While interest rates in the Netherlands are finally rising after years of sitting at an all-time low, when we look abroad, Dutch bank accounts still don’t have much to offer to savers!
For those of us who have hoarded our cash, there are few options to earn much money on our savings in the Netherlands — which is dang ridiculous.
But hol’ up, cash collectors! There’s a solution that has come to town. Raisin gets you access to the best interest rates across the EU — no joke. You can store your money where it can really grow!
What is Raisin?
First things first, allow us to introduce you. Raisin is a savings marketplace — and it’s perfect for internationals on the lookout for the EU’s best savings products.
We hear you: what the hell is a savings marketplace? Basically, Raisin is a savings broker that lets you put your savings into accounts of banks across the EU — without you having to leave your home, deal with language barriers, or remember login information for 10 different banks.
Let’s put it this way: you have money in the Netherlands, but most Dutch interest rates are not worth your money (yeah, that’s right, you do deserve better!) You join Raisin and find a bank somewhere else in Europe. Suddenly, you could be getting up to 35 times the Dutch interest rate!
READ MORE | More interest, more money: why saving money is now worth it again (and how to get up to 4.2% interest!)
Raisin has proven itself popular because they give you access to these banks and their interest rates (without needing to worry about living in that country). Savings accounts can be opened and managed fully online, and they’ve even arranged deals with banks to offer their clients a collection of the best interest rates in the EU — baller.
Why should you use Raisin as an international in the Netherlands?
If you’re reading this article, you’re likely an international in the Netherlands, just like us! So here’s what attracted us to Raisin — and why it may just be the right option for you.
Get exclusive access to the best interest rates
With Raisin, you have a wide range of savings accounts to choose from, and you can rest easy knowing that the deposited amount(s) will only ever grow — not decline. Raisin is tirelessly looking to find you the best interest rates that EU international banks have to offer.
Choose from a broad portfolio of savings accounts
Whether you’re looking for the security of high, fixed rates on term deposits, or good interest rates with maximum flexibility on overnight savings, Raisin can offer all of the above. Not sure what the heck any of that means? Let’s break it down for you.
Raisin offers three types of savings products for international savers:
Overnight money accounts
No, this isn’t somewhere for you to put your cash while you sleep. An overnight money account is essentially an account that you can open, add to, or withdraw from at any time, anywhere — and you can start using it immediately. It’s the most flexible option and is accessible to all as you only need €1 to open the account! (Checks back pocket, yep, we’re good to go!)
Currently, Renault Bank offers a freely withdrawable savings account with an interest rate of 2.65% per annum exclusively through Raisin!
Term deposits
A term deposit account is slightly more structured and less flexible than an overnight money account. You deposit a fixed amount of money for a fixed amount of time. Usually, this means you cannot add or withdraw money from the account during the term, but it also means that the bank is willing to offer you a higher fixed interest rate!
Savings accounts with conditions
Landing somewhere between the above two options in terms of flexibility is the option to open a savings account with conditions. With this option, you can deposit a fixed amount that can only be withdrawn in its entirety. There is no fixed term for the account, but there is a short notice period if you do decide to withdraw the deposit.
Unsure of which account to take out? Check out this helpful overview and comparison.
What all three of the above options have in common is simple — some of the highest interest rates that EU banks have to offer!
Set up multiple savings accounts with banks across the EU
What’s more, through one single Raisin account, you can set up as many savings accounts with as many banks across the EU as you want — completely for free.
Yep, that’s right. There are no costs involved in setting up your Raisin account. In fact, they will even cover the costs of any international Euro transfers that you may have to make upon choosing a term deposit account!
All across the EU, your money is guaranteed up to €100,000
While your savings may be off backpacking in a (for example) French or Estonian bank account, you can take a relaxing breath and know that, while your savings are off getting cultured, they won’t disappear on you.
READ MORE | Dutch savings accounts: banks with the best interest rates
Anything up to €100,000 per account holder per bank (or the equivalent amount in local currency) will be protected by national, statutory deposit guarantee schemes in accordance with EU guidelines — no matter what happens to the bank where your money is lodged.
