The prime rate or prime lending rate is an interest rate used by banks, typically representing the rate at which they lend to their most creditworthy customers. Some variable interest rates may be expressed as a percentage above or below prime rate.Thomas, L., Money, Banking and Financial Markets (Mason, OH: Thomson South-Western, 2006), p. 8.
The prime rate is used often as an index in calculating rate changes to adjustable-rate mortgages (ARM) and other variable rate short-term loans. It is used in the calculation of some private student loans. Many credit cards and home equity lines of credit with variable interest rates have their rate specified as the prime rate (index) plus a fixed value commonly called the spread or margin.
Use in different banking systems
United States and Canada
Historically, in North American banking, the prime rate represented actual interest rate charged to borrowers, although this is no longer universally true. The prime rate varies little among banks and adjustments are generally made by banks at the same time, although this does not happen frequently. , the prime rate was 7.50% in the United StatesAccording to data published by The Wall Street Journal Online and the Federal Reserve Board of Governors. and 4.95% in Canada.According to data published by The Wall Street Journal Online and the Bank of Canada.
In the United States, the prime rate runs approximately 300 basis points (or 3 percentage points) above the federal funds rate, which is the interest rate that banks charge each other for overnight loans made to fulfill reserve funding requirements. The federal funds rate plus a much smaller increment is frequently used for lending to the most creditworthy borrowers, as is LIBOR, the London Interbank Offered Rate. The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meets eight times per year to set a target for the federal funds rate.
Prior to December 17, 2008, the Wall Street Journal followed a policy of changing its published prime rate when 23 out of 30 of the United States' largest banks changed their prime rates. Recognizing that fewer, larger banks now control most banking assets (that is, it is more concentrated), the Journal now publishes a rate reflecting the base rate posted by at least 70% of the top ten banks by assets.
Malaysia Effective January 2, 2015, the Base Lending Rate (BLR) structure was replaced with a new Base Rate (BR) system. Under the BR system, which serves as the main reference rate for new retail floating rate loans, Malaysian banks can determine their interest rate based on a formula set by Bank Negara, Malaysia's central bank.
Malayan Banking Bhd (Maybank) has set a group-wide base rate at 3.2%, effective Jan 2, 2015. All new retail loans and financing such as mortgages, unit trust loans, share margin financing, personal financing and overdraft facilities which are applied for by individual customers will be based on the base rate. Though certain banks may be setting a higher BR compared to others, they can sometimes offer lower ELR to customers in order to remain competitive. Loans approved and extended before January 2, 2015 continue to follow the old BLR until the end of their loan tenure.
List of countries This is a list of countries by commercial bank prime lending rate, charged on new loans to their most credit-worthy customers. Each entry is denominated in the respective national currency.
The list is sourced by Trading Economics and World Bank. +List of countries by commercial bank prime lending rateCountryCommercial bankprime lending rate (%)Date of information61.70202458.30June 202553.60202342.50July 202537.10202424.20June 202523.30202123.10202421.75June 202521.70202420.80202320.40202419.96June 202519.80202418.49July 202517.80202316.40202416.00202416.00202416.00202115.30202415.28June 202514.80202414.80202014.70202414.70202414.20202314.00202313.10202412.68June 202512.60202112.50202112.50202412.44May 202512.40202412.00202412.00202411.60202411.20202411.20202411.20202311.00202410.97July 202510.90202410.62June 202510.60202410.50202410.50July 202510.26July 202510.0020249.9020249.9020249.8020249.77July 20259.5020209.49May 20259.3020239.10July 20259.00June 20258.9020248.8020248.8020248.71July 20258.7020218.61June 20258.6020248.4020248.4020248.4020248.3020238.17June 20258.16June 20258.10July 20258.0020248.0020227.8020247.8020247.5020247.50June 20257.50July 20257.3020247.1020246.96June 20256.9020246.9020226.6020246.5020246.5020246.35July 20256.3020246.3020216.3020216.2020246.1020246.01May 20256.0020245.9020245.8020245.8020235.6020215.5020215.5020245.5020245.41June 20255.3020215.25July 20255.20June 20255.2020215.06June 20254.95July 20254.94June 20254.89June 20254.7020244.6020244.6020244.55June 20254.5020244.47June 20254.39June 20254.35August 20254.11June 20254.09June 20254.06June 20254.01June 20254.00July 20254.00June 20253.73June 20253.65June 20253.53June 20253.52June 20253.45June 20253.26July 20253.0020243.0020222.47June 20252.20July 20252.18June 20251.75July 20250.81July 2025
See also FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) Overnight rate
References
External links International Prime Rates published by The Wall Street Journal Online HSH Associates, Financial Publishers Current Rate, Definition & Historical Graph