Understanding targeted assistance and what it means for you

What is the impact of accepting financial relief?

For our customers who have lost their jobs, are coping with reduced income or facing financial difficulties for other reasons, short-term financial relief is a necessary temporary measure to see you through to returning to a sound financial footing. However, CIMB believes it is essential that you, our customer, make well informed financial decisions.

A loan/financing moratorium is only the deferment of repayments for a limited period of time. Although customers are not required to make repayments during the moratorium, the loan/financing continues to accumulate interest/profit during this time and you will eventually need to repay it when you resume repayments. By accepting the loan moratorium now, you will, in fact, need to pay more to settle your loan/financing facility.

Similarly, by choosing to make reduced repayments and extending the tenure of your loan/financing, the facility will be accumulating interest/profit throughout the longer tenure and, here too, you will need to pay more to settle your loan/financing facility.

We have listed detailed information of the considerations you must be aware of in Tables A-C of the CIMB Payment Assistance Programme for Individuals Public FAQ.

Should your financial circumstances improve during the period of the CIMB Targeted Assistance Programme, please contact CIMB as soon as possible so that we can normalise your repayments. This will ensure that you achieve your best financial outcome.

I’ve lost an immediate family member to COVID-19

CIMB is regretfully aware that some of our customers are coping with the ultimate loss during this pandemic. In the event of bereavement due to COVID-19, we are resolute in our commitment to continue supporting our customers, or their immediate family, during this difficult time. Toward this end, CIMB has established a RM2 million grant that will be disbursed through the CIMB COVID-19 Bereavement Support Programme for Individual Customers.

The Bereavement Support Programme is an add on to the other support measures that CIMB has in place to assist our individual customers and will be available until the end of March 2021. By submitting a simple application, customers or their immediate family may receive the following support:

• Cash contribution of RM5,000 to defray the funeral expenses
• Cash contribution of RM2,000 to pay for the outstanding bills incurred by the deceased
•  A waiver of outstanding fees and charges owing to CIMB by the deceased customer
• Write-off of debts on selected CIMB products of the deceased customer, subject to a cap

For terms and eligibility for the CIMB COVID-19 Bereavement Support Programme for Individual Customers please read this FAQ.

How can I manage my financial obligations once targeted assistance ends?

There are ongoing deliberations between the Government, BNM and the financial industry about the need and possibility of extending financial relief for Malaysians. Whatever the outcome of these discussions, in time targeted assistance will come to an end and we will all need to resume responsibilities.

For our customers who continue to face financial hardship, please come and talk to CIMB. There are several measures we can discuss to help you meet your financial commitments, among which are restructuring, debt consolidation and rescheduling. We discuss these measures further in Loan repayment moratorium ends – what now?

What if I really cannot meet my financial commitments?

CIMB understands that you are facing unprecedented challenges due to the pandemic and we are here to help you. Please contact us either by calling 03-62047788, emailing covidcare@cimb.com or visiting your nearest CIMB branch, so that we can work together toward finding the right solution for your financial situation.

Additionally, you can also approach Agensi Kaunselling dan Pengurusan Kredit (AKPK) for financial counselling and they can help you develop a personalised debt management plan.

The one thing you must never do is completely ignore your loan/financing repayments. Not only will this incur penalties, it will also damage your credit rating and impact your ability to receive financing in the future.

Visit COVID-19 Relief Measures and Support at CIMB.com.my for the latest information about how we are here to help you move forward.

This article is brought to you by CIMB as part of our ongoing efforts to raise the level of financial literacy among Malaysians. Financial knowledge and understanding are key to making well-informed and meaningful financial decisions that will improve all our well-being. This, in turn, achieves CIMB’s purpose of advancing customers and society.