Polish Banks' Plan to Convert Foreign-Currency Mortgages

Polish Banks' Plan to Convert Foreign-Currency Mortgages

By
Adrianna Kowalczyk
2 min read

Polish Banks Develop New Model to Convert Foreign-Currency Mortgages

Polish banks are in talks with regulators and the government to devise a plan aimed at converting foreign-currency mortgages, predominantly in Swiss francs, into the Polish zloty. This initiative seeks to mitigate legal disputes that have led to 60 billion zloty ($15.4 billion) in legal provisions. The plan involves reducing the loan amount and offering more favorable settlements to clients.

Key Takeaways

  • Polish banks are working on a new strategy to convert foreign-currency mortgages into the Polish currency, zloty, to address legal disputes.
  • The plan might include reducing the loan amount, which has previously been only occasionally offered in individual negotiations.
  • Legal provisions worth $15.4 billion are at stake, and the new settlements aim to prevent prolonged legal battles.

Analysis

The move by Polish banks to convert foreign-currency mortgages into zloty aims to diminish legal battles and reduce the $15.4 billion in legal provisions. This effort is of particular benefit to banks with a substantial number of Swiss franc-denominated mortgages. This shift may also lead to increased volatility in financial instruments connected to the Polish zloty. The ruling by the European Union's top court on "abusive" loan contracts has amplified legal disputes and negatively impacted bank profits. While these new settlements may involve lower interest rates and partial loan forgiveness, the long-term implications for the banking sector remain uncertain, depending on the number of clients opting for settlements over legal battles.

Did You Know?

  • Foreign-currency Mortgages: These are home loans denominated in a foreign currency, commonly obtained by borrowers in countries with higher inflation or interest rates than in the country of the loan's currency. In the case of Poland, most foreign-currency mortgages are in Swiss francs.
  • Legal Provisions: In accounting, a provision is an amount reserved to cover a liability, contingency, or loss. Legal provisions are funds set aside by companies to cover potential legal costs, fines, or settlements. Polish banks have set aside 60 billion zloty ($15.4 billion) to address legal costs related to foreign-currency mortgage disputes.
  • Abusive Loan Contracts: The European Union's top court has ruled that some loan contracts, particularly those involving foreign currencies, are deemed "abusive" if they significantly disadvantage the borrower or expose them to excessive risk. Therefore, Polish courts have considered some foreign-currency mortgage contracts as abusive, leading banks to increase loan provisions and diminish profits.

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