BCR: We Changed The Game Rules On Deposit Market

05.16.2011 ZF English

The EUR100,000 cap up to which the state guarantees banking deposits set up with domestic lending institutions covers approximately 750,000 BCR clients, according to the representatives of the biggest local bank in terms of assets.

"Depositors can feel highly protected as the banking system currently has not just one, but even two or three 'airbags': the deposit guarantee fund, cash buffers and BNR's capital requirements," says Dominic Bruynseels, BCR's chief executive officer.

BCR boasts the biggest market share on the retail deposit segment, of 23.3% at the end of March, almost unchanged from 23.2% a year ago, after a slight decline registered in 2010 amid the high-interest war mainly fuelled by Greek-held and also by Romanian-held banks.

On the corporate deposit segment, the bank's share amounts to 17%, having constantly increased over the past year.

The bank has around four million clients using various products and services, but there are no data on the exact number of people holding a deposit.

As for the future policy of the biggest bank on the market in terms of deposit interest rates, amid the high inflation rate, Bruynseels says the strategic target is for the bank to be among the top three both in terms of price level and product affordability.

"Our basic strategy is to have stable deposits, both in form of salary account cash and savings. We will be offering fair interest rates, which should be among the top three on the market, so that our clients should feel encouraged not to seek better offers with other banks".

For euros, an upward interest trend is expected, while for lei the BCR head anticipates a period of stability over the next six months.

The bank has for around one month given up constantly renewing deposit interest promotions, with the only incentive offered now being the extra 0.25% offered for deposits opened online or by phone.

"We've managed to change the rules of the game on the deposit market, so that interest rates have fallen in the past four or five months. We're satisfied with their current stabilization and now clients can switch to longer maturities for savings".