976516037
TMM - News

Warning on borrowing rates

Monday 9th of December 2019

ASB economists believe the new regime will result in larger increases in bank funding costs and customer borrowing rates than the 20.5 basis points assumed by the RBNZ.

The benefits of the regime assumed by the Reserve Bank "may not be as strong and could even turn into a net cost", the economists warned.

Westpac economists expect rates to increase by twice the RBNZ estimate.

The bank's team of economists, including Dominick Stephens, said: "Like any insurance policy, this [regime] comes with an ongoing cost during normal times. Higher required levels of capital will increase banks’ overall cost of funding, resulting in higher interest rates on loans, reduced lending, and a lower level of economic activity than otherwise."

Want to read the full article?

Click the button below to subscribe and will have free unlimited access for a limited time to full article and all other articles on the site.

You will also be able to comment on articles on Good Returns.