Some banks have even undertaken to freeze “their bank rates”, specified the Minister of the Economy, but the names of the banks concerned have not been communicated.
«All the banks have made a commitment not to increase their banking fees by more than 2% over the year 2023“, announced Bruno Le Maire, Minister of Economy, Finance and Industrial and Digital Sovereignty, this Tuesday, at the end of a meeting with representatives of the French Banking Federation (FBF). “There was an energy shield, we put in place a shield on bank charges“, he added.
The objective of this meeting with players in the banking sector was to discuss proposals to support purchasing power. A consensus has therefore not been reached on a global freeze on bank charges. However, some banks have still committed to freezing “their bank rates for common services such as bank cards“said the Minister of the Economy, but the names of the banks concerned were not communicated. “Each of the banks will communicate their rates in due time but within the framework of a maximum of 2% increase», confirmed Laurent Mignon, president of the FBF.
According to the study carried out by the comparator Panorabanques at the start of the year, the increase in bank charges (account maintenance, cards, etc.) was more marked in 2022 after two years of very moderate increases, reaching an average of 219 .90 euros per year, i.e. 1.5% more than in 2021.
Read alsoBank charges: 1.8 billion euros taken from the French
A gesture in favor of vulnerable populations
Last commitment, with regard to vulnerable populations, the banks have undertaken to reduce the maximum monthly bank charges from 3 euros to 1 euro per month. These remain significant: 118 euros per year, according to the annual report of the Observatory of banking inclusion chaired by the Banque de France, the latest analysis of which relates to the year 2021.
Faced with high inflation – 5.8% over one year in August according to the latest provisional estimate from INSEE – the government had invited companies, in a position to do so, to make a gesture in favor of the government. purchase of the French. With record profits in 2021, the banking sector quickly found itself in the sights of Bercy. BNP Paribas, Crédit Agricole, Société Générale, BPCE and the Crédit Mutuel group have together made more than 30 billion euros in net profit.
The current year is following the same trend. And the rise in rates – the European Central Bank (ECB) raised its rate on bank deposits from 0% to 0.75% on Thursday – is favorable to them, recalled before the summer the governor of the Banque de France François Villeroy de Galhau.
Big absent from the declarations: the rate of wear. This ceiling rate intended to protect individuals from abusive borrowing conditions, which is under fire from critics in particular from brokers who accuse it of considerably hampering access to real estate credit, has not been addressed. After the bank, next Monday it will be the turn of insurance, whose main leaders will also be received at Bercy.
Read alsoDoes the attrition rate really cause 45% of mortgage loan refusals?
SEE ALSO – Inflation: Bruno Le Maire does not anticipate a “decline” before “perhaps mid-2023”