Housing FinanceLatest Stories

Banks Expand Home Loan Spreads to Protect Margins

MUMBAI: Banks are raising their spreads above home loan rates to safeguard their margins. SBI and Union Bank of India have increased their mortgage spreads as reference rates decrease. With the repo rate already reduced by 100 basis points this year, further cuts could be on the horizon. Unlike previously, when lower rates primarily benefited new borrowers while existing ones paid higher, the current environment sees new borrowers facing increased costs, despite banks being required by RBI regulations to pass on rate cuts to existing customers. This discrepancy arises from persistent funding costs. Reducing deposit rates remains challenging, particularly for…

Housing FinanceLatest Stories

SBI Raises Home Loan Rates by 25 Basis Points: A Signal?

MUMBAI: India’s largest mortgage lender, State Bank of India (SBI), has raised home loan rates by 25 basis points for new borrowers, indicating a potential shift towards higher interest rates in the housing market. This increase mainly impacts applicants with lower credit scores, as SBI adjusts the upper band of its loan rates. Union Bank of India has also raised its rates, and other public sector lenders may follow. As of late July, SBI’s mortgage rates were between 7.5% and 8.45%. Post-adjustment, new borrowers will face rates between 7.5% and 8.70%. Union Bank of India has upped its rate to…