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Our policies
St.George Assist - a service for those facing financial hardship
St.George Assist is a team of specialists who will take the time to understand your situation, provide you with personal assistance and information to find the best possible way to help you control and manage your St.George loans and accounts, both now and in the future. This may include:
- Helping you find solutions if you have missed a monthly payment on your credit card
- Discuss possible ways to assist you if you are unable to make your contracted repayments on a home or personal loan
- Or some other alternative banking arrangements that may be better suited to your circumstances
If you are facing financial hardship in relation to your St.George accounts, please contact us on 1800 629 795, 8am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.
Code of Banking
St.George has undertaken to comply with the Code of Banking Practice, developed by the Australian Bankers Association. The result of an extensive review and consultation process, the Code aims to improve the banker/customer relationship through:
- commitment to particular standards of behaviour and conduct; and
- improved, open disclosure
You can download a full copy of the Code Of Banking Practice 2004, or collect a copy from your local St.George branch.
Family Law Guidelines
The review of the Code of Banking Practice highlighted difficulties in implementing family settlements where there are joint debts and a jointly owned matrimonial home. In particular, the difficulties related to:
- obtaining a bank’s consent to the transfer to one party of jointly owned property over which there is a mortgage to the bank; and
- the bank’s position if a settlement or court order is for a joint debt to be paid by one borrower only.
To assist in family law proceedings, St.George has published guidelines on dealing with family law property settlements. These guidelines briefly explain how the bank processes requests to change liability for a joint debit and to change ownership of a matrimonial home.
You can download a copy of the Guidelines for Parties Involved In Family Law Property proceedings or collect a copy from your local St.George branch.
Fit & Proper Policy for Responsible Persons
The St George Group has adopted a Fit & Proper Policy for Responsible Persons. This policy has been developed and implemented based on the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority's (APRA) Fit & Proper Prudential Standards (APS520, LPS520, GPS520). The St George Group is regulated by APRA and compliance with any Prudential Standards issued by APRA is a mandatory requirement for the Group to operate in Australia.
The policy sets out procedures adopted by the Group to determine the fitness and propriety of individuals in specified Responsible Person positions. These are required by APRA to be applied to such position holders by authorised deposit-taking institutions, general insurers and life insurers.
You can download a copy of the policy.
