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Argentine Banks Diverge on Term-Deposit Rates as UVA Savings Surge

Scrapped rate floors leave banks setting 30‑day yields with gaps by channel.

Overview

  • The BCRA’s public table, which listed Friday’s 30‑day offers, shows most peso term-deposit TNAs in the high teens to mid‑20s, with smaller or digital players advertising up to about 27% for non‑clients.
  • Inflation‑linked UVA deposits jumped about 48% in March on a nominal basis and rose sharply in real terms, and the BCRA says UVA balances grew about 119% in real terms in the first quarter of 2026.
  • Consultancy LCG links the shift to faster inflation and notes Banco Nación’s new UVA option with monthly interest could further pull savers toward inflation protection in April.
  • The wholesale reference rate TAMAR ended March at 26.2%, nearly 5 points below late February, which signals cheaper bank funding and helps explain softer retail deposit rates.
  • Rates differ by channel and size in practice, with examples such as 18.5% in-branch versus 19% online and better terms for deposits above 10 million pesos, while dollar time deposits were trimmed, including Banco Nación’s cut to 2.00% online and 0.75% in-branch.