the essential
The rate of remuneration for housing savings plans (PEL) opened from January 1, 2025 will fall by half a point, according to the Official Journal published on Wednesday. Of the approximately 11.3 million households with this financial investment, more than 7 million can still obtain a more advantageous rate.
This is bad news for savers. The annual interest rate for home savings plans (PEL) opened from January 1, 2025 will drop by half a point to 1.75%, according to the Official Journal published this Wednesday, December 18. However, on the 11.3 million households with PELsmore than 7 million can still carry out a great financial transaction.
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Take advantage of a better rate
In fact, the rate of this savings product, designed to enable a real estate project, is determined at the time the account is opened and remains the same for its entire lifespan. This is how PELs opened since January 1, 2024 benefit froman interest rate of 2.25%compared to 2% for those opened in 2023, and from 1.5 to 1% between February 2016 and the end of 2022. It is during this last period that more than 7 million French people we subscribe to a home savings plan. If they close it and open another one by January 1, they will bump their pay rate up to 2.25%.
The online newspaper takes the example of a person having opened a PEL between 2016 and 2022. If they hold 25,879 euros on it (i.e. the average outstanding amount on a PEL) at a rate of 1% or 1.5% , she can earn 258 or 388 euros per year. By closing her booklet to open a new one, she will be able to pocket 582 euros over the year.
An attractive investment
If the home savings plan is so popular with savers, it is because you can deposit up to 61,200 euros, which makes it the booklet regulated at the highest ceiling.
Households wishing to open a PEL must make an initial payment of 225 euros, then at least 540 euros per year. The contract is for a minimum of 4 years, extendable up to 10 years, then the subscriber can obtain a property loan at a rate fixed in advance, the amount of which will depend on the sums paid and the duration. In the event of early withdrawal before the agreed deadlines, the account is immediately closed.
Outstanding amounts on PEL reached 224 billion euros in October 2024at its lowest since April 2015, according to data from the Banque de France.
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