Allow your savings to grow — without the risk of investing
If we’ve learned anything in the past year, it’s that the world can be a pretty unpredictable place. It makes the prospect of investing in property or the stock market all the more unappealing.
READ MORE | Investing in the Netherlands: 7 great apps for getting into stocks
However, it’s good to know that, thanks to high-interest rates, your money can continue to grow steadily in value once you place it in a savings account with Raisin. You can leave your money be, and watch your balance rise — and no rebellion on Reddit or a tweet by Elon Musk will change that.
TIP: If you’re looking to find some of the best fixed interest rates, Raisin also has some pretty sweet deals with Banca Progetto!
Handle your savings completely online
If you’ve been an international with a bank account in a different country, then you know the struggle of trying to update your personal information or making international transactions — things just aren’t as simple as using online banking.
With Raisin, you won’t be expected to fly across the world to handle simple matters — it’s all online, no trips to the bank needed.
Sign me up!
Finally found a place that your savings can call home? We’re glad. You can open up a free account with Raisin now in three easy steps.
- Create an account* — You can register your account by filling your details into the provided form.
- Login — Once you have selected your username and password, login and identify yourself.
- Send on your proof of address — Upload or email something that verifies your address.
Their website also offers all its key documents in Dutch and English, and you don’t have to worry about getting lost in translation — their customer service will operate in English if that’s your preference!
Listen, we know managing your finances is hard, especially when you’re trying to do so in a foreign country — but that’s why services such as Raisin exist. You got this! 💪
Have you tried Raisin before? Tell us about your experience in the comments below!
* Residents of the United States of America (USA), so-called Permanent Residents, as well as holders of a Green Card (anyone who is considered a “US person”) are not entitled to access the offers due to extensive regulations regarding the transfer of data under FATCA regulation.
Feature Image: AlleSerebrina/Depositphoto
I recently signed up and was disappointed to discover that all of the site and mos of the app is in Dutch, with no way of getting key information in English. Chrome won’t automatically translate some of the key pages (including those that you need to understand fully to sign up for a specific product, including dropdown boxes). Customer services confirmed this today. “Unfortenatelly (sic) our website is only available in Dutch. We don’t have this option on our website to choose another language. We are very sorry to have to inform you this.” I Please revise your article accordingly. Thanks.
Hi Edwin,
Thanks for informing us about the error in the article and apologies for the inconvenience it may have caused. The website is indeed, besides the key documents, only available in Dutch. The article is updated now.
Kind regards,
The Raisin team
Hi All
It also worth mentioning that, according to Raisin support, the code provided is only available once you send €5000 in a period of 6 months.
I have signed up as I’ve got interested on testing the platform and got disappointed to see this would not work as the article says.
Hi Rafael, thanks for your comment! Let us raise this with Raisin.
Hello All
Not sure why, but my previous comment was deleted.
When creating my Raisin account, I tried using the promo code provided in this article and didn’t receive the bonus appointed.
In contact with Raisin support, they have told me the bonus is only applicable for when you reach a €5000 threshold of money added to your Raisin account within 6 months, which is not mentioned anywhere.
I believe this is a very important information that should be shared with those who are trying to use the suggested platform.
Hi Rafael,
Thanks for your comment, this requirement is stated in the terms and conditions provided in the link. We have added it to the article for additional clarity!
And here we are, almost a year later, and what Edwin addressed in his comments, there’s still no solution to the language availability. The thing is, it’s only Dutch because you say you live in NL. Raisin has presence in other countries and platform in English, it’s just not available once you confirm your residency. So the subtitle of “Why should you use Raisin as an international in the Netherlands?” can also go to the bin.
Hi, I opened a Raisin account in the UK in 2018 and there was promise of a 50 Pound bonus (recommending by MoneySavingExpert) for depositing 1000 pounds in a fixed deposit. I never got this bonus – I can’t remember the details exactly but I think there was some small print about sending an email when you first opened the acount. I see many others complaining online about this so I would be wary of promised bonuses.