Bank unit fined for charging dead pensioners

A former CBA unit has been fined $1.7million for charging fees to dead clients.

The unit, Avanteos Investments, was a part of wealth manager Colonial First State, in which CBA divested its majority stake in 2020 to private equity giant KKR.

The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) said 499 deceased members with funds in Avanteos pension products were wrongly charged almost $700,000 because the company failed to update its defective disclosure statements.

ASIC said this was the first instance of a criminal prosecution for a company failing to update its defective disclosure statements.

Avanteos has repaid the deducted fees. 

Will the banks ever stop finding new ways to fleece us?

6 comments

Short answer...NO...the banks will always find ways to fleece us & with ever more creative & hidden 'fees'

Spot on

Shameful behaviour.

Terrible business rort

Personally I don't believe it is a rort, just abysmal record keeping. Now they will have to pull their socks up, the incentive being the $1.7 million fine.

The best way is to close your account and see how they go trying to get monies.

Alternative is to send in a change of address for correspondence. If the policy holder has passed away give the change of address as the current location at a cemetery. ie niche wall location. Only show as unit, say 12 with the street number of the cemetery . The street name NEVER what the purpose of the street number .ie a Cemetery

An example lot 12 185 Whitfords Avenue, Whitfords.        This is the location of Pinnaroo Cemetery

Worth some fun and games at their expense. Any accounts being chased up by some one chasing money. Ie Telstra as they will not take your word the account holder has passed away and will always require the person who has passed away to confirm such and no longer needs the account for a phone.

Us oldies again!!!!!!

6 comments



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