Atwater: Most Florida Banks Waive Wire Fees for Holocaust Survivors

Florida Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater appeared on the Jewish Life Television show "To Life, L'Chaim," on Dec. 19 to discuss efforts to get banks to forgive wire transfer fees on reparation payments to Holocaust survivors.

Atwater said about 80 percent of the banks in Florida have joined the program since the start of the year.

The good thing is it didnt take a new law, it didnt take an edict from the governor, it just took informing the public of how important this could be for these survivors, said Atwater, a South Florida banker when he entered the state Legislature.

Atwaters Facebook page focused on the reparation payments' estimates that there are 12,500 Holocaust survivors and their families in Florida who pay international wire transfer fees that range from $10 to $40 each, about 10 percent of each payment.

What began with some skepticism from the institutions, the banking institutions, once they understood the plight, the fee associated, could you imagine an institution really wanting to hold on to a $30 or $40 wire fee for someone who is in desperate need of these dollars, and what their life story is? Atwater said.

According to the CFOs website,the following banks are participating in the program:

• AmTrust Bank.
• TD Bank.
• Bank of America.
• Bank Atlantic.
• Branch Banking and Trust (BB&T).
• CNL Bank.
• First Bank of Florida.
• First Guaranty Bank and Trust of Jacksonville.
• Florida Commerce Credit Union.
• Gold Coast Federal Credit Union.
• GTE Credit Union.
• J.P. Morgan. *Fee waived or reimbursed.
• Lydian Bank and Trust.
• Priority One Credit Union of Florida.
• Regions Bank.
• Seacoast National Bank.
• Stonegate Bank.
• SUN Credit Union.
• Suntrust Bank.
• USF Credit Union.
• Valley Bank.
• Vystar Credit Union.
• Wells Fargo/Wachovia.

View the interview here.