Cashback - a return to the card of part of the money spent (in cash or in the form of bonuses, points, air miles) for the purchase of goods or payment for services - was a rarity in Russia some time ago. Now many credit institutions offer it to their clients.

Basically, banks pay cashback to popularize their products and encourage their active use, as well as to provide customers with an incentive to make more purchases at partner stores as part of joint loyalty programs. “There is a fierce struggle among banks for each client. To attract attention and interest in their services, they offer various additional bonuses, including cashback,” notes Andrey Lyushin, Deputy Chairman of the Board of Loko-Bank.

Cashback cards can be either credit or debit. It is worth considering that returns on debit cards are almost always less profitable than on credit cards. Although in the case of the latter, cashback is not always real money. Sometimes, instead of them, points or, for example, air miles are awarded, which can be used to partially pay when purchasing a plane ticket. When choosing a card with cashback, you should look not only at the return percentage, but also at what it is given for.

A card may have a high percentage of deductions for purchases in certain categories (usually not particularly popular ones) and a low percentage for all other purchases, or an average percentage, but in almost all categories. So before you choose, you need to at least have a general idea of ​​the nature of your own spending: what the money is spent on and in what proportions. In this case, it will be easier to get the maximum benefit from the cashback. “Now you can find more than a hundred offers for credit cards with cashback with a lower limit of 0.3 and an upper limit of 40 percent,” says Sergei Leonidov, CEO of the financial aggregator Sravni.ru. Large refunds are available in certain banks or categories (for example, payments in cafes and restaurants, at gas stations, in online stores) and during a certain period (special bank promotions). There is also an increased cashback on all purchases during the initial period of using the card, usually 1-3 months. In all other cases, cardholders can expect a refund of no more than one percent of the purchase price. Banks offer approximately the same conditions for debit cards with cashback.

When choosing a card with cashback, you should evaluate not only the return percentage, but also the terms of service

Cashback can be credited to the card balance, but does not work when withdrawing cash or transferring from card to card. There are other operations for which the client’s money is not returned. Each bank has its own list of such categories. Among the most common: payment of housing and communal services and replenishment of the telephone balance.

The same gas station employees (who, having a card with a 10-15 percent return when buying gasoline, can take payments from customers in cash and instead pay with plastic) are prevented from making full money from cashback by the same gas station employees because of the limit on the amount that can be received back. It can be 5 thousand rubles, or no more than a thousand - it depends on the specific bank. Although, to get around this barrier, it is quite possible to get a second card for one of your relatives, so that the cashback will also “drip” there.

The cards themselves can be paid or free. In some cases, a service fee (annual or monthly) is charged without any reservations. On average, it varies from 800 to 1400 rubles, if you take the whole year. It also happens that the payment is included only if the conditions established by the bank are violated. Usually we are talking about the need to maintain a minimum account balance (15-30 thousand rubles) or spend a certain amount per month (3-30 thousand rubles). There are also completely free cards, for which the bank does not charge money for informing transactions. But it won't necessarily be the most profitable. As a rule, you can get a very small cashback using it, and often not in the form of real money, but in the form of candy wrappers. If a cashback card has a fee, but the refund covers the cost of service, this may be a viable option.

Where do banks get funds for cashback? The budget for such payments is formed from various sources. So, for example, a credit institution can enter into an agreement with stores, being their acquiring bank, and part of the cashback is paid by the retail outlet, explains Andrey Lyushin. In other cases, when the card consistently pays increased cashback in a certain category without reference to specific partner stores, the bank, while losing on paying cashback to its customers, earns on the annual service of the card (many cards with increased cashback actually have a fairly high cost of annual service) . Banks also make money from paid options required to participate in the loyalty program, from the requirement to spend certain amounts in non-bonus or weakly bonused (1 percent cashback) categories, from the requirement to maintain a certain minimum account balance (at a low interest rate or no interest at all). for the remainder). In the case of accrual of increased cashback on a salary card, the bank may not make any special demands on the holder, but will fully recoup the paid cashback by making money on the salary project itself.

To understand which bank is considered the most reliable in Russia in 2019, just look at the ratings of credit institutions. A rating is an objective assessment of activity, which consists of several indicators that most clearly reflect the situation.

It is very important to objectively assess the reliability of a banking institution before turning to its services. This is especially important if you want to make a contribution to it, i.e. invest your own funds for long-term storage. Now many banks are losing their licenses and closing, and depositors are forced to wait months for compensation on their accounts.

1. Basic indicators

• assets (net)

• net profit
• capital
• loan portfolio
• overdue debt
• deposits (raised funds)
• investments in instruments (securities).

1. Performance indicators

• Return on capital.
• Return on assets.

1. Balance sheet indicators.

• Instant liquidity ratio

Limits the risk of loss of solvency of a banking organization within one day. This is the ratio of assets to liabilities throughout the day. The minimum value established by the Central Bank of the Russian Federation is 15%.

