UFC-Que Choisir denounces exorbitant inheritance bank fees – The HuffPost

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SUCCESSION – UFC-Que Choisir is sounding the alarm. In a press release published this Friday, October 29, consumers association denounces the opacity of bank charges succession.

As the association reminds us, these costs are used to close the account of the deceased. “They pay for the processing of administrative operations until the transfer of assets to the heirs (mainly the receipt of the death certificate, the inventory of funds and the management of post-mortem movements on the account)”, indicates. her in the text.

These costs average 233 euros, reveals UFC Que-Choose, which adds the “global market for banks is estimated at 150 million euros”.

Problem: these amounts vary greatly from one bank to another. They vary from simple -120 euros at Crédit Mutuel Center Est Europe- to quadruple -527 euros at LCL- depending on the establishment ”, indicates the association.

Fees that differ from country to country

Very high prices if we compare them to those of some of our European neighbors. Thus, bank charges in France are twice as high as those charged in Belgium or Italy (107 euros and 112 euros respectively) and three times higher than in Spain (80 euros).

As the UFC-Que Choisir clarifies, Germany for its part declared that these charges were illegal.

And it does not stop there. According to the consumer association, “inheritance costs can also go beyond just account closings”.

“A quarter of banks do not hesitate to cut more funds if they are intended to feed accounts held with the competition,” assures the UFC-Que Choisir. Thus, if the person who inherits is not a customer of the bank of the deceased person, the transfers are invoiced at 145 euros on average. A service “usually free for the living”, specifies the association.

The consumers’ association believes that it is not the only one to question these questions. In her press release, she recalls that 33 parliamentarians have already questioned the government on these bank charges, without having yet won their case.