The Mayor wants to cap bank charges

After the controversy over the postponement of the presentation of the poverty plan, the ministers follow one another to try to appease the spirits. This Sunday, it was the Minister of the Economy who got down to work. A guest at the Aix-en-Provence economic meeting, Bruno Le Maire said he wanted to add provisions on the capping of bank charges for low-income households in the poverty plan. "In terms of poverty, I prefer to take a few more weeks and be better," said the Minister of Economy at economic meetings in Aix-en-Provence (Bouches-du-Rhone). "For example, we will add in this plan provisions on the capping of bank charges," he said.

»READ ALSO – In 2018, some bank rates have" literally flamed "

A concrete project which shows, according to the Minister, that the postponement of the plan at the start of the school year, when it was initially planned for the beginning of July, is in no way related to the results of the World Cup as suggested by the Minister of Health Agnès Buzyn, but has everything to do with Emmanuel Macron's willingness to be able to prepare "the finest possible", a plan that in any case will come into effect on January 1, 2019, as said Benjamin Griveaux, the government spokesman. "I think that it is essential for all modest French people that we reach a real ceiling of bank charges so that nobody is in difficulty because he is obliged to pay unbearable and too heavy bank charges," he said. -he explains.

Alert badociations

A statement made regularly by different consumer badociations. Last October, 60 million consumers denounced the explosion of overdraft fees that first hit the most modest. "Consumers in persistent financial difficulty are paid nearly 300 euros per year against 34 euros – for average customers on average". Same thing for checks or withdrawals: a NSF check is charged 30 € below an order of 50 €, and 50 € beyond. According to the badociation 60 Million consumers, all expenses related to operating incidents is extremely lucrative for retail banks, and would contribute 30% to 35% of their turnover.

»READ ALSO – The cost of bank account maintenance has exploded since 2013, according to Panorabanques

In January it is the UFC-Que Choisir who addressed the same reproaches to banks. In its study, the badociation noted that intervention fees and agios can represent up to two-thirds of the cost of account fees for consumers regularly exceeding their overdraft authorization. Costs are also six times cheaper at online banks than at traditional network institutions. Last Tuesday, a group of members of the CGT Banques Assurances union and the Rural Families badociations, UFC-Que Choisir and Unaf, called on the executive to take action for a ceiling on bank charges for all consumers.

Appeal received by Bruno Le Maire therefore, who however affirmed that he "still needs some time to discuss with the badociations, to discuss with the financial sector, to discuss with banks, a real effective ceiling of bank charges for modest households ".