In Costa Rica, a good part of the population is significantly indebted, since it is estimated that two out of every five consumers dedicate 38% or more of their monthly income to debt repayment.
The Office of the Financial Consumer (OFC) conducted during November 2020, the first survey of "Indebtedness of Costa Rican households", for which 1,200 people from all over the country, aged between 18 and 65 years old, were interviewed.
In order to face the crisis generated by the covid-19 outbreak, Costa Rica extended until December 31, 2021 the measure that allows clients of financial institutions to benefit from extensions, refinancing and readjustments without the need to carry out debtor stress analysis.
According to Conassif, additionally, banks were asked to reapply their internal policies for measuring the payment capacity of each client as of April 1, 2021.
For 2021, some of the financial institutions competing in the Costa Rican market are betting on placing loans for the purchase of homes, consumer loans and business financing.
In Costa Rica, home purchase loans were already showing positive signs at the end of 2020, since in November of last year the amount of the loan portfolio in question reported a 7% year-on-year increase.
By the first half of 2021 all maximum annual interest rates that are estimated by the Central Bank will decrease compared to those imposed in the second half of 2020.
On January 8, 2021 the Central Bank of Costa Rica (BCCR) published, on its website and in the official newspaper La Gaceta, the new maximum annual interest rates for credit operations in colones, US dollars and other currencies.
Between July and October 2020, the number of people in El Salvador exploring mortgage options online increased by 18%, and the number of Costa Rican consumers looking to buy credit cards decreased by 60%.
CentralAmericaData's interactive platform Consumer Insights monitors in real time the changes in consumer habits in all markets in the region and in other Latin American countries, with fundamental information to understand their behavior, new trends and anticipate eventual changes in their purchase patterns.
The doubts generated by the fiscal proposal with which the Costa Rican government plans to discuss a loan with the IMF, would be the main cause of the recent upward trend in the dollar's price, which as of September 29 was quoted at ₡604,52.
The figures of the Central Bank of Costa Rica (BCCR) report an upward trend in recent days, since between September 11 and 29 the price has risen from ₡595,41 to ₡604,33, which is equivalent to a 2% variation.
In the last few months, interest in credit cards has been increasing in the digital environment, a rise that is mainly explained by the behavior of consumers in Panama, Honduras, El Salvador and Costa Rica.
Through a system monitoring changes in consumer interests and preferences in Central American countries in real time, developed by CentralAmericaData, it is possible to project short and long term demand trends for the different products, sectors and markets operating in the region.
In Costa Rica, the Alvarado administration would be considering the creation of a tax on each transaction that a person or company makes through a financial entity, a tax that will discourage savings and motivate people to use cash.
In order to discuss a medium and long term credit with the International Monetary Fund, the Costa Rican authorities would be planning to design and create a new tax, which consists of each person paying a tax of ¢3 for every ¢1.000 in the transactions they make through a bank, finance company, mutual fund, stock exchange or any other financial entity.
The high levels of unemployment and the poor growth of credit are factors that have worsened in the context of the economic crisis generated by the outbreak of covid-19, which has led to the deterioration of the credit record of customers.
The official notice obliging all entities of the country's financial system to provide the tax authorities with information on the bank accounts of all their foreign clients was published in the Gazette.
From August 4th and during 10 working days, the Central Bank of Costa Rica will submit to public consultation the technical study regarding the First ordinary fixing of commissions of the payment card system and the proposal of Regulations of the Payment Card System.
This study and proposed regulation are being carried out in accordance with the provisions of the Law of Maximum Commissions of the Payment Card System, Law 9831, of March 21, 2020, informed the monetary authority.
The current business scenario ended up breaking down several barriers, and now there are more customers who demand the online services of financial institutions, which are challenged to facilitate digital processes and in turn apply strict security standards.
In the last four months, in most Central American cities, bank clients have moved away from the bank's service points, because between the home quarantines decreed due to the spread of covid-19 and the preference to avoid attending places where large numbers of people can congregate, consumers are choosing to look for ways to carry out transactions digitally.
In the countries of the region, more than 8 million people are looking for credit on the Internet. Of this group of consumers, approximately 9% explore options for taking out a student loan.
The interactive information system developed by CentralAmericaData monitors in real time the changes in consumer habits in all markets of the region, with fundamental information to understand the new commercial environment that has emerged in an accelerated manner.
Preventive reasons for unforeseen expenses in the context of the pandemic and low liable interest rates are some of the factors that explain the increase in the balance of short-term savings instruments in the Costa Rican market.
In the context of the spread of covid-19 and the restriction of several productive activities, the broad money supply (including cash held by the public and highly liquid financial instruments in national and foreign currency) showed a 35.7% year-on-year growth rate in June 2020, considerably higher than the 2.7% recorded in the same month in 2019, while the balance of term instruments fell, reported the Central Bank of Costa Rica (BCCR).
Following the entry into force of the Usury Law, the Central Bank published the maximum annual interest rates, which for credit operations in colons amount to 37.69% and 30.36% in dollars.
The law that was published on June 20, 2020 establishes the methodology to be used to set the maximum interest rate, and stipulates that the Central Bank of Costa Rica must publish on its website and on The Gazette, the maximum usury rates in the first week of January and July each year.