What are negative interest rates?

A negative interest rate occurs when the interest rate on an account falls below zero.

When you open a savings account, the bank usually pays you to deposit your money. This is called interest, and the amount paid, or interest rate, is a percentage of the balance. Usually, this number is positive. But savings rates have fallen, and many banks now pay less than 1%.

Could rates fall into negative territory? Here’s an explanation of negative interest rates, and what they can mean for your bank account.

What do “negative interest rates” mean?

A negative interest rate occurs when the interest rate on an account falls below zero. The balance of a bank account with a positive interest rate — greater than 0 percent — increases because the bank is paying interest. But with a negative interest rate, the bank may actually charge interest and reduce the balance.

Is it possible for prices to fall below zero? Technically, yes. But will banks start charging customers interest for depositing their money into a savings account, in addition to other bank fees? Mostly not.

Why do interest rates change?

Every day, banks that have more liquidity reserves than they need lend money to other banks to help those institutions meet their liquidity needs. The rate that the central bank sets for banks that lend their reserves is known as the federal funds rate.

The federal funds rate is confirmed at meetings that occur approximately every six weeks, although emergency sessions may be scheduled due to economic conditions. The rate often remains unchanged. But it can be lowered, which usually helps stimulate the economy, or increased, often to fight inflation.

Banks can change the interest rate on accounts they hold with their customers at any time, including the yield on deposit accounts, such as savings accounts. But many banks tend to raise or lower yields in response to the federal funds rate because the federal funds rate can affect a bank’s balance sheet.

Unintended consequences of negative rates

With negative rates, people don’t necessarily have an incentive to keep their money in deposit accounts. It has been reported that banks in countries with negative rates have witnessed wealthy clients withdrawing coins from their accounts and requesting that they be kept physically in bank vaults.

Money that stays in the treasury does not make money, but it also does not lose money at negative rates. At the same time, no one spends this money, which means it does not stimulate the economy.

Fees are a major concern

Consumers may not need to worry about negative interest rates just yet, but there is another, more common concern – account fees.

Having a checking or savings account with a typical monthly fee of $5 or $10 is like having an account that earns negative interest because the bank withdraws money and reduces the balance. Try these tips to get rid of persistent charges:

• Sign up for accounts that have no additional monthly fees.
• If your bank account is incurring fees, find ways to eliminate them each month. Some banks don’t charge a fee if you maintain a certain minimum balance, for example, or sign up for qualifying direct deposit.
• Monitor your checking account balance to avoid overdrafts. The average overdraft fee at major banks is €35, and many banks charge this fee several times a day for multiple overdraft transactions.
• Avoid ATM fees. Open your bank account Which offers extensive ATM networks with no fees or ATM fee reimbursement.

Interest rates on bank accounts are relatively low, but even so, negative rates are unlikely. However, it is worth taking the time to find the best possible rates. The higher the return, the higher Your money can growwhich is good for any bank account.