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.
Economic look back and forward
Economically, last year was marked by cautious recovery and stabilisation. After the turbulent period of high inflation, rapidly rising interest rates and geopolitical tensions in previous years, the global economy slowly began to find more balance. By 2025, inflation continued to decline in many developed economies. Central banks were therefore able to ease their tight monetary policy. Although interest rate cuts were made cautiously and in stages, this provided relief to households and businesses. Purchasing power recovered slightly, although price levels remained structurally higher than before 2020.
Avoid unnecessary prepayments
Imagine: a loyal supplier at home or abroad informs you that, according to his credit insurer or credit information report, your company has insufficient or even no coverage left. Even though you always pay neatly and on time. For the supplier, this means extra risk. For you, it often means only one thing: paying in advance. And that directly affects your working capital, your liquidity and the freedom of movement you so desperately need as an entrepreneur.
Start 2026 financially fit: from good intentions to concrete cash flow
For many entrepreneurs, January feels like a clean slate. We make plans for growth, new markets or product innovations. But at Xolv, we also see the same pattern every year: the commercial plans are there, but the financial foundations, and specifically the liquidity planning, often only follow when the need arises. A good start is half the battle, especially in financial terms. Don't want to be held back by a lack of working capital this year? Then these are the four pillars you need to start working on now.