Borrowers have reduced requests – Newspaper Kommersant No. 211 (7412) dated 11/15/2022

The average amount that borrowers request from microfinance institutions (MFIs) has been declining for the fourth month in a row, declining by more than 9% over this period. Such a drop was not observed even during the pandemic and in the spring, immediately after the outbreak of hostilities in Ukraine. Against the backdrop of prolonged uncertainty, it is becoming increasingly difficult for both borrowers and companies to return to their usual patterns of behavior.

The online financial platform Webbankir assessed the dynamics of the requested loan amount in MFIs. According to the study, it has been declining since August and in the first days of November amounted to 11.23 thousand rubles. against 12.34 thousand rubles. in July. The decrease was more than 9%.

The microfinance market has not seen such a long and significant drop in the amount of requests either this spring, after the outbreak of hostilities in Ukraine, or in the spring of 2020, during the period of strict quarantine restrictions in the first months of the pandemic. So, in March 2022, the amount of the request decreased to 11.29 thousand rubles, by 4% compared to February. However, already in April, the figure recovered to 11.85 thousand rubles. and continued to grow until August. In March 2020, the drop was 1.5% on a monthly basis, to RUB 9.77 thousand. The decrease in the indicator lasted three months, reaching 9357 rubles by May, follows from the materials of Webbankir.

At the same time, according to the National Bureau of Credit Histories, the average check of payday loans has not changed significantly since April: in recent months, this figure has been at the level of 9–9.2 thousand rubles. The reduction in the amount of requests occurs against the background of an increase in their total number (see Kommersant of November 14).

Judging by the applications, in September-October, the share of loans for urgent unforeseen expenses increased significantly, Webbankir notes. It reached 15%, while in the summer it was 9.4%. And even in the pre-New Year period, the behavior of potential customers is unlikely to change fundamentally, Andrey Ponomarev, CEO of Webbankir, fears, “if the increase in the requested amount happens, it will be lower than in previous years.” Since February, people have become less likely to plan large expenses and purchases, confirms Igor Smirnov, CEO of the ICC Creditter.

“After the shocks against the background of the lack of long-term planning and the uncertainty of borrowers in the ability to service debt obligations, the main trend is caution in any financial transactions,” explains SRO MiR.

Even those companies do not argue with this interpretation of the situation, which so far have not noted among their customers either a decrease in the average amount of a request, or a significant deterioration in quality. Thus, MigCredit still receives 70% of requests for amounts up to 15 thousand rubles. and 30% for large amounts of funds, says IFC commercial director Marat Abbyasov. However, he admits, there is another trend: “Not all clients, after he approves the loan amount, completely choose him. We began to record this trend from the second half of October. Borrowers have become more careful in their appetites and are more conscious in assessing the ability to fulfill financial obligations.” Restrain borrowers from requesting a larger amount and a steady decline in inflation, as well as a general slowdown in price growth, adds MoneyMan CEO Sergey Vesovshchuk.

In addition, the quality of the incoming flow of applications continues to deteriorate, emphasizes Igor Smirnov. And MFIs themselves are not ready to take risks, and after adjusting the general approach, they took a wait-and-see attitude, trying to find a balance between maintaining the quality of the portfolio and business growth, emphasizes Dmitry Afrikanov, CEO of the Unicom ecosystem. Moreover, the level of delinquency in the payday loans segment is slowly but growing. So, according to the National Association of Collection Agencies, while it is acceptable for the industry – 20-40%, however, it will grow “within the framework of general trends.”

Polina Trifonova