Why is it that within days of the Fed increasing interest rates the local banks are notifying us that their rates will increase yet it’s been about a month since the Fed announced a decrease (of 0.25 percentage points to 5.25%) and we haven’t heard anything? Can we expect a decrease?


Ask Auntie, CNS Local Life, Caymanian status

Auntie’s answer: I contacted the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority (CIMA) for help since among its duties, that body is responsible for licensing and regulating banking.

After consulting with the Banking Supervision Division and CIMA management, an official with the authority declined to offer an opinion on whether the rates will be changing and said that the best course was to ask your bank.

I have included the complete response below:

The Cayman Islands Monetary Authority is unable to comment on whether consumers can expect a decrease in local banks’ interest rates as pricing is determined individually by each financial institution, and the Authority cannot opine on such pricing decisions. Nevertheless, the Authority is aware that most local banks have published information regarding fluctuation of interest rates. The Authority would also like to take this opportunity to encourage persons to contact their respective banks directly to confirm the same, which will help them to make informed decisions during their banking transaction activities.

Generally speaking, there are a number of considerations that contribute to a bank’s pricing decisions. While US interest rates are certainly part of the setting of prices, there are also a number of other factors to consider such as the global bond markets, firm specific asset and liability management considerations, among other influences.

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