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Argentine Banks Offer Widely Diverging 30‑Day Deposit Rates

Nominal rates sit below expected inflation, eroding real returns for savers.

Overview

  • The BCRA's daily table, published Thursday, lists Banco Provincia as the most attractive among major banks with a 21% TNA for non‑clients and Banco Nación at about 19%.
  • Several smaller and digital banks report higher offers in the low‑to‑mid 20s, with examples including BICA at 22%, Meridian near 22.25% and Crédito Regional and Reba at 23%.
  • Analysts say most nominal TNAs are below one‑year inflation expectations, which reduces the real purchasing power of plazo fijo returns and weakens their appeal.
  • Customers can open 30‑day plazos fijo online at no cost or paperwork according to the BCRA, and a $2,000,000 placement at 21% TNA would yield roughly $34,520 in one month.
  • The current spread follows the BCRA's 2024 deregulation of minimum deposit rates, a change that left banks to set prices and has driven savers toward bonds, mutual funds and dollar‑linked strategies.