How your money flows from A to B

Learn what happens from when money leaves your bank account to when it's invested.

Curvo waves pointing to the top and right

Step 1

Download the app and open an account

The first step is to let us know who you are through itsme. After sharing your investment goals, you will get a portfolio suited to you.

Once we've verified your account, you will be able to start investing.

Step 2

Make your first deposit

The money leaves your bank account and is sent to an account at Rabobank in the name of the custodian, Stichting Noordnederlandse Beleggersgiro. The money will remain there for a couple of days at most before the investments are made.

Curvo waves as a circle
Curvo waves pointing to the top and right

Step 3

Your assets are purchased

We give the order to purchase shares from the funds in your portfolio. Every € is invested thanks to fractional shares.

Step 4

The custodian safeguards your assets

Upon receiving the shares, the Stichting Noordnederlandse Beleggersgiro, as the custodian, makes you the beneficial owner. From then on, its only job is to safeguard your assets.

The custodian is strictly regulated by both the AFM and Dutch National Bank. In the unlikely event of embezzlement or theft, your assets are still protected up to €20,000 by the European Investor Protection Scheme.

Learn more about the role of the custodian

Curvo waves as a circle
Curvo waves pointing to the top and right

Step 5

Be in control of your financial future

You will receive a notification via the app when your money has been invested. You now have 24/7 access to your portfolio.

You are free to withdraw your money at any time or choose to make more investments.

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Learn more

What's the relationship between Curvo, NNEK and the Stichting Noordnederlandse Beleggersgiro?

Curvo is a trade name of NNEK, registered with the Chamber of Commerce (NL) under number 02017874. NNEK (or ‘Noordnederlands Effektenkantoor’ in full) manages your investments while the custodian (Stiching Noordnederlandse Beleggersgiro) safeguards your assets.

The custodian has been running since 2001 as its own legal entity for NNEK's customers.

What happens if a party goes bankrupt or shuts down?

We don't hold any of your investments. Instead, they're kept in your name by the custodian, which is a separate and independent entity. This ensures that you keep all your assets in the unlikely event of us shutting down. The custodian cannot go bankrupt as it has no commercial activity.

Who runs the funds where I'm investing my money?

All portfolios currently consist of funds from three providers.

Vanguard: Founded in 1975, Vanguard is a US-based investment management company holding over $3tn in assets under management. Vanguard is the largest provider of mutual funds in the world. Its founder John Bogle is also credited as the inventor of index funds.

BlackRock: Founded in 1988, BlackRock is the world's largest asset manager with over $4.5tn in assets under management. It's popular in Europe through its iShares brand.

Amundi: One of the leading European financial institutions and part of the Crédit Agricole group.

Learn more about the portfolios

What does it mean to become a beneficial owner?

In the eyes of the law, there are two types of ownership:

  1. The legal owner
  2. The beneficial owner

The beneficial owner is the true owner. In your case, you are the beneficial owner of your assets which gives you total control. However, for safety and convenience, the custodian (Stichting Noordnederlandse Beleggersgiro) holds your assets for you and is therefore the legal owner.

Tell me more about the investor protection scheme

The main goal of the European regulatory framework for investment firms is to protect consumers such as yourself. For instance, it makes sure that:

  • there's a separation between your assets and those of the investment firm
  • your assets are held by a separate entity (the custodian)
  • potential irregularities are detected early on through strict oversight

Before the EU introduced the European Investor Protection Scheme, there were cases where fraudulent behaviour by investment firms went undetected and customers suffered losses. The scheme protects up to €20,000 of your investments against fraud and embezzlement, and it applies to all European customers of an investment firm, including you.

Learn how it differs from the €100,000 deposit guarantee scheme

What happens when I want to withdraw my money?

Through the app, you may choose to sell some (or all) of your assets. Once your request is received, the order is sent to sell your positions. You'll be notified through the app once they're sold. Your money is then sent straight to your bank account using a regular bank transfer. The whole process may take a few days.

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