The country's largest lender SBI on Wednesday rationalised interest rate on all savings bank (SB) accounts to a flat 3 per cent, a move affecting 44.51 crore account holders. The bank also waived the requirement for maintaining minimum balance in SB accounts. Further, SBI has reduced the one-year MCLR to 7.75 percent per annum from 7.85 percent, with effect from March 10.(File) State Bank of India (SBI) on Wednesday reduced and rationalised interest rate on all savings bank (SB) accounts to a flat 3 percent, in a move that could hit its 44.51 crore account holders.

Business News, Nation, (New Delhi), March 12:-The State Bank of India (SBI) on Wednesday cut interest on savings bank accounts to 3 percent and also waived its minimum balance requirement as it set the trend of lowering interest rates in the banking sector. The country’s largest lender has 44.51 crore savings bank (SB) accounts.

More banks are likely to follow to the market leader in slashing interest rate on SB accounts and waiving minimum balance requirements.

Earlier in the day, SBI reduced its fixed deposit rates and marginal cost of funds-based lending rates (MCLR) for various tenors.

Keeping in mind the ‘Customers First’ approach, the bank said it has also waived SMS charges, which will bring significant relief to all the customers.

“Bank has also rationalised interest rate on SB Account to a flat 3 percent per annum for all buckets,” it said in a statement.

Currently, the interest rate on SB accounts is 3.25 percent for deposits up to Rs 1 lakh in SB accounts and 3 percent for deposits above Rs 1 lakh.

SBI said it has decided to waive maintenance of Average Monthly Balance (AMB) for all SB accounts. “The charges on maintaining AMB are now waived off on all 44.51 crore SBI savings bank accounts,” it said.

Currently, SBI customers need to maintain AMB of Rs 3,000, Rs 2,000 and Rs 1,000 in metro, semi urban and rural areas, respectively. The bank used to levy a penalty of Rs 5 to Rs 15 plus taxes on non-maintenance of AMB.

SBI had introduced penalty on breach of minimum balance in SB accounts in April 2017 after 2012. However, later in October it slashed the penalty amount.

Making it the second reduction in as many months, the public sector bank reduced interest rates for retail term deposits (less than Rs 2 crore) by 10 to 50 basis points for a few tenors.

Fixed deposits (FDs) maturing between seven to 45 days will offer an interest rate of 4 percent as against 4.50 percent earlier. Interest rates on FDs maturing in a year and above have been reduced by 10 basis points.

One-year to less than two-year tenor FD will earn an interest rate of 5.90 percent against 6 percent earlier. FD for similar tenor will fetch an interest rate of 6.40 percent instead of 6.50 percent for senior citizens.

The bank has also reduced interest rates on bulk term deposits (Rs 2 crore and above) by 15 basis points for 180 days and above tenors.

FD rates in the bulk category for tenor of one-year and above will earn 4.60 percent instead of 4.75 percent.

In February, the bank had slashed term deposits rates by 10-50 basis points in the retail segment and 25-50 basis points in the bulk segment. Further, the one-year MCLR has been reduced by 10 basis points to 7.75 percent from 7.85 percent earlier, the bank said.

Sbi Sb Interest Rates 2021

This is the 10th consecutive cut in MCLR by the bank in the current fiscal.

Private sector lender ICICI Bank on its website said the savings account interest rate is 3.5 percentfor end of day account balance of below Rs 50 lakh, and 4 percent for balance of Rs 50 lakh and above.

Several private sector lenders have minimum balance requirement of at least Rs 10,000.

-(NAV, Inputs: Agencies)

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Sbi Sb Interest Rates 2019

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State Bank of India (SBI) on Wednesday reduced and rationalised interest rate on all savings bank (SB) accounts to a flat 3 percent, in a move that could hit its 44.51 crore account holders. Simultaneously, it also decided to waive off the maintenance of average monthly balance (AMB) for all SB accounts. SBI also announced a reduction in its marginal cost-based lending rate (MCLR) by 10-15 basis points (bps) across all tenors.

The bank currently pays 3.25 percent interest on SB accounts with a balance up to Rs one lakh and 3.25 percent on accounts with balance above Rs 1 lakh. Now, SBI will pay a uniform 3 percent interest rate on all SB accounts.

Currently, the bank’s SB customers need to maintain AMB of Rs 3,000, Rs 2,000 and Rs 1,000 in metro, semi-urban and rural areas, respectively. SBI used to levy a penalty of Rs 5 to Rs 15 plus taxes on non-maintenance of AMB. Other nationalised banks too are expected to waive off AMB maintenance and cut SB deposit rates in the coming days. The AMB waiver is a “major initiative to bring “customer delight and a hassle-free banking experience”, SBI said.

Further, SBI has reduced the one-year MCLR to 7.75 percent per annum from 7.85 percent, with effect from March 10.

Consequently, EMIs on eligible home loan accounts (linked to MCLR) will get cheaper by around Rs 7 per Rs one lakh on a 30-year loan. EMIs on car loans will also be reduced by Rs 5 per Rs one lakh on a 7-year loan. The state-owned lender also cut the three-year MCLR from 8.15 percent to 8.05 per cent and three-months MCLR from 7.65 per cent to 7.50 per cent.

SBI also cut interest rates on term deposits (TDs) with effect from March 10. Retail TD interest rates have been cut by 10 bps for ‘one year & above’ tenor and 50 bps for deposits up to ‘45 days’. Bulk TD interest rates have been reduced by 15 bps for deposits in ‘180 days & above’ tenors.