Supporting its 20 million customers through key life stages is a core tenet of La Banque Postale’s approach. Besides planning for retirement, preparing for passing on inheritance is a vital stage in the management of one's assets, whatever the amount: protecting one's spouse, children and grandchildren, expressing last wishes, avoiding conflicts, and optimizing inheritance costs.
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While inheritance and end-of-life preparations remain a taboo subject for one in two French people, La Banque Postale has decided to expand its offer with a new ‘Inheritance Zone’ – ‘l’Espace Transmission’ – on its website, available to all customers. The service is simple to access and use, enabling customers to anticipate, prepare and pass on their assets as they wish.
Developed in partnership with insurtech company Testamento, creator of the leading platform in France for estate planning, the extra-banking services offered in this digital space are designed to support customers in navigating the inheritance process and to simplify their inheritance procedures. The services are à la carte, ranging from a free estate diagnosis to a dedicated service offer enabling customers to draw up their wills online, make an inventory of their assets and express their last wishes.
"The subject of inheritance can seem anxiety-provoking and complex. It is a moment that is bound to be difficult for the heirs. Preparing for it means protecting your family and your assets according to your own wishes. It is in this spirit and in line with its values as a socially responsible bank that La Banque Postale has set up the Espace Transmission, a simple, digitalized solution of extra-banking services, adapted to the profile of its customers, giving them the opportunity to ask themselves the right questions and to anticipate their last wishes and better respect them,” said Vincent Menvielle, Director of Markets at La Banque Postale.
“This new service, developed with Testamento, a leading player in the French market, complements the range of banking products offered by La Banque Postale and strengthens the close ties between the bank and its customers," he added.
"The transfer of property is a priority for the French and we have been working since 2013 to make it easier to prepare for this major stage in life,” said Virgile Delporte, President and Co-Founder of Testamento. “We are very proud of this partnership with La Banque Postale, a major bancassurer in France. This will help us to accelerate our mission to make this subject more widely known to millions of people."
The digital space features four personalized extra-banking services:
• Inheritance diagnosis, which enables customers to identify their heirs according to their personal situation and how to protect their spouse – available to the 20 million La Banque Postale customers;
• Asset inventory allowing the customer to identify the main assets that should not be forgotten if something happens to them;
• Expression of wishes to assert choices regarding funerals, organ donation and life-prolonging medical intervention, and to designate a trusted person;
• Testament Express to obtain, on the basis of a simple and educational questionnaire, a model will that can be sent to a Testamento partner notary.
