A preliminary investigation into mortgage rates and fees has uncovered enough evidence to merit a formal probe, the cartel body NMa said on Monday

The investigation shows that the costs banks pass on to customers have gone up sharply over the past 18 months, compared to the situation in Belgium, Germany and France. And that could be due to a lack of competition, the NMa says.
Home owners lobby group VEH had called on the NMa to look into the cost of mortgages. It claims banks are not passing on lower interest rates to consumers, even though it is now cheaper to borrow money.
The Dutch market is dominated by three main players: Rabobank, ING and ABN Amro. Some 3.5 million households in the Netherlands have a mortgage.
‘I think it is important that the NMa continues this investigation, particularly in light of the current consumer unease [about bank charges],’ chairman Pieter Kalbfleisch is quoted as saying in the Telegraaf.