BankWest, part of the HBOS Australia group of companies, has claimed four awards in the Financial Review Smart Investor Blue Ribbon Awards.
BankWest won the following awards announced in the recent issue of Smart Investor:
- Home Lender of the year
- Best Variable Home Loan (Lite)
- Best Line of Credit (Equity Access)
- Overall Savings Account (TeleNet)
BankWest Head of Marketing and Products David Rose said the awards were a strong indication that BankWest was well on its way to becoming a serious financial services player in the Australian banking market.
"To win four awards shows the fantastic effort we have put into our products and ensuring they are relevant to customer needs," he said.
"Our goal has always been to drive change in the banking industry and offer customers a real alternative and we are doing this through products like our home loans, equity access loan and TeleNet Saver."
BankWest Head of Mortgages John Rolfe said BankWest was firmly focussed on rewarding home loan customers for loyalty and didn't have hidden fees or charges.
"We believe in rewarding our loyal customers which is why we refund our Lite home loan application fee on the third anniversary of the loan, as opposed to charging deferred establishment fees for leaving early," he said.
"This makes our Lite home loan very attractive to the customer looking for a good value home loan with the features they need and no hidden fees and charges."
APRA data released in 2007¹ shows BankWest as the fastest growing retail bank in mortgages, household deposits and credit cards with mortgages growing more than double the industry average.
The Financial Review Smart Investor Blue Ribbon Awards are prestigious business and finance industry awards and were researched by Rice Warner Actuaries and InfoChoice.
Mr Rose said BankWest would continue to grow its business by injecting more competition into the Australian banking environment with products and services that offer customers a better deal.
¹ APRA, February 2007
