The Bulgarian National Bank (BNB) is introducing new measures to limit lending, announced by the Central Bank. Starting April 1 next year, the countercyclical capital buffer will be set at 2.25%. This marks the first change in a year and a half, as it currently stands at 2%. The supervisory authority indicates that at the...

First decline in mortgage loans in years and a drastic reduction in loans where expenses exceed 50% of monthly income, according to the first report of the Bulgarian National Bank (BNB) since the measures introduced on October 1st. The new credit standards aim to limit mortgage lending. According to the data, the measures are already...

Credit standards remained unchanged for corporate clients, according to the European Central Bank’ (ECB) survey for the third quarter of 2024. This happened after more than two years of consecutive tightening, ECB notes. Credit standards eased for loans to households for house purchases but tightened for consumer credit, the data shows. Housing loan demand rebounded...

The risks in the banking system have been increasing and therefore the Bulgarian National Bank (BNB) has imposed new requirements on the borrowers of mortgage loans, according to a news release from the central bank. They will affect both new loans and those already granted but being renegotiated. The measures will take effect from October...

Lending in the Bulgarian banking sector is growing, and non-performing loans (NPL) in some segments are decreasing, according to the data from the monetary statistics of the BNB at the end of May. The overall growth of granted loans was 13% on an annual basis, with the increase in loans to households being much stronger...

The credit portfolio of the Bulgarian banks grew strongly in April as well, and the share of non-performing (NPLs) and restructured household loans decreased, according to the monetary statistics of the BNB for April. In mortgage lending in particular, there has been a noticeable decline in delinquent loans in an absolute value. So far, the...

Non-performing loans (NPLs) in Europe remain at a very low level, even with a slight decrease in some segments, despite the growth in lending, the latest Risk Dashboard report of the European Banking Authority (EBA) shows. The data are as at the end of the third quarter of 2023 and show no change of the...