Banks increase rates again – Respublika.lt

Last year, according to unaudited data, commercial banks operating in Lithuania earned as much as 986 million. EUR profit or twice as much as in 2022. And that’s how much he earned after deducting the temporary solidarity contribution and other taxes. But the appetite, of course, is not satisfied. Two of the big banks are still raising their service rates.

SEB, which earned 299 million last year EUR unaudited net profit (74% more than last year), after renewing the service plans in April, the withdrawal rates for customers without a payment plan increased from 0.8 to 2% from April 9. from the withdrawal amount.

As announced by LRT, the new plans for private customers will cost up to 7 euros per month, but the most expensive – “Premium” plan – will be subject to a 50% discount until the end of the year. The least – one euro per month – will be paid by senior citizens, while the services will be free for children and young people. The prices of the plans offered by SEB range from 0.5 to 2.5 euros per month.

According to unaudited data, who earned almost 195 million last year. EUR net profit (56% more than last year), according to Luminor bank, the changing rates will affect a small part of customers – from July, the bank will increase the limit of free withdrawals from EUR 600 to EUR 750 per month, and if it is exceeded, a new 0.5% will be applied . fee. About every tenth bank customer exceeds the cash withdrawal limit. “Luminor” will also increase the monthly fee of an additional debit card from 1 to 1.2 euros for adult customers.

Such banking policy caused an echo in the Seimas as well.

“Bank branches in the districts are closing, twice as much is paid for cashing out, commissions are increasing, interest rates are not decreasing, the Central Bank is throwing up its hands, you say that there is not much you can do either. Dear Prime Minister, where is grandma’s money?” – MP Kęstutis Vilkauskas addressed Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė in the Seimas.

“What is the question?” Grandma’s money is probably in the stocking very often, isn’t it? But anyway, we have more than one grandmother who could kill even more than one younger person on the subject of financial literacy, she really knows how to make orders, use the Internet bank, and other means.

I will not say that we should be so sarcastic here, especially since we have a basic package of financial services, which is regulated, the rate of which is determined by the Bank of Lithuania. It’s not that basic services cost people anything, they really don’t cost anything.

The fact that people often think that the interest rates paid by banks are low, this is apparently a normal attitude here, does not surprise me very much. It seems to me that there are really quite a lot of people who are able to use cards and electronic payments in Lithuania and their number is constantly growing. It should not belittle those people by trying to say that all older people cannot do this.

It won’t be like that, simply the costs and the economy do not allow to have a bank branch in every town, it certainly never was, nor will be, nor is there. The movement is still towards electronic services, towards electronic banking. It seems to me that this is self-evident and quite natural,” answered Prime Minister I.Šimonytė.