We will use your email address only for sending you newsletters. Please see our Privacy Notice for details of your data protection rights.
The “Banking My Way” service aims to help NatWest customers who need additional support by enabling them to request bespoke assistance, in an effort to make banking easier. Those interested will be able to make specific requests as to how they want to be served.
It may be this includes requesting a quiet space when they visit a branch, being spoken to more clearly and slowly, or requesting a translator.
The bank will be able to tailor the service depending on the customer’s individual needs, NatWest said.
This includes a disability, bereavement, addiction, or illness.
However, the customer will not need to make the bank aware of their specific circumstances and they will still be able to request additional support.
So, how can those interested access the Banking My Way service?
It can be set up by customers anytime online, or if they need extra help in making the request, they may speak to staff in branch or over the phone.
NatWest is reassuring customers that they can share as little or as much information as they like.
They can review this annually, in order to ensure the right level of support remains in place.
Once the information has been provided, a member of staff will be prompted when they serve the customer on how best to meet their needs.
Marcelino Castrillo, Managing Director NatWest Personal Banking said: “We are launching ‘Banking My Way’ to help us better support our vulnerable customers.
“Embracing technology is one way we can really make a difference to the lives of our customers and making it simple for them to let us know about their additional needs removes any stigma from the process.”
Elsewhere in money news today, the choice of inflation-beating savings deals has dropped.
It came as it was revealed the Consumer Price Index (CPI) increased to one percent during July, from 0.60 percent to June.
Since last month’s announcement, the number of deals able to outpace inflation has fallen, due to the rise in inflation of 0.40 percent.
Last month, there were 440 deals in total that beat 0.6 percent, while there are 91 today that beat one percent, Moneyfacts said.
In terms of standard savings accounts that now match or beat inflation of one percent include three easy access accounts, eight notice accounts, one variable rate ISA (restrictive criteria), 16 fixed rate ISAs and 86 fixed rate bonds (based on a £10,000 deposit), the financial product data company added.
Commenting, Rachel Springall, Finance Expert at Moneyfacts.co.uk, said: “Savers may sigh in relief to see some competition return to the savings market, but this has primarily been on short-term fixed rate bonds.
“As the UK officially enters a recession, there may well be savers who wish to put money aside for emergencies, and they might want to have this close at hand and choose an easy access account instead.
“Due to the current level of inflation, picking the top rate in either market (non-ISAs) will mean the cash will not presently be eroded by inflation, but inflation is predicted to rise in the years to come.
“Beating the eroding effects of inflation is possible in the short-term if savers chase down the best deals, but it is worth pointing out that there are still many easy access accounts paying less than one percent.
“As an example, should a saver have their cash with a high street bank, they could be earning just 0.01 percent in interest, so their spending power is falling in real terms.”
Source: Read Full Article