Category: Mainfin Bank

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Source: Mainfin Bank –

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Why did China decide to bring Russian players back into the debt market?

The initiative to enter the Chinese debt market came from Russia, with Beijing supporting the strengthening of economic ties. Moreover, the leaders of the two countries noted that Russian-Chinese relations are currently at a high level, serving as a model of international cooperation.

Discussions on future deals took place at the end of August, with representatives of China's regulator and Russian top management participating. Russia's entry into the bond market will allow domestic businesses to regain access to the global financial arena, while the Chinese side will have the opportunity to invest in the real sector of the economy.

What is known about Russian businesses' plans to enter the Chinese bond market?

The Russian and Chinese sides confirm the agreement reached, but have not yet disclosed the details of the agreement, about which little is known:

China plans to open its domestic bond market to Russia; Russian businesses will be able to place panda bonds – debt obligations denominated in Chinese yuan. Major Russian companies will be key market participants. Representatives of Rosatom and Gazprom, both companies with high credit ratings, were among the first to express interest in the deals.

"The revival of the bond market is associated with the risk of secondary sanctions against Chinese banks – Western pressure remains significant," lawyers express concerns.

As a reminder, the US previously threatened to impose sanctions on companies and entities cooperating with Russia. For this reason, many Chinese banks refused to conduct transactions with Russian counterparties, and Russian borrowers were cut off from international stock markets.

10:00 09/16/2025

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Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

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Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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Why are the authorities introducing new restrictions for microloan lovers?

Additional restrictions on the market loans from MFO will be introduced at the initiative of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation. The State Duma explained the tightening of regulation by several reasons:

high level of indebtedness of the population – in 2024 alone, over 6.4 million people became new clients of microfinance organizations; easy access to microloans provokes Russians to make impulsive purchases; many borrowers find themselves in a debt hole, because they take out a new loan to pay off the previous one; also, due to low financial literacy, citizens fall into the trap of unscrupulous lenders and fraudulent companies.

Cooling the industry has been discussed by industry participants since 2024 – the Bank of Russia has planned a large-scale reform: MFIs are planned to be divided into three categories, which will determine the list of services offered and the amount of capital required.

How will the restrictions on issuing more than one loan work?

In 2026, it will become more difficult for Russians to get a loan from microfinance organizations – the State Duma is preparing to introduce several bans that will cool the market:

it will not be possible to have more than one loan in an MFI at the same time; a new microloan can be issued three days after the old debt is closed; the maximum overpayment will be reduced from 130 to 100% per annum; the authorities will introduce a three-day “cooling-off period” for microloans – this is already in effect for credit products of banks (money does not become available immediately after signing the contract).

“Tighter regulation could lead to the growth of the shadow segment, which will entail additional risks for borrowers – in pursuit of “easy” money, Russians could become victims of fraudsters,” experts express their concern.

Measures are also planned to be taken to combat illegal lenders – supervision of the industry will be strengthened and advertising of organizations that do not have a license but offer loans at high interest rates and property collateral will be prohibited. Such companies often disguise themselves as pawnshops and consignment shops, concealing fraudulent activity.

10:00 02.09.2025

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Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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Why do MPs want to limit migrants' money transfers?

The appeal of deputies to the Bank of Russia with a proposal to limit transfers by foreigners is due to the lack of effective legislative measures that would allow controlling the income of migrants. Legislators cite several reasons for introducing restrictions:

Foreigners transfer amounts from Russia that are significantly higher than their official incomes; the percentage of unofficial employment with salaries “in envelopes” remains high in the country – the budget does not receive enough taxes; migrant transfers are one of the channels for the withdrawal of capital obtained by criminal means; the lack of control leads to negative economic and social consequences for the country.

“The majority of migrants do not pay any taxes in Russia, but they take large sums out of the country: last year alone, over 14 billion dollars were sent to Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan – essentially, this is black cash,” MP Sergei Mironov previously stated.

The fight against illegal employment and money laundering are the key reasons why authorities want to introduce legislative restrictions on transfers.

What restrictions for migrants does the State Duma propose to introduce?

Deputies proposed to limit the amount of migrant transfers – foreigners will be able to send home funds not exceeding the amount of their own salary. If a migrant wants to transfer an amount greater than their official salary, the bank will be forced to request a declaration that will confirm the legality of the income received.

