As much as I don’t like talking about it, the role of money in our society is monumentally important. It drives everything and as Liza Minnelli and Michael York famously sung in the (1972) film Cabaret, the clinking, clanking sound of money can make the world go round.
Life is hard. You know it, I know it. Sometimes we need a little help with our money, whether it be for a fanciful thing that we impulsively want or a long term family plan, or anything in between. If you want a thing but don’t necessarily have the money for that thing, you’re going to have to borrow that money.
There are multiple banks available to lend you money, and today I’d like to talk to you about one of those banks that I have a personal experience with — FNB. Full disclosure, this is a paid for promotion, however that doesn’t affect the opinions expressed here.
Before we delve into that, let me take a moment remind you that all of the features discussed below are available from FNB’s fantastic mobile App that is available on both iOS and Android. I use it for practically everything, and accessing the variety of features via the App is by far and away the most convenient approach.
One of FNB’s tenets is relevant and responsible borrowing solutions and their message of “The future of help is to help people, help themselves” can be seen in the different options available to their customers. Let’s take a look at them, shall we?
Getting a credit card is as inevitable as death and taxes. Even though I had a credit card with my previous bank, I avoided using it for the longest time. However with FNB, almost all of my spend is on the credit card — that’s mainly got to do with the synergy it has with FNB’s excellent rewards system (eBucks) but I’ll get into that a little later. Based on your income, FNB offers different classes of credit card, each with benefits that are tied to that class. The higher the income, the higher the class of card and benefits that you’re able to access, however the standard features you’ve come to expect from a credit card are available across the board including personalized interest rates, 55 days interest free on purchases, a handy budget facility, and convenient fire-and-forget automatic payment options.
One of the best things about FNB’s credit card is the eBucks. It’s certainly the best reward system that I have ever used. Essentially, your use of FNB’s range of banking products determines your eBucks reward level, and the number of eBucks you receive is based on that level. Whether it be online or in-store shopping, the reward rate when using the credit card is the highest. For example, the reward rate for paying for online purchases with the FNB premier credit card is 4%, whereas the reward rate for the same online purchase via a cheque card is 0.5%. That’s basically a 700% increase in the eBucks you receive for using your credit card for online purchases. To get a better idea of eBucks you may receive based on you banking habits, have a look at the useful calculator. And then visit the eBucks store to see all the things you could buy with your sweet, sweet eBucks. You’re welcome ;)
While I don’t have a home loan, if I was ever in need of one, I’d go with FNB. Why? eBucks (I’m addicted to the stuff). By using FNB’s home loan facility, you can add substantial target points towards raising your eBucks reward level to the maximum. While I might have a singular focus on eBucks, FNB provides a multitude of home loan options depending on your needs whether you’re in the position to either build a house of my own house or buy a domicile, or if you have a home but want to transfer your existing loan for another bank. Want to finance your home the Islamic way? FNB got you covered.
As with the credit card product, flexibility and choice are the available in the repayment options. While you never want to be in such a position, should you be struggling to pay the loan back, FNB provides options that may help mitigate that, including ‘promise to pay’ agreements and debt counselling.
Note that home loans has its own dedicate space in the FNB banking app (nav >> Home) where you’ll find a wealth of dedicated tools. Should you have questions and I’m sure they can get complex when it comes to large sums of home loan money, I’d suggest using the “Secure Chat” feature on the FNB banking app. It’s the most convenient, cost-effective way I find.
Before considering a personal loan, you should have a clear idea of what exactly you want it for. It’ll help you to apply for the relevant amount. If you don’t over-extend yourself, you should be able to make your repayments on time; skipping payments is something to be avoided.
If you can avoid it, great but if you’re in situation where you just need a personal loan, you should probably do it with FNB. Why? You should probably have figured it out by now — being part of an ecosystem like FNB’s, the more you use their features, the more rewards you may be entitled to. Similar to credit cards and home loans, personal loans are linked to eBucks and count valuable target points towards getting to the hallowed reward level of 5 (where all the best discounts are and the most eBucks are doled out).
As always you can apply for one via multiple channels, including my preferred option, the FNB banking App.
Sometimes your train takes an unscheduled trip to Unexpected-ville, and I hope you packed your overnight overdraft bag. Seriously though, when you’re going into your overdraft, you’re getting into debt and it should be managed accordingly. Overdrafts should be reserved only for short-term borrowing or emergencies that arise.
FNB provides an authorized overdraft facility that allows you to overdraw (or borrow) up to an agreed limit, at a set rate of interest based on your credit profile. Banks typically charge for it in different ways, FNB charges for it only when you use it, with a monthly fee the moment you use at least R200 of your allowed limit.
That’s all, folks. A lot of things have been simplified for brevity but I hope the tidbits presented here have been helpful enough for you to find out more information for yourself. It’s all available in the “For Me > Borrow” section on the FNB’s home page. The more knowledge you’re armed with, the better your decision making should become. Good luck, and borrow responsibly.
[Hat tip: “Lend Money” icon courtesy of Yu luck from Noun Project]