Commonwealth Bank offers assistance package to Casino storm victims

The Commonwealth Bank Group has activated its comprehensive special emergency assistance program to help the Bank's customers affected by the severe storm, which hit Casino and the surrounding area on Wednesday night.

The Bank's General Manager in NSW, Neil Schafer, said: "The Commonwealth Bank Group is concerned that families, farmers and business people in the Casino area are suffering because of this particularly violent storm. We are offering special financial arrangements to assist our customers affected by this disaster".

Mr Schafer said the key features of the Bank's special assistance package included:

• loan restructuring for business customers with existing loans, without incurring the usual bank establishment fees,
• additional loans or changes to repayment arrangements for Commonwealth Bank home loan customers who are experiencing difficulties because of the storm. They are urged to contact staff at their local branch or the Customer Service Centre on 13 2224 (between 8am and 8pm any day of the week),
• review and postponement of credit card instalments for customers of good standing and/or consideration of requests for emergency credit limit increases,
• the Bank will waive prepayment charges over the next month for affected customers wishing to access their term deposits ahead of the maturity date.

"Our staff will be happy to discuss with customers their overall financial position, any change in repayment arrangements, or to consider options for additional loan funds," Mr Schafer said.

Customers interested in the special assistance package should contact their local Commonwealth Bank branch or Relationship Manager. For general inquiries, personal customers should telephone 13 2221 and business customers 13 1998, Monday to Friday, 8am to 8pm.