May 22,
2016 - Liam Walsh (The Courier-Mail)
STEVE Targett wants to
convince his 60,000 banking customers to merge with RACQ, potentially forgoing
an immediate $2000 windfall.
He’s
chief executive officer of QT Mutual Bank, a Brisbane-based customer-owned
lender created 51 years ago by teachers. The spotlight is on because the
14-branch bank last month announced merger plans with fellow customer-owned
motoring and insurance outfit RACQ.
That
means QT customers, if they vote for it, would remain in a mutual, or
customer-owned institution. That’s opposed to selling their membership to a
sharemarket-owned entity.
The
problem is when Queensland Professional Credit Union YCU last month sold out to
shareholder-owned bank Auswide, each YCU customer received $7600 for their
membership. Under a similar formula, QT members would receive more than $2000
each.
Mr Targett
said his bank’s board had assessed an RACQ merger as superior. “We think that
we can provide the members, through RACQ, with a better experience,” he told
The Courier-Mail.
A
merged entity had more financial clout, meaning members received improved digital
products, better pricing on loans or deposits, and a wider geographic spread
thanks to RACQ’s 34 branches, he said.
They would also retain the
customer-owned ethos, he said, pointing to RACQ’s education programs in
schools.
Mr
Targett said without the RACQ merger, QT Mutual faced problems being able to
develop their digital banking services or in offering pricing as competitive as
it does now.
He
also described Auswide’s deal as “far too simplistic” and divvying up QT
Mutual’s $130 million in capital as not so easy.
“Who’s
money is it?” he asked. “We’ve had people that have passed on, and they’ve been
active members and valuable members, and we’ve got some members that contribute
more than others and then you’ve got some people who’ve just joined lately. Now
are they all entitled to the same amount?
“I’d
almost argue that the money’s there to provide a banking experience going
forward for members. It’s not there to be split up and paid across to people.”
THE OTHER SIDE
But
Auswide CEO Martin Barrett said he found “it curious why boards of mutual
(lenders) seek solace in other mutuals when merging”. “Consideration of member
benefit, particularly payment for their ownership is, I believe, an important
and significant consideration,” he said.
Mr
Barrett further rejected notions that customer-owned banks offered
better-priced products, or that shareholder-owned lenders did not support local
communities.
QT
Mutual plans to offer a safety net anyway. While there is no intention for RACQ
to demutualise, Mr Targett said members would receive a legacy share for those
concerned about the theoretical $2000. It means if RACQ were to demutualise
within seven years, customers would receive the money to which they would have
been entitled.
“What
we’re saying through that is we believe over seven years if you bank with us
actively, multiple products, you’ll get more than $2000 of value,” he said.
The
debate spreads beyond QT Mutual. Just last week, two customer-owned lenders,
Townsville-based Queensland Country Credit Union and Cairns-based credit union
ECU Australia decided to merge, saying their combined entities would be
stronger and be better for customers.
QCCU
CEO Aileen Cull argued that selling out to a shareholder entity was not so black
and white in terms of members pocketing thousands of dollars. Customers in
mutuals received benefits in terms of pricing and service, she said.
ECU
CEO Colin Daly said members helping each other was the credit union’s “reason
for being”. The credit union’s stored-up capital “belongs to the organisation”,
and not for some “carpet bagger” to come along and grab at the end, he said.
QT
Mutual members will vote in midway through this year on the RACQ merger. To be
successful, at least 25 per cent of members have to vote and 75 per cent of
votes must be in favour.
This story has been brought to you by the Emerald Chamber of
Commerce Inc. (Ph: 07 4982 3444)
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