• Return on Equity

It is an indicator of how effectively the organization's own funds are used. Profitability above average may indicate a large share of a low-cost client base and the placement of assets in highly profitable operations associated with risk.

The indicator is assessed in combination with capital adequacy. Low capital adequacy means that in order to grow assets, a rapid rate of increase in the amount of equity capital is required.

If profitability is low, owners will have to constantly maintain capital through injections, and if profitability is high, to increase it it is necessary to give up large dividends.

When choosing the most stable financial institutions for deposits, various resources are based on the assessment of rating agencies, public surveys and customer reviews. When compiling the TOP, the Central Bank of the Russian Federation uses the sufficiency of its own funds.

The most reliable

Whatever indicator we consider, the first line will be occupied by Sberbank of Russia. There is nothing surprising. The largest bank with an all-Russian branch network (its offices are in all populated areas, be it villages, towns, villages, not to mention cities).

The controlling stake in this bank belongs to the state. Its assets and capital are three times higher than those of even such a giant as VTB. Sberbank is the undisputed leader in all positions.

This is where people come to:

• open,
• open a bank account,
• design
• get a loan ( , ),
• make a transfer,
• make payments for goods, services,
• transfer money from one currency to another,
• get a safe deposit box or safe for use, etc.

If you need to securely store your savings, we recommend that you contact Sberbank. Of course, the profitability itself will be low, now it does not exceed 6% per annum (during the period of various promotions - up to 7.6%), but the main advantage will be the fact that you will have peace of mind about your savings.

This banking company participates in the deposit insurance system, which gives the client additional reliability. Please note that the vast majority of private companies and cooperatives that promise 15-20% per annum cannot guarantee you anything.

Of course, most citizens of our country prefer to contact Sberbank, because... it belongs to the state, and can offer its clients the most favorable and “transparent” tariffs. However, he is not the only one in the country who is reliable and trustworthy.

At the moment, there is data only for the end of 2018, because... ratings are compiled based on final figures for the year. Here is the most current information on assets, compiled into a rating of the reliability of Russian banks (in brackets - the number of assets in thousands of rubles).

The most reliable banks for deposits: TOP-10 banks in Russia

• (27 948 167 428),
• (13 747 721 706),
• (6 476 874 005),

At the moment, the financial market, as well as economic stability, are in a rather precarious position. Most financial organizations cease to be liquid and become bankrupt. Therefore, many are beginning to be interested in what is the most reliable bank in Russia. Various economic publications will help answer the logical questions that arise about the stability of the banking system and which organization to give your accumulated savings without losing them.

Forbes magazine ranking studies

In a situation of difficult choice, existing ratings can help determine. One of the most authoritative foreign financial publications is the well-known Forbes magazine. This source divided Russian financial institutions into several categories:

• foreign;
• state

The first category includes various commercial representatives that are subsidiaries of other foreign companies. Then they are followed by state-owned banks, which are limited both by the borders of the country and the security within its borders. The American publication included sixteen representatives of the financial structure in its list of the most reliable banks in Russia.

This list was formed according to special criteria:

• by the amount of equity capital;
• on the stability of the loan portfolio;
• by the amount of funds attracted to the organization;
• positive feedback from clients;
• general assessments of specialists.

Top five according to Forbes magazine observations

Forbes magazine named the top five banking organizations in Russia:

1. Citibank is the most reliable bank in Russia, which is assessed according to the stability rating and received the status “carved in stone” - stable.
2. In second place, according to the publication, is Nordea Bank, which belongs to the Scandinavian group of banking organizations. The main criterion for its stability was the constant financial support of the central company.
3. Third place was taken by the banking representative of the most powerful financial structure in the world - HSBC.
4. In penultimate place among the best was a representative with very small assets - Credit Agricole Kib. But the lending opportunities favorably emphasized his abilities in this area, which, of course, allowed experts to give high marks.
5. The top five included the only representative of domestic banking institutions - Sberbank. Having the largest assets in the country allowed him to take a leading position. In addition, it has good lending ability, but has a high risk of non-repayment of borrowed funds.

The most stable banks in Russia

In addition to the ratings of foreign publications, there is its own rating, which determines the most reliable bank in Russia. According to Russian experts, three largest and most stable banking institutions can be identified. This:

• "Sberbank";
• "Gazprombank";
• "VTB 24".

Many people, despite foreign ratings, do not trust banking organizations included in this list. Because such publications mainly focus on non-state capital, which can leave the country at any time. Therefore, on the question of which are the most reliable banks in Russia, you can turn to domestic experts.

How is the list of the most reliable financial institutions formed?

Russia has its own list of the best banking representatives, which is compiled by the most reliable experts in the field of economics. Their assessments and criteria differ significantly from foreign ones, since completely different requirements are put forward for the conditions of stability of institutions.

