How to and Facts on Banking and Money in India
With a population of over 1 billion, India is an exciting environment for finance, with cutting edge technology bringing the Indian financial scene into the future. India has over 32-thousand ATMs as of December 31, 2007, but an increasing number of customers are finding that the need to visit a bank branch or ATM location is not what it used to be, thanks to stellar technological advances.
Banks are moving toward granting users to complete banking transactions using mobile phones and other handheld technologies. Banks, in the past, have used technology such as text messages to advertise promotions for customers, but electronic transactions will likely replace several types of cash transactions in India within the next couple years. The utilization of technology in banking reduces transaction costs and lessens the need for quick branch expansion. Currently, nearly 10% of all banking and money transfer transactions in India are completed online.
This idea of handheld bank technology is called Mobile Banking, and it is assumed that mobile banking will change the bank industry in India and soon all over the world. Already, 85-90% of mobile bankers do not use ATM or credit cards; they simply use their cell to complete transactions. The technology utilized to make this style of banking possible is the same technology that runs ATM machines, although it is much cheaper to maintain. India is really on the forefront of this rapidly growing area of finance.
An increasing number of Indians are also utilizing the web for bank purposes, although the majority of banking customers utilizing the World-Wide-Web limit their activites to checking statements and assuring whether or not transactions have been completed. The Internet also allows bank customers to interact with bank employees to ask questions and inquire about bank goods and services, although this is not tremendously used so far by Indian bank customers.
Generally, Indians have not carried a great deal of debt, with consumer debt making up just 4% of the nation’s Gross Domestic Product, compared with over 60% for countries such as South Korea and Taiwan. Banks are willing to join in the increasing debt loads of Indian consumers. Like China and South Asia as a whole, India is one of the largest increasing areas for credit card, debit card, and cash card services, and surveys predict that the credit card market in this area will change by 15-20% over the next few years. Indian houses currently save 28% of their disposable income.
The banking presence is expanding in India, as more global banks and financial companies rush to compete for the changing banking needs in the country. Demographically speaking, half of India’s 1.2 billion populace are below the age of 25, so throughout the next many years, a big generation of people will be entering their earning years and will have many banking needs. The banks which find a way to give the services Indian banking customers enjoy a influx of new customers and profit in the years to come.
How to Transfer Cash to Brazil
There are several ways to transfer funds from the US to Brazil. One of the simplest ways to do this is to develop a relationship with a US bank that is well represented in Brazil, such as Bank of America, Wells Fargo or Citibank.
If the recipient of the monies has an account with one of these banks, it is a great idea to open an account locally as well with the same bank, seeing as how account transfers within the same bank are repeatedly processed at a quicker rate and with little or no extra cost. Bank transfers between two differing banks are also relatively simple; however, transferring money from one bank to another can involve a waiting phase of up to 5 business days with substantially higher processing costs.
Fees can be quite high for international wire transfers. If, however, the money needs to arrive quickly, this is the best possible option.
Other than the bank transfer, another way to send funds to Brazil is through the pre-paid debit card. In an emergency this may not be the best means, since it takes some time for the card to physically be sent to the person in need of funds; but for those who perhaps often send money to family in Brazil, the ATM debit card is a terrific option.
Upon activation, sending a debit card with the PLUS or CIRRUS logo on the back will certify that money can be withdrawn from a immense and far-reaching system of ATMS located throughout Brazil and all over the globe. If choosing to use an ATM card, you need to be certain that the cardholder is not accessing money without prior authorization, for these are not pre-paid and hold no specific limit.
A pre-paid debit card is loaded with a determined amount and cannot be overdrawn, making it a very secure option. If more money is needed at a later date, the card can be reloaded as many times as needed.
In addition to these methods, online payment services are becoming the most popular way to send funds abroad. This method moves the funds swiftly and the fees are relatively low, however, the reciever must have a banking history in Brazil in order to access the funds.
One advantage of sending funds this way is that the funds can be used to buy goods and services electronically without ever needing to convert the sent money into actual cash. On the other hand, if the recipient does wish to turn these electronic funds into cash, it is more difficult than with other proven methods, due to processing rules.
With either method you choose, money transfer between the US and Brazil is now an easy process. Be it via bank transfer, ATM debit card or online transfer, funds can be transferred faster than ever.
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