The Popular Savings Account (LEP) continues to make headlines. But this time, the news is not as encouraging for some French people. And for good reason, some should face disillusionment.
“Continue the momentum in favor of popular savings”
If the LEP is unanimous thanks to an interest rate of 3.5% net of taxes, know that bad news could see the light of day. François Villeroy de Galhau, governor of the Bank of France, made confidences on this subject.
“Continue the momentum in favor of popular savings”he revealed, as reported by our colleagues from MoneyVox. This is a speech made to justify the decision to maintain a competitive rate for the LEP.
While the latter should have fall to 2.9% on February 1it will finally settle at 3.5%, according to the media. This maintenance strengthens the position of the LEP as a tool of choice for precautionary savings.
However, please be aware that this placement is not open to everyone. Unlike the Livret A, eligibility for the LEP remains conditional on the reference tax income (RFR). This is an amount indicated on the tax notice.
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These thresholds vary depending on the composition of the tax household. They are also subject to reassessment each year to take inflation into account. And this, in theory. In fact, this year, updating of thresholds is late.
And the least we can say is that this poses a problem. While savers expected an update of the thresholds at the start of the LEP year, as was done on January 8, 2024, nothing has changed for 2025.
The eligibility ceilings therefore remain those of last year, report MoneyVox. This therefore prevents certain French people from accessing the LEP. And this, even if their income is just above current limits.
-Bad news for LEP savers
The General Directorate of the Treasury justified this delay: “In the absence of a finance law for 2025 and an evolution of the scale of [l’impôt sur le revenu] for 2025, the LEP scale for 2025 has not yet changed”.
Before also adding: “It will be updated once the 2025 budget has been adopted and the progressive income tax scale has been indexed”. You will have to wait the adoption of the finance bill for 2025 to find out more on the subject.
But unfortunately, this adoption remains uncertain. And this, especially after the twists and turns which led to the censorship of the previous government. Especially since there is no guarantee that the current government will not suffer the same fate.
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On the other hand, it is a situation which penalizes savers who could have become eligible thanks to an increase in thresholds. If inflation for 2024, estimated at 2%, had been taken into account, the ceilings would have been raised to €22,867 for a single person and €35,081 for a couple without children, reveals MoneyVox.
This would have allowed those whose reference tax income for 2023 is between the current thresholds and these new ceilings to open a LEP. In the absence of an update, these savers must wait and hope that the adjustments take place as soon as possible.
For them, each month that passes therefore represents a missed opportunity to benefit from one of the best current investments, secure and attractive. So to be continued.
Source : MoneyVox
