A recent survey among 1,000 respondents commissioned by insurance company Cardiff – a subsidiary of the French bank BNP Paribas – shows that a third of all Dutch citizens either go online to learn more about financial products or consult the accompanying fine print.

About 15 percent of the respondents said they preferred getting advice from relatives or friends. A minority (about 7 percent) said they intended to take a course to brush up on their financial knowledge. When faced with a major financial decision, such as taking out a mortgage or insurance, most Dutch citizens seek the advice of an independent consultant (42 percent) or a bank (32 percent). Nearly half of the respondents said they believed information on financial products was intentionally made difficult to understand.

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