Bid to limit bank fees applied to accounts after a death in France

Moves to limit fees levied by banks to deal with the accounts of someone who has died have been approved by the Senate.

An amendment to a bill on protection of bank clients removes fees on small estates of less than €5,000 and sets a ceiling of 1% of an estate’s value.

It was proposed by centrist senator Hervé Maurey, who now hopes to see the bill, including the amendment, go before MPs in June.

He has said, however, that he is worried about “the powerful banking lobby and their direct access to the office of the Economy Minister”.

In a 2021 report, consumer group UFC-Que Choisir said average frais de succession were €233 but they were four times as high in certain banks compared to others.

It added that French fees were three times as much as those in Spain and twice those in Belgium and Italy, whereas such fees are banned in Germany.

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