The government also proposed increasing a number of duties related to migration registration and taxing money transfers made by foreigners. Deputies recalled that last year alone, the number of foreigners in Russia increased by 9.5 million people, and another 700,000 migrants are in the country illegally.

09:00 08/26/2025

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What innovations do LDPR deputies propose for young parents?

The amount of maternity capital for the birth of a second child may be set in an unfixed amount, depending on real estate prices. LDPR deputies have prepared their proposals to stimulate the birth rate:

for the birth of a second child, parents will be paid the cost of housing with an area of 40 sq. m.; for the birth of a third child, full or partial repayment will be available mortgages in an amount equivalent to an area of 40 square meters; it is proposed to conduct an experiment on the implementation of initiatives in one of the regions in order to evaluate the effectiveness of the mechanism.

However, the proposal of the deputies is still just an idea; its implementation requires an assessment by the relevant departments, development and approval of the bill. The government has not reported on the consideration of the initiative.

How else does the State Duma plan to increase the birth rate in the country?

The Russian authorities are seriously considering stimulating the birth rate – for this purpose, the Demographic Council was created in early 2025. The members of this association proposed:

introduce corporate demographic standards at enterprises; create conditions for the resettlement of young families to villages; prohibit teenagers from having abortions without parental consent; change the Constitution, giving the embryo basic human rights; limit the commissioning of small apartments – developers must think about families.

“A good solution for large families would be to develop a domestic car – comfortable, large and roomy,” the People’s Front proposed.

Another bill currently under consideration in the State Duma proposes a 25% increase in the amount of maternity capital. The full amount is to be paid for the birth of each child, including 1.5 million rubles for the second, 2.6 million rubles for the third and subsequent children.

09:00 08/19/2025

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How was the situation on the car loan market in June?

Demand for cars traditionally increases in late spring and early summer, which also affects popularity car loansHowever, in June of this year, the issuance of this type of targeted loans collapsed, the NKBI recorded:

a 41% drop in the number of car loans issued compared to June 2024; a 7.8% increase compared to May in the number of loans issued – to almost 90 thousand units; a 47% decrease in the annual volume of loans issued – to 116 billion rubles; an 11% increase in the total amount of car loans issued compared to May 2025.

The leaders in the number of loans provided for the purchase of a car were the largest regions of the country – Moscow Region, Moscow, Tatarstan, St. Petersburg, Krasnodar Region.

What happened with the issuance of other types of loans in the first month of summer?

Another credit bureau (OKB) has revealed the behavior of borrowers at the end of June across the entire retail lending segment: Russians took out loans in banks 2.8 million loans for 820 billion rubles. Statistics show that:

Number of issued per month credits increased by 1%, the amount by 7%; in annual terms, on the contrary, a decrease in the number of loans received by 55%, the volume by 59% was recorded; the most popular among Russians were mortgage loans – 35% of the total number, cash loans – 31%, car loans And credit cards – 16% each; Moscow and the region, St. Petersburg, Krasnodar and Tatarstan were also leaders in the number of loans issued.

“Russians were reluctant to take out loans in June due to high interest rates and the expectation of a decision by the Central Bank of the Russian Federation: this position turned out to be justified, since already in July the regulator reduced the key rate by 2 percentage points, which led to banks revising their terms,” the expert shared.

However, experts agree that mortgages and car loans will become maximally accessible to Russians no earlier than spring 2026. There is no point in expecting a sharp reduction in rates – banks will act cautiously, trying to both support demand and mitigate the risks caused by the low solvency of the population.

09:00 12.08.2025

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Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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How do loan holidays work for Russians now?

The opportunity to apply for credit holidays appeared for Russians during the pandemic – later the mechanism was finalized and implemented on a permanent basis. The borrower has the right to expect debt restructuring if the following conditions are met:

size loan does not exceed the established limit (from 150 thousand to 15 million rubles, depending on the type credit); previously, restructuring was not carried out, and a deferment for participants of the SVO or their close relatives under this agreement was not provided; the client's debt was not transferred for collection to the FSSP, the borrower is not undergoing bankruptcy proceedings; for mortgage contracts – the acquired housing is the only one; the citizen found himself in a difficult life situation associated with a deterioration in his financial situation.

