Flood victims who need extra financial help can use a state program to secure a better interest rate. In the Disaster Recovery Linked Deposit program, Illinois deposits money when a local bank approves a flood-related loan. The individual is then charged a lower, state interest rate and the bank gets to keep its charges and fees. State Treasurer Dan Rutherford says it can help individuals while they're waiting to settle insurance claims.
"In alot of cases what we see here is there's been some damage, whether it's an automobile or a piece of equipment, or damaged flood in their home, that the insurance is going to be paying for it. But they may have a cash flow issue for a short-term period of time," Rutherford says.
Rutherford says people who use the program at this time will pay an interest rate below two and a half percent for two years. The rates on the loans are guaranteed to rise no more than 3 percent.