being part of a large, dynamic organisation. I regretted not having colleagues and working in a fast-paced environment. That’s when I decided to broaden and develop my knowledge of economics and economic systems, which have always interested me.”
Yvonne wasted no time turning her words into actions. “On my first day at ABN AMRO, I was eager to explore all of the available opportunities. I enrolled on loads of courses to grow and hone my skills. I’ve been an adviser for over 14 years now, and I still adore my job!”
“Early retirement is a very popular subject right now”
Whether in a Financial Outlook consultation or another Coach consultation, every client has different questions. But what are the most frequently asked? One question that crops up a lot is early retirement.
“That’s a very popular subject right now. Early retirement costs a lot of money, but luckily there are different ways to make up for that income shortfall. The earlier you start planning, the more options you have. I love being able to support clients through those stages, answer their questions and tell them about each and every aspect.”
“Some people are scared of investing”
Equally, there are some topics that clients struggle with. One of them is investing. “Some people are quite scared of investing as a concept, so I give them practical examples to make things as clear as possible. For instance: if you manage to save an extra €300 a month, what impact would that have on your income? And if you invested that amount every month, what effect would that have? This could be the key to achieving those early retirement plans. I make an effort to take things slowly and explain everything as clearly as possible.”
Honest input
While no two consultations are the same, Yvonne often concludes them on the same note. “I always ask for clients’ feedback about the consultation – whether it helped them to understand certain choices and gave them the confidence to go through with them.” The trust clients place in her makes it all worth it. “My clients tell me how much they appreciate my input and honesty. That’s the best compliment anyone could give!”
