ICICI Bank, HDFC Grp raise auto loan rates, end teaser schemes

Posted on: Mon, 08 Mar 2010 18:56:22 EST


Symbols: IBN
Mumbai, Mar 04, 2010 (Asia Pulse Data Source via COMTEX) --

Country's two biggest private sector lenders ICICI Bank and HDFC Group Thursday hiked lending rates for auto loans and ended teaser (lower) rates for home loans, signalling that the days of cheap credit are coming to an end.

ICICI Bank raised interest rates for auto loans by up to 50 basis points, while rival HDFC Bank also increased the lending rates by 50-100 basis points with immediate effect.

"Auto loans rates have been raised by 0.25-0.50 per cent depending on segment and tenor with effect from March 5," an ICICI Bank spokesperson said. With this hike, lending rates for new auto loans will now be in the 9.75-11 per cent range.

ICICI Bank also withdrew its limited period special home loan offers or 'teaser' schemes, under which borrowers could avail housing loans at rates as low as 8.25 per cent.

Mortgage lender HDFC too confirmed to PTI that it is not continuing with the special home loan offer of lower interest rates which was valid only up to February 27.

The Reserve Bank of India had expressed displeasure at teaser rate as it discriminates existing borrowers against new ones. Under special schemes, pioneered by State Bank, borrowers were offered rates as low as 8 per cent for the first couple of years. Existing customers were not given this benefit.

Some bankers, including HDFC's Deepak Parekh had termed teaser rate as a gimmick. RBI had also said that customers would find it difficult to repay when rates go up after the initial period.

For full details on ICICI Bank Ltd. ADS (IBN) IBN. ICICI Bank Ltd. ADS (IBN) has Short Term PowerRatings at TradingMarkets. Details on ICICI Bank Ltd. ADS (IBN) Short Term PowerRatings is available at This Link.

How to Successfully Trade ETFs

Do you want to learn how to trade more successfully, more consistently... and with more confidence?

If so, then the TPS strategy is for you.

Hundreds, if not now thousands, of ETF traders successfully use the TPS trading strategy to find the best ETF trade set-ups each day to place winning trades.

Free Newsletters

What stocks and ETFs are headed up and down this week?.

The TradingMarkets Weekly Newsletter covers this in depth and gives performance information on the previous week.

TradingMarkets Weekly Newsletter
PowerRatings Newsletter

UPCOMING EVENTS
Learn new strategies, how to trade in this market, and the stocks you should be focusing on each day. Join us for our free 20 minute tele-seminars during the week.
* Attendance is strictly limited and are filled on a first-come, first-served basis.