Financial Fragility Support
We support financially vulnerable clients and members by involving our employees and administrators, evolving our offers and professions. In accordance with the charter for banking inclusion and the prevention of over-indebtedness, a system applicable to all entities in the group sets out the practical modalities for implementing obligations based on the activity carried out.
Since 2018, we have been actively engaged in various actions :
-establishment of the Coordination Committee for Banking Inclusion to improve the system in place for financially fragile clients.
-sustained mobilization of local branch networks to promote the specific offer dedicated to financially fragile clients.
-capping incident fees beyond regulatory requirements, with the continuation in 2022 of fee exemptions for clients equipped with the specific Budg'Equilibre offer.
The federations of Crédit Mutuel Sud-Ouest and Crédit Mutuel de Bretagne also leverage technological innovations to simplify the daily lives of clients. They offer a budget coaching service, Bud'Jet, allowing simplified visualization of income and expense distribution, sending personalized alerts, and anticipating expenses. The budget coaching app Bud'Jet is also offered to clients benefiting from the Budg'Equilibre offer.
Additionally, partnerships with specialized third-party actors have been established to facilitate client referrals when financial difficulties cannot be addressed solely within the banking establishment. To ensure proper support for clients facing financial fragility, the group's entities train customer-facing employees on the implementation of dedicated programs.
Access to Home Loans After a Health Event
In response to the difficulty some individuals face in obtaining a home loan after a health problem, the group decided in 2018 to enhance support for this population excluded from loan insurance. This was done through the creation of an expert cell and a system aimed at finding tailor-made solutions for these clients, enabling them to realize their housing projects and access homeownership.
Promoting Accessibility to Financial Products and Services
The group's federation websites are designed to facilitate use by all, adhering to web standards defined by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) and the guidelines of the Web Accessibility Initiative. Mobile applications are accessible to people with disabilities using assistive technologies.
At a minimum, one device per point of sale, cash withdrawals have also been made accessible to visually impaired individuals through audio guidance on ATMs, which requires the use of headphones or an audio headset. All ATMs are installed at a height compliant with standards and rules for accessibility to people with reduced mobility.
Finally, the phone numbers of Crédit Mutuel de Bretagne and Crédit Mutuel du Sud-Ouest, as well as those of Suravenir Assurances and Suravenir for loan insurance, are accessible to deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals through a connected service for real-time transcription or interpretation.