The deferment is granted to borrowers who have lost their jobs, faced a decrease in income, an increase in debt burden, an increase in the number of dependents, and also if they live in an emergency zone.

What amendments does the Ministry of Finance propose to stimulate the birth rate?

The Ministry of Finance has developed amendments that will allow borrowers to receive a holiday when they have children. The deferment will work in two cases:

if the first child is born (adopted), income has decreased by at least 20%, and loan payments exceed 40% of the family budget – the benefit will be provided for a period of up to six months; if the second or subsequent child is born (adopted) – within 180 days you can contact the bank and get a holiday for a period of up to 18 months, six of which interest will not be charged.

The bill provides for the allocation of families into a separate group of persons who are eligible for the benefit. The measure is intended to improve demographics.

Will support measures for families be effective?

The idea of long credit holidays is an innovation supported by the authorities, including the Ministry of Finance and the government. It is assumed that the amendments will stimulate the birth rate and will temporarily improve the financial situation of families with children. However, banks criticized the initiative, considering the benefit excessive and even unfair.

“The social benefit in the form of credit holidays will be provided at the expense of banks – from those funds that could have been used to pay interest on deposits or dividends,” experts note.

At the same time, credit holidays remain a popular financial instrument – over a period of about a year, over 5 million Russians have submitted applications for restructuring, most of whom received deferments within the framework of their own banks' programs. Over 700 thousand borrowers have used the benefit provided by law.

09:00 05.08.2025

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What innovations are available to VTB Online users?

Internet services capabilities VTB expanded – the bank has added more functions to the clients’ personal account for managing personal finances. Thus, in the transactions department, users have access to:

tracking of any receipts and expenses, including transfers and cash withdrawals; control of balance dynamics; analysis of expenses by individual brands; the ability to group transactions into your own categories.

“The key innovation is the creation of personal categories that allow you to group expenses and immediately see what amounts were spent, including by transferring funds,” VTB Bank noted.

To create your own spending group, you need to select any operation and specify the category name, as well as set the color for a visual display of expenses. The function will be useful for people who want to competently analyze and effectively plan their budget.

How do customers of other banks track transactions?

The advanced functionality for tracking receipts and expenses is a unique solution in the industry. Competitors offer budget analytics using standard tools:

Sber allows you to track transactions by category, it is possible to move transactions to other groups without the ability to create your own subgroups;
T-bank also allows you to change the category of expenses, but only within the framework of a ready-made set;
Alfa-Bank allows you to change the expense category and add a transaction if the payment was made in cash.

VTB Bank offers its clients a wide range of tools for filtering and grouping transactions. Another useful feature is the availability of tips that will help increase cashback depending on the user's payment behavior. In the future, VTB plans to launch a separate large service that simplifies personal budget management – the content and details have not yet been disclosed.

12:00 07/29/2025

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Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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What pros and cons do Russians see in the new digital currency?

The citizens surveyed believe that the new currency, which is to be launched in the foreseeable future, has its advantages. 10% of respondents named security, reliability, protection from fraudsters as advantages, another 3% each – ease of payments and the possibility of state control. There were significantly more disadvantages:

12% of Russians noted a low level of personal data protection; excessive control by the state – 8%; linking of electronic wallets to the Internet – 6%; difficulty of use – 4% of citizens.

Only 6% of survey participants did not see any disadvantages to the new form of payment – the same result was recorded a year earlier. The majority of citizens are wary of digital assets, and consider state control over the personal finances of the population to be excessive.

How do citizens rate their readiness to use digital rubles?

Russians also assessed their own awareness of the electronic ruble – 7% of citizens know well how the new currency works, 45% have a general idea, 43% have only heard the term. At the same time, few Russians want to personally use digital rubles:

24% would definitely not like to use a new form of payment; 27% said that they are rather not ready for experiments; another 14% of respondents found it difficult to answer; 26% of Russians are generally not against using the digital ruble; only 9% of people definitely want to try electronic currency.

According to the survey results, only 35% of respondents agree to use digital rubles. It is interesting that over the past two years, this figure has increased – previously, only 30% of Russians expressed such readiness.

Why are Russians wary of the digital ruble?

