FICO insights: more than 3 in 5 Indonesians experienced a drop in income due to pandemic; many will switch banks in 2022 to chase better offers

Jakarta, Indonesia--(ANTARA/Business Wire)- FICO (NYSE: FICO)

 • 63 percent (more than 3 in 5) of Indonesian retail banking consumers experienced a negative impact on their income due to the pandemic

 • Amidst an uncertain financial climate, the majority of banking consumers in Indonesia will focus on savings (87 percent) and investment (84 percent) products

 • Nearly 1 in 5 affluent Indonesian banking customers will consider switching banks in search of the most competitive banking deals

RFI Global’s 2022 Post-Pandemic Consumer Banking Expectations Report, prepared for FICO, confirmed that the pandemic has aggravated financial hardship for retail banking consumers in Indonesia, with more than 3 in 5 experiencing a drop in income. It has also revealed that many are motivated to search for better banking offers, and that the inclination to switch lenders has increased year over year.

More information: https://www.fico.com/en/how-banking-expectations-asia-pacific-are-changing-post-pandemic

While a considerable 23-30 percent of New Zealand and Australian respondents experienced a negative impact on income due to the pandemic, this number rose to 40 percent in Singapore and India, 50 percent in Malaysia and 63 percent in Indonesia. Respondents in Thailand suffered the biggest blow, with 70 percent saying their income had been reduced.

The report uncovered that more than 1 out of 4 consumers across the APAC region (27 percent) have deferred loan repayments, in line with 30 percent of Indonesian respondents. Consumers in some countries were also more likely to do so than others. While nearly 1 in 3 (31 percent) in India and nearly half in Thailand (47 percent) deferred loan repayments as a result of COVID-19, this was much less common in Singapore (12 percent), Australia (9 percent) and New Zealand (7 percent).

Despite the uncertain financial climate, the majority of Indonesian retail banking customers plan to maintain or boost their investments (84 percent). Most are looking to maintain or increase savings (87 percent), and many will consider changing banking providers this year.

Surprisingly, while the report indicates that most customers were highly satisfied with their main banking providers, up to 20 percent of APAC banking customers who responded said they plan to change banks in 2022. In contrast, only 10 percent said they changed banks in 2021.

This increased propensity to switch lenders is highest among the mass affluent (defined as the high end of the mass market or those with at least IDR500,000,000 total investable asset holdings).

In Indonesia, 8 percent of retail banking customers and 5 percent of mass affluent customers switched in 2021. That is set to more than double this year for the mass affluent, with 18 percent saying they are very likely to switch, while retail banking consumers rose only slightly to 9 percent.

Top reasons cited by Indonesian respondents include a feeling that banking with their main bank is inconvenient (39 percent), a change in personal circumstances (29 percent), a desire for access to better investment and wealth management products and services (24 percent) and changes in where their payroll is deposited (24 percent).

Amongst mass affluent banking customers in Indonesia, 42 percent experienced a decrease in income due to the pandemic, 21 percent less than the wider Indonesian retail banking market. Many (39 percent) of the country’s mass affluent deferred loan repayments as a result, 9 percent higher than Indonesia’s retail banking customers, overall.

This disruption to income has left 25 percent of affluent Indonesians saying they intend to reduce spending, just as 45 percent of Indonesia’s retail banking customers plan to do.

Across APAC, the mass affluent are more likely to step up their borrowing compared to the wider market (16 percent vs 8 percent). In Indonesia, the mass affluent are slightly more likely to increase their borrowing as compared to retail banking customers (9 and 5 percent, respectively).

The report further revealed that a significant 91 percent of Indonesia’s mass affluent are opting to maintain or boost their investment levels with banks, slightly higher than the country’s overall retail banking market (84 percent).

Consumers are changing their banking behaviors, in response to the financial impact of the pandemic.

More than 4 in 5 of Indonesia’s retail banking customers will either increase or maintain their savings (87 percent), second only in the APAC region to New Zealand at 94 percent.

Despite a dip in borrowing plans year over year, the level of borrowing for APAC retail banking customers still remains higher than pre-pandemic times as consumers deal with the lasting effects of the disruption.

“The pandemic has clearly exacerbated financial hardship for customers regardless of income class,” said Aashish Sharma, Senior Director of Decision Management Solutions for FICO in Asia Pacific. “As borrowing and spending habits contract, customers will be on the lookout for avenues to grow their wealth and boost their savings. Banks must be able to proactively identify customers’ needs, and pivot their approach to alleviate financial anxieties while ensuring their products suit customers’ affordability and funding requirements.”

More than half of Indonesian respondents (54 percent) still consider the proximity of branches and ATMs as a top determinant for a main banking provider; however, the report highlighted the importance of providing digital services. As many as 72 percent of APAC retail banking customers chose a fintech product over the option to use their banks’ main services. This was highest in Malaysia (94 percent) and lowest in Australia (39 percent). Respondents did so as they wanted time and cost savings, ease-of-use, and easier application processes.

Comparing 2021 to 2019, APAC consumers are increasingly gravitating towards digital channels at every stage of their application journey: initial enquiries and research (up 14 percent), follow-up enquiries (up 15 percent), and banking applications (up 15 percent).

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This survey was conducted in 2021 by an independent research company adhering to research industry standards. 1033 Indonesian adults were surveyed, along with 12,885 consumers in Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, Australia, India and Thailand.

Learn more here and www.fico.com.

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Neil Mirano

RICE for FICO

+65 3157 5680

neil.mirano@ricecomms.com

Saxon Shirley

FICO

+65 9171 0965

saxonshirley@fico.com