Photo: PixabayEconomist Ljubica Pantelić tells RTS that now is not a good time nor are there good expectations regarding the movement of interest rates. On the other hand, it is not known how long such a situation can last. For those who are in this situation, which is extremely uncertain, ready to enter into a housing loan, the best advice is to have it under a fixed interest rate and in dinars.
Pantelićeva points out that at this moment it is not possible to predict what will happen next in terms of interest rates.
"The moment of the increase in the reference interest rate actually indirectly affects the credit market. Basically, the European Central Bank's decision has been expected since the beginning of this year. Some economists would say that it was even late, giving the market room to just "iron out" some situations that happened "However, things are going on in such a way that it is necessary to rein in inflation and take monetary policy measures," explains Ljubica Pantelić.
According to her, it is certain that in the near future the reference interest rate will continue to grow, that is, it will increase. In this way, the interest rates will be transferred to the credit market, and this is not good news, considering that the interest rate has been negative for almost 10 years.
"Actually, that one part that participates in the loan price component, the variable one, was negative, so that it reduced the margin, that is, the fixed part that was charged," emphasizes Pantelićeva.
She adds that now is not a good time nor are there good expectations regarding the movement of interest rates, but on the other hand, we do not know how long it can last.
"What is absolutely certain about housing loans are specific products that are taken out once in a lifetime with a repayment period of 30 years. During that period, it is certain that the interest rate will move along a variable path, that is, it will not remain fixed, unless as such you did not contract. For those who are now in this situation, which is extremely uncertain, ready to enter into a housing loan, the best advice is to have it under a fixed interest rate and in dinars," Pantelić advises.
She emphasizes that those who are already in credit will certainly be affected by the change in monthly payments, writes rts.rs.
"How much the installment will increase depends on the amount of the loan, the principal amount of the loan and the repayment period. Since on average the largest number of loans is somewhere around 50,000 euros, if we consider that the average interest rate at which these loans were taken is corrected by one percent point, it could be 35 to 40 euros, translated into the dinar equivalent of about 4,000 dinars per month," says economist Ljubica Pantelić.
When asked why, for example, given that electronic banking is simpler, faster and safer, instead of banks stimulating clients, by charging for this service they actually force us to use the old payment methods, Pantelić says that any change in the price or tariff of the services that the bank provides to clients must be disclosed to clients on time.
She adds that the bank is obliged to inform clients at least two months in advance about changes in the tariff position of any service or the introduction of a new service.
"Most banks do not deal with IT technologies and the provision of digital services as their core business. They hire a company that maintains ATMs on their behalf. Banks are forced to introduce new tariff rates as services, i.e. they charge for something they did not do before or to correct prices that is an extremely unpopular measure. It's like that everywhere in the world, every bank service is paid for and it's expensive," says economist Ljubica Pantelić.
Source: rts.rs
