The New Year also came with new bank fees for most services. Since January 1, almost all banks have done so, with the sharpest increase in counter-fees. There is also an increase in the fee for withdrawing cash from an ATM.
What are the arguments of the banks for this?
The increase in these fees is far less than that of gas and electricity. In the last 15 years, bank fees have been steadily rising, the explanation being the overall cost of living, and the costs of financial institutions are also constantly rising - said financial analyst Tihomir Toshev.
Banks realize their income in two ways - from loans and service fees, he reminded.
Unfortunately, in Bulgaria we are at the bottom of the EU in the digital use of banking services, lagging behind countries outside the union, such as Serbia. By focusing more on electronic payments, we can avoid most of the increase in a number of fees imposed by cash service or cash payment, said the financial analyst.
In addition, almost all banks offer package services at reasonable prices, which, however, each consumer can assess according to their needs.
At the same time, the choice of institutions is competitive enough and the consumer can calculate where it is more profitable to keep his money, explained Tihomir Toshev.
Anyone can request the opening of an account with basic operations, which will save them most of the other costs if they use the services separately. In addition, Bulgarian citizens should increasingly turn to online banking and digital payments, as is the global trend - said the financial expert.
