a.s.r. acquires insurance portfolio from De Onderlinge van 1719 and becomes the oldest insurer in the Netherlands
As of 1 October 2025, the funeral insurance policies of De Onderlinge van 1719 U.A. have been transferred to a.s.r. The portfolio comprises approximately 2,200 in-kind funeral insurance policies with a total insured sum of around € 9 million. a.s.r. will take over the administration and ongoing service provision for these policies.
This transfer marks a significant moment in Dutch insurance history. Following the transaction, De Onderlinge van 1719 will settle all remaining obligations and formally dissolve. As a result, a.s.r. – founded in 1720 – will become the oldest still-operating insurer in the Netherlands.
José Groot, Managing Director of De Onderlinge van 1719: ‘We have served our members with full dedication for many years. While we remain financially sound, it has become increasingly difficult for a small insurer to operate independently. We are therefore pleased to have found a reliable partner in a.s.r. who can continue to safeguard the interests of our policyholders. This ensures our members can continue to rely on security – now and in the future.’ The board of De Onderlinge will distribute the remaining capital among its members as a one-off payment.
Willem van den Berg, COO a.s.r. life: 'We are proud to offer the policyholders of De Onderlinge van 1719 a future-proof solution. With our experience and scale, we are well positioned to take over these policies and continue providing high-quality service. The fact that we will also become the oldest insurer in the Netherlands makes this moment all the more special.’
De Onderlinge van 1719 was founded 306 years ago as Begrafenisbos De Vrijwillige Liefdebeurs and was the first funeral insurer in the Netherlands accessible to the general public. The oldest legal predecessor of a.s.r. is N.V. Maatschappij van Assurantie, Discontering en Beleening der Stad Rotterdam anno 1720. This already made a.s.r. the oldest still-existing public limited company in continental Europe. Once De Onderlinge van 1719 has been dissolved, a.s.r. will officially become the oldest still-operating insurer in the Netherlands.
-
13 Nov 2025
Diederik Schouten appointed deputy director of Pensions at a.s.r.
As of 1 December 2025, a.s.r. has appointed Diederik Schouten as deputy director and head of operations Pensions. In this new role, he will be responsible for the entire operational domain within the a.s.r. pensions business unit . Diederik Schouten will report to director of Pensions Folkert Pama, and will be part of the management team. -
11 Nov 2025
Importance of funeral insurance recognised by young adults, but remains off-topic
Young people do value funeral insurance, similar to older generations, but they rarely talk about it. This is evident from a representative study by a.s.r. among 1,250 Dutch people aged 18 to 80. 6 in 10 Dutch people consider funeral insurance a relevant product, with the prevention of unexpected costs for surviving relatives cited as the main reason. Savings are most frequently mentioned as an alternative by those who choose not to take out funeral insurance. -
4 Nov 2025
a.s.r. successful in supporting people distanced from the labour market
a.s.r. has once again achieved Step 1 on the Social Enterprise Performance Ladder (PSO), a national certification that promotes socially responsible entrepreneurship. This means that for both 2025 and 2026, a.s.r. remains the only insurer in the Netherlands to hold this highest distinction. On average, a.s.r. employs more people with a distance to the labour market than organisations of similar size.