The difference between interest rates and deposit rates in local currency went down from 13.5% in 2005 to 6.8% in 2016.
From a statement issued by the Costa Rican Banking Association:
March, 2017. A comparative analysis by the Costa Rican Banking Association (ABC), between 2005 and 2016, with data from the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (SUGEF) shows that the Financial Intermediation Margin (MIF) in colones, has maintained a downward trend, going from 13.5% to 6.8% in that period.
The margin of financial intermediation in colones fell by 1.3% and stood at 7.1%, while a rate of 3.5% was recorded dollars.
From a statement issued by the Costa Rican Banking Association:
31 March, 2016. The Costa Rican Banking Association (ABC by its initials in Spanish) presents data on the performance of the Financial Intermediation Margin (MIF by its initials in Spanish) between 2008 and 2015, showing that this was reduced at the end of last year, both in colones and dollars.
The loan portfolio grew by 23% in December 2015, up from 19.4% a year earlier, confirming the momentum of the Nicaraguan banking sector.
From the Monetary and Financial Report by the Central Bank of Nicaragua (BCN):
In 2015 the National Financial System (SFN) continued to perform favorably in most of its indicators, with the most noteworthy being the dynamism of the loan portfolio and deposits.
The escalation and volatility of the dollar in recent days raised the spread over 3%.
The volatility that has been seen in the exchange rate in Costa Rica in recent days has increased the spread between buying and selling dollars at the counters of financial institutions.
"'Given the much more abrupt sudden movements (in the exchange rate), there is an increased likelihood that we'll buy cheap dollars and after a few hours we'll sell them expensively. In order to cover this risk, the differential is increased," said Bernardo Alfaro, deputy general manager of Finance and Risk at Banco Nacional.
Banks in El Salvador, barred by law from charging management fees, offset their lower revenues by raising interest rates.
According to the president of the Salvadoran Banking Association (Abansa) Armando Arias, "commission (for administration) has been transferred to interest rates." "What they (the banks) have probably done is to take (for example) the $8 which was previously charged as commission and move it across to the nominal interest rate," said the head of Abansa.
Private banks operate with margins between interest rates which are considerably lower than state banks.
An article in Elfinancierocr.com points out that "the five banks with the lowest margins in the country are private ones, as is clear from a study by EF based on data reported to the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (Sugef) for December, 2012 ".