What Is a Curr𒊎ent Account Savi꧂ngs Account (CASA)?
A current account savings account (CASA), offered by some banks, combines the functions of a checking account and a savings account. The customer gets little or no interest on the current account money that is used routinely to pay bills but is paid 🌳interest on the savings portion.
Although it iꩵs avඣailable globally, CASA is most commonly used in Western Asia and Southeast Asia,
Key Takeaways
- Current account savings accounts (CASA) are a type of non-term deposit account.
- A CASA pays a lower interest rate than term deposits, such as certificates of deposit, and is thus a cheaper source of income for the financial institution.
- For the consumer, a CASA can be a way to build savings over time.
How Current Account Savings Accounts (CASAs) Wo🌳rk
A CASA is a non-term deposit, meaning it is used for the everyday banking and savings needs of the consumer and does not have a spec🍰ific maturity or expiration 🅺date. It is valid for as long as the account holder wants it to remain open.
This is in contrast to a term deposit, such as a certificate of deposit (CD), which commits the customer's money for a certain period of time. On the maturi𝔍ty date, the bank or institution returns the money wꦇith the agreed interest payment.
How CASAs Benefit Banks
A CASA works like a checking account. The money deposited can be withdrawn or paid out at any time. The interest on the savings portion, meanwhile, acts as an incentive to keep some money on deposit and add tꦺo it over time.
Most ♛banks offer CASAs to their cu🔯stomers for free or for a small fee, depending on minimum or average balance requirements.
A CASA tends to be a cheaper way for a bank to raise money than issuing term deposits, such as 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:certificates of deposit (CDs), which offer higher interest rates to the customers. Because the interest paid on the CASA deposit is lower than on a term deposit, the bank’s 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:net interest income (NII) is hi꧃gher. Thus, CASAs are a cheaper source of fundꦅing for banks.
Their main drawback is uncertainty. In the case of on-demand deposits, a bank can't be sure how much money it will actually have available to lend.
How CASAs Benefit Consumers
The CASA is🌊 desig🃏ned to encourage regular saving by making it easier and keeping it flexible.
By using a CASA, customers forego a higher rate of interest in return for better 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:liquidity. They're not💟 tying up their money for a period of months.
Consumers and small businesses also get🎐 to build a working relationship over time with a bank.
Current Account vs. Savings Account
As noted above, the curren♛t account portion of the CASA pays little or no interest. There are generally no limits on deposits or withdrawals.
The savings account por🐭tion typically has restrictions on the number of withdrawals a person can make. These vary by bank.
CASA Ratio
In regions where CASA accounts are common, the percentage of total bank deposits that are in a CASA is an important metric to determine the bank's liquidity. The CASA ratio indicates how much of a bank’s total deposits are in both current and savings accounts.
A higher CASA ratio indicates that a bank has a higher proportion of stable deposits available for lending, according to Navi, a financial services firm based in India.
The ratio can be calculated using the fol🦋low🤪ing formula:
CASA Ratio = CASA Deposits ÷ Total Deposits
What's the Difference Between a CASA Account and a Savings Account?
A port𝔉ion of a💜 CASA account is a savings account, and the customer receives interest on the deposit. The interest will be slightly lower than it might be for a regular savings account.
By combining checking and savings functions in one account, the CASA is dꦚesigned to make it easier for the customer to save week after week.
A savings account does that, too. However, the⛦ consumer is more likely to leave a savings account untouched. CASA savings are slightly easier to access.
That difference means that the bank can't rely as much on the CASA deposits staying intact from week to week. They are a bit less stable for the bank's lending purposes, and thus earn less interest.
What's the Difference Between a CASA Account and a Checking Account?
A portion of the CASA, the "current account" portion, is a checking account. It works like any checking account. The customer can withdraw cash and write checks against the balance. The bank will issue a debit card for the account, and the customer will be able to use its online banking portal.
This portion of the CASA earns no interest.
Do CASA Accounts Pay a Competitive Interest Rate?
Interest rates vary from o𒈔ne bank to the next but a CASA account will usually pay a lower interest rate than any other offering at the same bank. The difference is the time commitment.
A CASA essentially has no time commitment. The customer can u🌺se that money anytime.
In order to get a better interest rate, you h🍷ave to promise to keep that money in the bank for a certain period of time. The longer the tꦜime commitment, the higher the interest rate.
The Bottom Line
CASA accounts are offered 🌟to consumers are small businesses as a way to maintain maximဣum flexibility while still earning a little bit of interest on the money they save.
They are essentially a combination of a𓄧 checking accou🌠nt and a savings account.
In terms of function, they aren't much different from separate but linked checking and savings accounts that are common in the U.S. They are designed to encourage consumers to save a bit of their income from week to week, and to provide the bank with a steady stream of money to reinvest at higher rates of return.