As I understand it the Govt want low interest rates to encourage people to make more investments that generate growth. Also high interest rates are linked to high inflation and it has always been this Govt's policy to lower inflation and therefore interest rates.
I have recently realised that it pays to take an active interest in what the different banks are paying even though that means regularly going to the bank and negotiating a better deal which can involve changing the nature of the account or moving money around between banks.
After comparing the rates on my accounts with 3 difference banks I noticed that the Finansbank had become the worst offender of low rates, Garanti had the best rate at nearly 2% more. I paid Finans a visit and changed my account to something similar to the ING Orange account which means I can access my money when ever I want without penalty. In English it is called an egg account and the welcome rate was 2% more than I was getting on my Time Deposit account. This will fall by about 1% after the 35 days is up and I have it booked in my diary to go again and see what else is on offer.
The days of really high interest rates is over but it is worth making sure that your money is earning the highest rates available even though it is highly inconvenient and no matter how much one likes the staff at any particular bank.
