ICICI Bank, LIC Housing cut home loan rates

By IANS
Tuesday, December 30, 2008

MUMBAI - Two more lending institutions - ICICI Bank and LIC Housing - Wednesday cut their interest rates on home loans by up to 75 basis points (bps).

While LIC Housing Finance cut rates for existing home loan borrowers by 75 bps effective Thursday, ICICI cut rates by 50 bps with immediate effect.

The bank’s floating reference rate for home loans has now come down to 13.75 percent from 14.25 percent.

ICICI has also announced a reduction on auto loans by the same quantum effective Wednesday.

For new customers, LIC Housing has already reduced interest rates from Dec 17. For loans up to Rs.2 million (Rs.20 lakh) and above five years, the lending rate stands at 9.25 percent.

Filed under: Business, India

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Discussion

Mehul
June 15, 2009: 12:58 pm

I have seen recent advertisement in the news paper to give loan at reducing 8.5% per annum. I have existing loan going on at 11.75% per annum. I am not too sure why the difference. Is to attract new customer and give them loan and charge a higher rate later.
That is what has happened to my loan, When I started my loan in Nov 2006 the rate was 7.75% and it reached to a peak level of 12.5% and now it has reduced a bit to 11.75%.
I have a very simple question to the institute, when you are acquiring new customer at 8.5% (floating rate) how can you charge more amount to your existing customer.

Though the interest rate change has recently been announced to be effective from June, there are no changes on the EMI shown in the amortization schedule.

As a normal practice RBI should not allow charging differential or less interest rate to new customers. This is highly unethical on bank’s part. As the existing customer has already committed to the bank by taking a loan from the bank.

I think RBI should observe and investigate this matter. If not we should approach higher authorities for taking corrective action.

As my experience with a bank does help me understand the asset & liability imbalances from the bank’s perspective. I can see that bank is exploiting existing customers and taking the observer or regulator ( RBI) for a ride.

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