What’s Your Number: Even Requests for Data on Deposits Climb

It is not just consumers who are more attuned to deposit products today. Bankers, in fact, want more data on their deposit holdings, too.

Rick Barham, the chief executive of Market Rates Insight, a market data company, says bankers are seeking more deposit pricing statistics from his company. Barham says that over the past six months, he has seen an increase in demand for pricing data on certificate of deposits, as well.

“Right now these are the products that people want,” says Barham. “Within the last 60 days the demand has swung from liquidity (money market) to term accounts.”

Deposits have become a top priority for banks as they seek to compensate for losses on other products, such as loans. Barham says the move to deposit data from loan data bodes for a hunger among banks for deposits in 2009 to increase liquidity.

“Deposits are typically thought of as an expense, when in reality they make money for an institution,” he says. “Money is recycled and maybe this is something bankers need to think about more.”

Barham expects there to be a big push for banks to increase fees on products they offer to help supplement losses on net interest margins.

“We’ve been receiving requests for pricing data on ATM fees and non-sufficient fund fees,” he says.