Shinhan Bank said on the 18th that it has cut interest rates on its mid-rate loan products by an additional 0.3 percentage point, aiming to ease borrowing costs for mid- and low-credit customers and expand the supply of privately funded mid-rate loans.
The reduction applies to borrowers in the bottom 50% of external credit scores compiled by NICE and KCB. The affected products are unsecured personal loans that the bank had already capped at an annual rate of 6.9%.
The bank first deducts 0.3 percentage point from each customer's calculated rate, then applies the result so that it does not exceed the 6.9% ceiling. If the calculated rate tops 7% a year, the final rate remains 6.9%, unchanged from before. The same standard applies to the bank's online unsecured loan products. Borrowers must file a new loan application on or after the effective date to qualify for the revised rates.
Shinhan Bank has rolled out a series of measures for financially vulnerable borrowers, including the August launch of Super SOL Mid-Rate Loan, an online unsecured loan offering up to 20 million won ($13,900) to mid- and low-credit customers. The bank used an in-house alternative credit scoring model designed for low- and middle-income borrowers to widen access to financing.
"We hope this rate cut helps reduce the interest burden for customers who need mid-rate loans," a Shinhan Bank official said. "We will continue to pursue inclusive finance through products and services that bring real benefits to our customers' financial lives."