Australian Government's Deposit Guarantee




From 28 November 2008, only combined balances up to $1 million per account holder held in ING DIRECT savings accounts will be guaranteed by the Australian Government for free. This Government Guarantee will apply until 12 October 2011. Amounts above the combined balance of $1 million will not be guaranteed, as ING DIRECT will not offer access to the Government Deposit Guarantee to a customer on the portion of their combined balance over the $1 million threshold.

Key points:

  • If an account holder has an account with a balance of $1.5 million with ING DIRECT, the first $1 million will be guaranteed by the Government for free until 12 October 2011
  • If an account holder has two accounts with a combined balance of $700,000 with ING DIRECT, the whole balance is guaranteed by the Government for free until 12 October 2011
  • If a joint account has a balance of $2 million with ING DIRECT, the whole balance is covered by the Government Guarantee as the ownership of the funds are split equally between each account holder. I.e. $1 million per account holder

What accounts does the guarantee apply to?

  • Orange Everyday
  • Savings Maximiser
  • Savings Accelerator
  • Personal Term Deposits
  • Business Optimiser
  • Business Term Deposits

How it works:

Here are two examples of the Australian Government Deposit Guarantee works.

Personal Account for Jane Smith

Account Holder Deposit Type Account Balance
Jane Smith Savings Maximiser $250,000
Jane Smith Personal Term Deposit $250,000
Jane Smith Personal Term Deposit $250,000
Jane Smith Orange Everyday $5,000
Jane and John Smith Savings Maximiser $1,000,000 ($500,000 per person)
Total Deposits for Jane Smith   $1,255,000
Amount Guaranteed until 12 October 2011   $1,000,000
Amount Not Guaranteed   $255,000

Business Account for XYZ Pty Ltd

Account Holder Deposit Type Account Balance
XYZ Pty Ltd Business Optimiser $500,000
XYZ Pty Ltd Business Optimiser $250,000
XYZ Pty Ltd Business Optimiser $250,000
XYZ Pty Ltd Business Optimiser $100,000
Total Deposits XYZ Pty Ltd   $1,100,000
Amount Guaranteed until 12
October 2011
  $1,000,000
Amount Not Guaranteed   $100,000