connectFirst Credit Union - Drumheller

Cooperative and chearfull

.We had a joint account with our father and grandfather that when he passed his account would pay for the funeral services and chinook financial took it upon themselves to interfere in what our mom and dad had for estate planning. They locked up a joint account and dad and mom cannot even pay for their own funeral service.. Even if a husband and wife who are a one income family have a joint account chinook probably will lock the account. Our father and grandfather was a 90 year old war vet and chinook had no qualms about trying to destroy what he had planned. He has still not had his funeral service because chinook locked up all his money. If chinook can do this to a 90 year old war vet and his family they can do the same thing to you. On the other hand we had dealing with the bank of montreal and they were fabulous. When we tried to deal with chinook their management was rude and aggressive. To all our friends and family and potential customers this is mothers day and our parents and grandfather still have not had a sevice because of chinook financial. Our father has many thousands of dollars in a joint account with chinook and they even bounced his final utility bills. We were told by chinook that it is their policy that their threshhold was 20,000. Any joint accounts with more than 20,000 dollars would be automatically locked up and the survivor would not even be able to pay for funeral expenses, services or even the utility bills of the person that passed, . following is a form letter from chinook financial and connect first. they caused all the trouble yet they are now trying to be nice since we will only communicate in writing.

I believe our family put too much faith and trust in Chinook Financial, what a catastrophic mistake! A joint account has been locked. Some of Mom’s and Dad’s most important final wishes have been completely destroyed. Several years ago, my Dad and I set-up a joint account with Chinook Financial. This joint account was to protect my Dad and his family in both life and death. I have cheques with my name on them; this account did not require co-signing either of us could sign the cheques. I believe, one sentence would’ve saved my Dad’s family unnecessary stress and thousands of dollars. Added stress our family does not need in these trying times. I believe, if Chinook had told Dad and me, this joint account would be locked when Dad passed away; this account would’ve been distributed amongst his children according to Dad’s wishes before he passed. Instead, we will now be forced into probate; exactly what my Mom and Dad said several times, they did not want to have happen to their family. My parents final wishes have been completely hammered into the ground. I suggest to anyone that has a joint account to contact their financial institution and ask. “What happens if someone on this joint account passes away, will you lock the account?” Have the answer put in writing, don’t have the nightmare experience my Dad’s family is having now with Chinook Financial! This is the one and only reason Dad’s family is forced into Probate!

Chinook Credit Union