Experts assured that the skepticism of the population is the result of low awareness of digital assets: people are afraid of everything unknown, especially in the area of personal finance. The possibility of total state control also raises concerns, although the authorities promise that the level of supervision will be the same as in the banking system.

“It is necessary to conduct explanatory work and build up the information campaign as the digital ruble is prepared for a large-scale launch,” the Central Bank of the Russian Federation stated.

Let us recall that the project was supposed to start on July 1, but the regulator was forced to postpone the deadline due to the banks' unpreparedness to work with the platform. Now the Central Bank of the Russian Federation proposes to introduce the digital ruble no later than September 1, 2026. There is still more than a year left until the new deadline, but experts doubt that even then the new form of payment will be available to every citizen – commercial banks are actively opposing the project's implementation due to the risk of a significant reduction in commission income.

12:00 07/22/2025

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Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Source: Mainfin Bank –

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How do Russians evaluate the financial “safety cushion”?

During the survey, 38% of Russians admitted to having no savings – they have no savings, so not receiving a salary in the first month will have a negative impact on their standard of living. The remaining citizens noted that they have a "safety cushion", savings are enough to live without income:

13% of Russians – no more than a month; 24% – within two months; another 12% of citizens will be able to hold out for up to six months; 7% of respondents are ready to live on savings for up to a year; only 6% of Russians have savings that will last for a year or more.

A similar picture was demonstrated by the results of a similar survey conducted a year earlier. Then, 27% of respondents stated that their savings would last up to three months, and 12% – up to six months. The typical portrait of a person with savings was a family man, holding a management position in a large city and having a higher education.

What has changed in the area of financial literacy among Russians?

Although almost 40% of Russians do not have savings, the level of economic literacy in the country continues to grow. As the results of the study showed:

78% of the population control the family budget; 80% of citizens plan income and purchases; about 50% of respondents keep track of their funds.

“Surveys show that Russians are attentive to money – many plan a budget, control expenses, and keep records,” the expert noted.

By the way, the literacy level of men is higher than that of women. Representatives of the stronger sex tend to plan expenses for a longer period – from six months: women are more likely to make impulsive purchases. Experts reminded that having a “safety cushion” for 3-6 months is the optimal solution that will allow you to survive a crisis or force majeure.

12:00 07/15/2025

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Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

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Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Source: Mainfin Bank –

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Why did complaints arise about additional conditions for deposits?

Russian investors complain about the behavior banks, which lure customers with higher rates, but require a number of actions to be taken to obtain generous terms. Among the banks that have requirements for high rates on deposits:

Yandex Bank – the 21% rate is valid only with the Plus subscription and once for 62 days;
VTB – 21.5% for 3 months, available only with MiXX subscription;
Sovcombank – a surcharge to the deposit rate of up to 4% is provided for purchases using the “Halva” card with the “Ten” subscription;
MTS Bank – the maximum rate is provided for card transactions over 90 thousand rubles per month;
Sberbank – the best conditions apply to “new money” that has not been stored in accounts for more than two months, as well as when connecting a subscription.

“It is becoming increasingly difficult to simply open a deposit – clients have to study a ton of conditions and meet dozens of criteria in order to receive a favorable interest rate: at the same time, the increased rates are valid for a limited period,” the expert noted.

Banks require depositors to connect paid subscriptions, turnover on cards, keep certain balances, receive salaries into an account – it is much more difficult to calculate the real profitability of such deposits, not to mention convenience and transparency for the client.

How does the Central Bank of the Russian Federation plan to combat the imposition of conditions on deposits?

The Bank of Russia is closely monitoring the situation on the savings products market – credit institutions have been recommended to honestly inform citizens about the terms and conditions and to abandon the practice of putting forward numerous requirements to receive a higher rate. If the recommendations are not followed, the regulator will have to develop amendments to the legislation or create a banking standard to restore order in the industry.

Let us recall that the high key rate has led to a surge in the popularity of deposits – this year, balances on individuals’ accounts have grown by 6%, amounting to over 61 trillion rubles: by the end of the year, the figure could reach 70 trillion rubles. However, after the key rate was reduced (from 21 to 20%), banks began to massively revise the terms of deposits for the worse, but the demand for deposits and savings accounts remains high.

12:00 08.07.2025

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