Clients Needing Extra Care

How can Rabobank help?

We are committed to taking extra care of clients experiencing difficult circumstances. If you tell us of your circumstances, we will work with you to find a solution that makes it easier for you to communicate with us and access your banking services.

If you tell us that you suspect financial abuse, we will work with you to find a suitable way to meet your banking needs. Depending on your situation, this may involve changing how you or other account holders are able to access your account.

Find out how we collect and use personal information in the course of our business.

What other support is available?

• A list of support agencies offering health and wellbeing services is provided on our Where to get help page.

Why you may need extra care

We understand that life does not always run smoothly, and you may find yourself needing help when dealing with difficult and challenging circumstances.

It could be that your life is not going as planned because you are experiencing:

• Hearing or visual impairments

  • You may have trouble using online services, reading written communications or holding a phone conversation.

• Cognitive impairment

  • You may have difficulty remembering, learning new things, concentrating or making decisions that affect everyday life.

• Mental illness

  • This can affect how you feel, think, behave and interact with other people and may affect your ability to manage your finances.

• Domestic or family violence

  • Domestic and family violence, abuse and intimidation are all forms of violence. It can be between people who are currently or have previously been in a relationship, and family and friends. Domestic and family violence does not have to be physical, the abuse can be verbal, emotional or economic. The violence is used to control and dominate the other person. It causes fear, physical harm and/or psychological harm.
  • We understand that privacy and confidentiality can be critical to safety in any domestic and family violence situation, we will always take care to protect your personal information in line with our privacy policy.

• Life events

  • This could range from the loss of a loved one to a relationship breakdown or a natural disaster.

• Financial hardship or difficulty

  • If you are a rural client experiencing financial difficulty because of any of these challenging circumstances, we can help.

• Financial abuse

  • Financial abuse is a serious issue involving the misuse of money, financial resources, property or assets without the owner’s knowledge or consent. Older New Zealanders, people with a disability, people with mental illness or experiencing emotional challenges, or people who are socially isolated are more at risk of financial abuse.

  Warning signs of financial abuse may include:

  • Your signature has been forged, you are being pressured to sign a document or are being misled about what you are signing, including blank forms.
  • Your money is being used for purposes other than what you wanted.
  • You are being deceived, coerced or unduly influenced to sign a will, deed, contract, power of attorney, or transaction on an account.
  • Your power of attorney is being used in a way that is not in your interests or is for direct personal gain (e.g. taking money from your account to pay for personal items).
  • You are feeling pressured to act as a guarantor when you lack sufficient knowledge about the transaction or the capacity to make informed decisions.
  • You are being isolated from your family or friends, or threatened with being isolated if you don't give the abuser what they want.