Romanians pay loan installments with annual effective interest rates almost double compared to many European countries. According to Eurostat data, the average annual effective interest rate on mortgage loans in Romania is 6.5%, well above the euro area average of 3.8%. Significant differences are also present in consumer loans. In Romania, the interest rate reaches 10.2%, compared to the European average ranging between 5% and 6.5%. While countries like Germany and France have more favorable interest rates, around 5.5% and 6%, Hungary and Poland have similar interest rates to Romania, at 9.8% and 9.5% respectively. "Accurate information and cost optimization are essential when Romanians make credit plans. Although interest rates are higher, there are solutions to reduce these costs through careful comparisons and brokerage services. Refinancing or direct negotiations with the bank can make a considerable difference in the long term," says Valentin Anghel, CEO of AVBS Credit Broker.
The 2025 edition of the year’s first major film fest in Europe (and one of the biggest worldwide), the Berlin International Film Festival, took place between 13 and 23 February. My notes come with a bit of delay, as I was also hit by the festival flu that got so many of us sniffling and […]
In the absence of current negative influences, Romania’s economy could have an annual growth potential of 3-4%. Political instability and global geopolitical risks are dampening growth. Economic growth in 2024 was driven by wage increases and accelerating consumption, satisfied however largely through imports. Due to a decline in domestic economic competitiveness, net exports contributed negatively […]
The Bucharest Stock Exchange (BVB) announced on Thursday, March 13, the launch of a new financial education section on the BVB Research Hub platform, dedicated to retail investors. The capital market operator said that it started this project out of the need to increase the level of financial education and promote the investment culture. It […]
The Romanian governing coalition's presidential candidate, Crin Antonescu, announced on Thursday, March 13, that he is launching a podcast designed to popularize his candidacy before the May elections. Antonescu, who is backed by the alliance made up of the Liberals (PNL), Social Democrats (PSD), the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians (UDMR), and the minorities, stated that he will […]
Some 4,500 teachers will learn about rights and responsibilities online, accessibility, inclusion, online well-being, and ethics as part of Incubatorul Civic Digital (ICD - The Civic Digital Incubator), a digital citizenship and democratic culture project implemented by Institutul Intercultural Timișoara, Asociația TechSoup and Școala de Valori. The project, which offers free training, is aimed at […]
Mihaela Murariu, Attorney at Law at Grecu Partners Business Law Firm, analyzes the impact of Artificial Intelligence on personal data protection. Artificial intelligence (AI) has become a ubiquitous technology, used in more and more fields, from marketing and healthcare to recruitment and financial services. However, the widespread use of AI raises numerous questions about privacy […]
