ING Bank Romania launches two new innovations for mortgage loans

ING Bank Romania continues to transform its lending experience and introduces two new first-of-their-kind features on the Romanian market. ING customers can now fully repay and close their mortgage loan directly in Home’Bank and, in addition, benefit from the bank’s support in proactively handling the mortgage discharge process, without requiring any further action from the customer.   ING continues to innovate by bringing two new functionalities to Home’Bank that simplify customers’ relationship with the bank. As a result, repaying and closing a mortgage loanbecomes a simple, secure, and intuitive experience for ING customers.   Once the mortgage loan has been fully repaid through Home’Bank, ING will initiate and manage the mortgage discharge process. Customers will no longer need to interact with the institutions involved or prepare the necessary documentation themselves. Closing a mortgage loan does not simply mean making the final payment.   Typically, the next step is the discharge of the mortgage, a process that involves obtaining specific documents, finding a notary, and scheduling appointments that align all parties involved, including the notary and the bank’s representatives. Until now, all these steps have been the responsibility of the customer. Going forward, however, they become part of the service provided by the bank, delivering the best mortgage loan closure experience ING has offered to date. “For more than two decades, we have been building banking services based on a simple belief: technology should make life easier for people. After digitalizing key stages of the lending and loan management process, we are now taking another important step by simplifying the final stage of the lending relationship. Customers can close their mortgage loan directly through Home’Bank, while we continue the process and manage the discharge of the mortgage on their behalf. It is a solution that saves time, reduces bureaucracy, and reflects our ambition to take banking innovation to the next level”, said Roxana Cristea, Head of Lending & Insurances, ING Bank Romania.   The repayment and mortgage loan closure process takes only a few minutes, can be completed from any device, whether a laptop, desktop computer, or smartphone, and saves customers the time and effort of visiting a physical ING Office location.   Steps customers need to follow in ING Home’Bank: Access the mortgage loan closure option by navigating to: Portfolio -> Loans Menu -> Mortgage Loan -> Repay -> I want to close my loan. Review the information regarding the amount required for full repayment of the loan, details about the mortgage discharge process, and click “Continue”. Verify the breakdown of the total repayment amount and the account from which the funds will be transferred. After reviewing the summary once again, validate the transaction by clicking “Sign”. Once these steps have been completed, customers will see a confirmation screen in the application, where they can download proof of the loan closure and view details regarding their insurance policies, both home insurance and life insurance. Shortly thereafter, customers will also receive an email containing a PDF document confirming the closure of the mortgage loan, along with information about the insurance policy associated with the loan. Upon completion of the mortgage discharge process, the customer will receive an email confirming that the mortgage discharge declaration has been notarized and that it will be submitted to the Land Registry Office (OCPI). Within 10 days, customers who need it can request a Land Registry Extract from the ANCPI website. Mortgage Lending Brought to New Standards by ING   The new functionalities are added to a series of firsts through which ING Bank Romania has contributed to the digital transformation of lending in the local market. In 2022, ING Bank Romania became the first bank in Romania to introduce 100% online financial pre-approval for mortgage loans, allowing customers to quickly find out whether they are eligible for financing, without having to travel to a bank branch.   In addition, in 2023, ING Bank Romania automated the property assessment stage for real estate pledged as collateral for mortgage loans, significantly reducing the time required to analyze loan applications and accelerating the approval process, and since 2025, customers with mortgage loans have been able to obtain certain approvals required for the administration of and changes to the conditions associated with their loan directly from the mobile application, without visiting an ING office. The Innovation Contributes to the Award for the World’s Best Bank for Mortgages/Home Loans for ING Group   ING’s approach to developing home financing products has also been recognized globally. In 2026, Euromoney named ING the “World’s Best Bank for Mortgages/Home Loans“, highlighting the Group’s innovative approach, investments in technology, digitalization and artificial intelligence, as well as its ability to simplify and accelerate the lending experience for customers.   For ING Bank Romania, innovation means building products and services that bring tangible value to customers. The simple, secure experience that saves customers from spending time on bureaucracy is the result of more than two decades of innovation and digitalization to provide customers with relevant products and services. LIH Group returns to positive gross profit after the first half of 2026   Life Is Hard SA (LIH), a company included in the BET-AeRO index, announces the financial results obtained in the first half of 2026, at both individual and group level. Thus, according to the indicative consolidation carried out by integrating results in proportion to the holdings owned, LIH and its holdings recorded a turnover of RON 23.18 million (+RON 2.2 million compared to the similar period in 2025), while EBITDA reached RON 2.8 million (+RON 2.1 million vs. 2025), and gross profit stood at RON 1.06 million (+RON 2.8 million vs. 2025).   “These results reflect the cumulative contribution of the companies in the ecosystem, following a first half in which improving operational efficiency was a priority. Beyond each individual company, we have laid the foundations for operating as a business ecosystem built around an industry, insurance, a field where Romania still has much to develop before reaching its potential. This is the infrastructure we continue to rely on, and in the first half of the year, LIH continued to invest in strengthening its strategic direction,” says Catalin Chis, CEO of the LIH group of companies. Regarding the individual results of Life Is Hard SA, in the first half of 2026 the company recorded a significant increase in operational performance, a consequence of continuing the process of simplifying the business model, as well as concentrating resources on activities with development and profitability potential.   Thus, the company generated operating revenues of RON 17.4 million, up 2.88% compared to H1 2025, while turnover stood at RON 12.8 million, 9% above the budgeted value.   The insurance segment is the main driver of recurring revenue for Life Is Hard, with budget execution for the first half standing at a solid level of around 97%. 24Broker, the central component of this activity, generated revenues of approximately RON 5.9 million, confirming the stability of the core business and its growth potential.   The portfolio recalibration was also reflected in the evolution of the cost structure. Operating expenses decreased by 4.85% compared to H1 2025, while operating revenues grew by 2.88%. EBITDA thus reached approximately RON 0.67 million, compared to RON 19 thousand in H1 2025, and the operating loss decreased by approximately 70%, from RON 2.0 million to RON 0.60 million.   “After the years in which we laid the foundation on the strongest pillars for long-term growth, we now have the infrastructure, resilience and the right people to take the next step: 2026 is the year in which we begin multiplying the value created by the ecosystem, through expanding distribution channels and increasing the value generated by the infrastructure. We are bringing both technological solutions and additional expertise and human capacity, available for the entire insurance industry, including a shared space every year through Technology Insurance Days and, starting in 2026, also through a dedicated hub in Cluj,” says Catalin Chis, CEO of the LIH group of companies.   The transformation that Life Is Hard is building within its insurance ecosystem is also focused on developing human competencies in and for the industry, an effort it supports through the European projects carried out under the Skills+ umbrella. So far, over 6,200 people have entered the selection process, 468 have been included in the program, and 373 have started training, laying the foundation for a new generation of professionals who will be able to join the teams of partner brokers.   In addition, the amplification of the value created by the insurance infrastructure is supported through joint projects such as the collaboration between Performia and Life is Hard, initiated to give insurance clients access to complementary resources that can boost their business on operational fronts.   In terms of its individual performance, Performia Finance reached, in the first six months of the current year, 700 active contracts and recorded a turnover of RON 2.91 million, with an EBITDA of approximately RON 0.71 million and a net profit of RON 0.58 million, while continuing to invest in efficiency and automation.