Rising energy costs also impact credit insurance
The recent war in Iran has had a direct impact on energy supplies and economic security worldwide. In particular, the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz is putting pressure on oil and gas supplies, causing prices to rise sharply in a short period of time. Oil could exceed $100 per barrel in some scenarios and gas prices in Europe are rocketing. The effect is already being felt within weeks, with an average increase of around €0.20 per cubic metre of gas. Clearly, we are once again facing an energy price shock reminiscent of previous crises.
Traditional or alternative?
As an entrepreneur, you are constantly thinking about the future of your business. With financing growth, perhaps an acquisition or optimising your working capital. Either way, appropriate financing is important. Whereas the house banker used to be the logical and often the only point of contact, the financing landscape has changed dramatically in recent years.
Friend and competitor
A guarantee is a product that companies need as soon as their customer asks for it. A guarantee guarantees the customer. An example? In construction projects, it covers the execution of work and advance payments. Or take the energy sector. There are sometimes big fluctuations in energy prices. Then there are guarantees to purchase energy or gas, or to supply energy at the predetermined price or for a certain quantity. Similarly, you have customs-related guarantees and rental guarantees. Insurers also work with other insurers and sometimes banks to provide the often extensive guarantees.
High volumes, thin margins
The commodity trading sector is characterised by high trading volumes, thin margins and strong price volatility. At the same time, transactions are often international and capital-intensive. On that playing field, a buyer's payment problem can directly affect liquidity and risk exposure. Credit insurance can therefore be a strategic tool to manage payment risks while enabling commercial growth.
Emerging economies interesting?
Ronald Hollinga, Manager Underwriting Surety Benelux of Zurich Benelux, sat down with Xolv partner Jelle van den Bogerd. Are warranties of interest to your business?
Continuing to build globally
To continuously maintain an edge, you have to keep moving and be innovative. As Xolv grew as an expert in recent years, more and more adjacent special deals came our way, in the Netherlands but also abroad. The Ecclesia Group, of which Xolv is part, entered into a partnership with SRG (Specialist Risk Group) last year and became a co-shareholder alongside Warburg Pincus and Temasek. That partnership allows us to accelerate our international growth. But what does that mean for you as a client of Xolv?
Make a digital move in your receivables management
CreditDevice provides an integrated platform for efficient and secure credit management. From credit information and debtor management to policy management, the software acts as a powerful add-on to the existing accounting package. This gives organisations more control over risks and speeds up payments. Sales Director Olav de Lange of CreditDevice: “There are still a lot of organisations that do their credit management largely manually. With excel lists and notifications in Outlook, for example. Credit management is in our DNA, as is automation.”
Taking advantage of AI? How then?
You can't open a newspaper these days, listen to a podcast or read an interview without AI popping up. Artificial Intelligence is everywhere. For many SME entrepreneurs, it may still feel abstract, but AI has long since ceased to be science fiction. The goal here is not to replace people, but to deliver more value with the same team. So the question is not whether you should do something with AI, but rather where and how you can already benefit from it. And remember that deploying AI is not a goal in itself, but a tool.
Tailored credit insurance with single risk credit insurance
It used to be common to insure the entire debtor portfolio, but that is clearly changing. Increasingly, we are being asked whether it is also possible to insure just one specific customer or even a single transaction. The short answer to that is: yes, it is possible. Indeed, single risk credit insurance was developed precisely from this concrete need in the market. More and more insurers are offering it. A positive development, then!
What variables determine how much credit you can insure?
Insurers have sharpened their calculation models over the years. Big data plays an increasing role and each insurer puts slightly different emphases. Nevertheless, the main building blocks for calculating credit limits can be well captured in four groups: country risk, sector risk, business information and payment behaviour.