Cars are already unpopular – car loan issuance collapsed in Russia

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Source: Mainfin Bank –

An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

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

Source:

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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With concern for demography – credit holidays for families with children will appear in Russia

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Source: Mainfin Bank –

An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

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

Source:

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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Budget planning has become easier – VTB has expanded the analytics of operations in the online bank

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Source: Mainfin Bank –

An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

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

Source:

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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There are no advantages – 40% of Russians do not see the advantages of the digital ruble

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Source: Mainfin Bank –

An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

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

Source:

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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Just Four Months – Russians Reveal How Long They Are Ready to Live Without a Salary

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Source: Mainfin Bank –

An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

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

Source:

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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Measures will be tough – the Central Bank warned banks against imposing conditions on deposits

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Source: Mainfin Bank –

An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

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

Source:

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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