Our history
From de Volksbank to ASN Bank: ready for the future
As of 1 July, de Volksbank will continue as ASN Bank. We are combining the strengths of our four trusted brands – ASN Bank, SNS, RegioBank and BLG Wonen – into one bank. Not because we’re leaving our history behind, but because we want to move forward. We’re choosing simplicity, agility and a clear direction, allowing us to better respond to what people and society need. The mission that ASN Bank began with – building a sustainable and just future – remains our guiding principle. Only now, we do it with more strength than ever before.
A bank for and by the people
Our roots go back to the nineteenth century. That’s when regional savings banks began to emerge across the Netherlands. Their goal: to ensure that ordinary people could save safely and responsibly. This cooperative philosophy still forms the foundation of who we are. For 200 years, our services have focused on people – not shareholders.
Growth and mergers
In 1987, two major regional savings banks merged to become SNS Bank. Through further mergers and acquisitions, the organisation grew rapidly. In 1997, SNS Group merged with insurance company REAAL to become SNS REAAL. This bank-insurer combination went public in 2006. Several acquisitions followed, including RegioBank (2007), AXA Nederland (2007) and Zwitserleven (2008).
Nationalisation of SNS REAAL
Our retail banking activities remained structurally profitable throughout the years. However, starting in 2009, mounting losses at Property Finance increasingly pressured the bank’s results and solvency. This ultimately led to the nationalisation of SNS REAAL and its subsidiaries, including SNS Bank N.V. as it was then known, on 1 February 2013. As a result of the nationalisation, the Dutch State – through Stichting NLFI – is now our sole shareholder.
From recovery to renewal
After separating banking and insurance activities, we said goodbye to REAAL in 2015. SNS Bank was renamed de Volksbank N.V. Under this banner, we worked on becoming a solid, people-oriented bank – one that is sustainable for customers, employees and society. In recent years, it became clear that we needed more focus, simplicity and decisiveness. That’s why we’re now choosing one brand, one direction: ASN Bank.
Good for you. Good for the future.
This transition to ASN Bank marks a new path, but we remain true to our values. Our mission – a sustainable and just future for all – is more powerful than ever. We focus on issues that matter: sustainability, financial well-being and access to good and affordable housing. Our services remain personal and close, digital where possible, physical where it counts.
We are making choices to respond more quickly to change. This calls for a clear structure, less complexity and more space for craftsmanship. That’s how we are building a bank that’s ready for tomorrow.