While the country continues to observe the national lockdown, credit active consumers whose income has been negatively impacted by COVID-19 will be exploring various measures to ensure that they can stay up to date on repayments for personal loans, overdrafts, credit cards, vehicle finance and home loans.
In March, FNB announced its cashflow relief measures to help individual personal banking customers who were in good standing before their finances were negatively impacted by COVID-19. The Bank’s solution covers customer’s repayments across all products they hold with FNB including credit, insurance and FNB Connect products. In addition to the cashflow relief, the Bank is also assisting its customers with credit insurance claims where this is a possibility to cover their credit premiums for a period of up to 12 months.
Raj Makanjee, CEO of Retail for FNB says,“Our aim is to ensure that all our customers can continue keeping their financial affairs in order through this uncertain time. For our individual personal banking customers who do not have credit insurance or perhaps only have partial cover, the Cashflow Relief Plan gives customers a payment break from their monthly instalments and premiums for 3 months. During this time, we will pay the customer’s premiums on their behalf, freeing up their cashflow to cover other expenses while keeping their existing facilities and credit profile intact.”
Why cashflow relief?
Doret Jooste, CEO of FNB Retail Money Management says, “The solution is designed to be less expensive compared to the traditional payment break with a term extension, where a customer could potentially be paying ‘interest upon interest’, fees are still levied during the break and their repayments on the longer term will be based on the conditions of the existing agreement, for example interest rate and fees. In the long-term, the total cost of credit for a payment holiday with a term extension is significantly higher than a cashflow relief plan.”
How does the Cashflow Relief Plan work?
Instead of extending the customer’s term, FNB will allow the customer to repay the cashflow relief amount separately post the payment break, with the following benefits applicable on this Cashflow Relief account:
- Zero fees;
- Flexible repayment period;
- Ability to settle this amount earlier with no penalties;
- The interest rate payable is prime, which could be a lower interest rate than what the customer is currently paying on their unsecured credit products such as a personal loan, credit cards or overdraft or other unsecured credit facilities;
- Repayment will only start once the 3-month relief period is over.
“These benefits bring flexibility and real savings to our customers on the cost of their credit in the long term and is specifically designed to help our customers minimise the impact of COVID-19 on their finances. We encourage customers to be thoughtful about the solutions they sign-up for during this difficult time, especially those who do not have insurance on their credit products,” adds Jooste.
An example of the total savings that a client realises through using the cashflow relief with FNB instead of a term extension is illustrated below:
| Implication on a 3-month payment break with a term extension | Home Loan | Personal Loan |
| Current Balance | R500 000 | R100 000 |
| Rate | 7% | 18% |
| Remaining number of payments | 204 | 48 |
| Monthly premium/payment | -R4 198 | -R 2 937 |
| Payment Break number of months | 3 | 3 |
| Balance after Payment Break | R508 801 | R104 568 |
| New remaining number of payments | 212 | 52 |
| Extra payments needed i.e. number of months added due to term extension | 8 | 4 |
| Additional cost of credit paid due to term extension | R29 509 | R9 636 |
| Customer pays a total of: | R885 963 | R150 636 |
| Implications of 3-month payment break with Cashflow Relief Plan | Home Loan | Personal Loan |
| Current Balance | R500 000 | R100 000 |
| Rate | 7% | 18% |
| Remaining number of payments | 204 | 48 |
| Monthly Premium/Payment | -R4 198 | -R2 973 |
| Payment break number of months the bank pays client’s instalment on existing loan on the Cashflow Relief Plan | 3 | 3 |
| Balance on existing loan after payment break with Cashflow Relief Plan | R496 133 | R95 622 |
| New remaining number of payments on existing loan | 201 | 45 |
| Extra payments needed on existing loan i.e. number of months added due to term extension | 0 | 0 |
| Balance after payment break on Cashflow Relief Plan | -R12 595 | R-8 812 |
| Rate on Cashflow Relief Plan* | 7.75% | 7.75% |
| Term** | 60 | 60 |
| Monthly Premium, i.e. payment on Cashflow Relief Plan | R254 | R178 |
| Additional cost of credit paid due to Credit Relief Plan | R2 638 | R1 845 |
| Customer pays a total of (on remaining term of underlying agreement) | R843 859 | R132 187 |
| Customer pays a total of (on relief plan) | R15 233 | R10 658 |
| Savings to client using Cashflow Relief Plan instead of term extension | R26 872 | R7 790 |