In Germany, who reaches for their smartphone when paying? A new study by the Bundesbank shows that it is mainly younger people who do so, as well as those who shop and bank online and are open to technological trends. “Demographic developments thus make it likely that the use of mobile payment methods will increase in the future”, the Bundesbank’s economists write in the current issue of the Monthly Report. As things stand today, however, mobile payments are still lagging far behind cash and debit or credit cards.

The German banks tightened their credit standards for loans to enterprises, loans to households for house purchase as well as consumer credit and other lending in the fourth quarter of 2022. Credit terms and conditions were also made more restrictive in all three loan categories.

Laut der Umfrage zum Kreditgeschäft im Euroraum vom Januar 2023 wurden die Kreditrichtlinien (d. h. die internen Richtlinien oder Kriterien einer Bank für die Kreditgewährung) für Unternehmenskredite (inklusive Kreditlinien) im vierten Quartal 2022 weiter merklich verschärft; per saldo meldeten 26 % der Banken eine solche Veränderung.

Laura und Madeleine berichten über ihre Praxisphase im europäischen Ausland bei der Central Bank of Ireland während ihres dualen Studiums bei der Deutschen Bundesbank.