• who is the main shareholder of the financial institution;
• reliability rating in foreign sources;
• how long the commercial organization has been operating in the domestic market;
• is there a license permitting expanded financial activities;
• whether the bank is a participant in deposit insurance funds, whether it is supported by the state;
• what government-supported programs does the financial institution have;
• representative of a government agency.

The best banks in Russia

According to analytics and expert assessments for 2014, a list of the 10 most reliable banks in Russia was compiled:

1. "Sberbank".
2. "Rosselkhozbank".
3. "VTB".
4. "VTB 24".
5. "Transcreditbank"
6. "VTB North-West".
7. "Gazprombank".
8. "Bank of Moscow".
9. "Surgutneftegazbank".
10. "Absolut Bank".

Category of the most stable financial institutions

The top most reliable banks in Russia include the category of institutions that have the status of the most stable financial organizations:

1. "Sberbank".
2. "VTB".
3. "Rosselkhozbank".
4. "Bank of Moscow".
5. "VTB 24".
6. "UniCredit Bank".
7. "Raiffeisenbank".
8. "VTB Bank North-West".
9. "Société Generale Vostok".
10. "Absolut Bank".

Where can you profitably invest your money?

1. "Rosselkhozbank".
2. "Rosbank".
3. "Promsvyazbank"
4. "Alfa Bank".
5. "Nomos-Bank".
6. "VTB 24".
7. "Bank of Moscow".
8. "UniCredit".
9. "Gazprombank".
10. "Sberbank".

Which banks are reliable for private entrepreneurs?

The Central Bank sets its own assessments and criteria. It has its own scale according to which it distributes all commercial structures, assigning them a certain status or rating. This list includes the largest and most reliable financial institutions: Sberbank, VTB and its branches in other countries, Gazprombank, Alfa-Bank, Promsvyaz.

Among these five, you can choose the most reliable bank in Russia for individual entrepreneurs. Each of them has its own advantages and benefits. They all have a very developed network of branches. They have all been working in Russia for several years. Each business has certain development programs that are supported by government programs.

These banking structures have good statutory capital and are able to attract additional working capital with favorable rates on deposits. In addition, due to both these and other funds, it is these organizations that allow you to take out a more profitable loan with a low interest rate. For example: VTB has an excellent client base, which numbers more than four thousand reputable clients, including borrowers.

All banks that are on this list did not leave the best rating. Many of them only grew larger and absorbed others, as VTB did with Transcredit Bank. Each of them was on the list of the best according to the fairly authoritative foreign magazine Forbes. In addition, they all fell into the top ten or five of Russian ratings.

For a private entrepreneur, the choice of a bank is very important, since it not only borrows money, but stores its accumulated funds and makes payments to clients and suppliers. Therefore, the work of the bank, its responsibility to the client, speed in carrying out transactions with money and reliability are the primary factors that any entrepreneur pays attention to. A well-chosen bank with which an entrepreneur will work closely is the first step towards success and prosperity, especially in unstable times.

Many people choose a bank based on its rating, as this gives a great chance for a stable future and protection from all sorts of external factors and problems. Some businessmen prefer to deal with banking structures that have foreign start-up capital or investments.

Ordinary people prefer to trust domestic representatives, since foreign capital can leave the country at any time, and state-owned banks provide, albeit small, a guarantee of protection against bankruptcy or force majeure.

Thanks to the existing scheme for assessing banking activities, any person, both an ordinary citizen and a wealthier entrepreneur, will be able to determine for themselves the most reliable bank in Russia. A versatile approach to determining the rating allows different categories of the population to find exactly the structure that is most interesting to them.

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“Which bank should I entrust my savings to? Which of them is considered the most reliable today? — these are questions users ask every day.
To answer these and many other questions, you need to know what types of banks there are? What level of reliability do they have? What are the ratings? And what is the basis of each of them?

When studying information about a particular bank, you will notice that each description of a financial institution is supplemented by its rating.

In order to compile a rating of a credit organization, financial analysts study the results of its activities, calculate assets, loans issued, and also take into account the indicators of the deposit portfolio and the dynamics of profit growth. The data obtained is considered to be the official rating of the bank.

Determining the level of bank reliability is determined by specialists who analyze a huge amount of data and compare various financial reports.

Based on these indicators, the prospective client can judge the degree of reliability of the banking institution, and will be able to decide to cooperate with it or not.

Criteria by which one can judge the reliability of a bank.

Banking institutions treat the rating results with special attention. This behavior is dictated by the fact that the presence of a high rating means improving the image of the bank, strengthening its position in the banking environment, as well as trust from the Central Bank of the Russian Federation and the population.

There is no doubt that the reliability rating of Russian banks for deposits is of great importance. After all, it is important for each client that the bank he has chosen can return all invested savings in full, and with the interest due. Therefore, before making a choice in favor of a particular financial institution, the client studies the history of creation, reviews, etc. The fact of the presence of the state in the life of the bank does not go unnoticed.

However, there are criteria by which the degree of reliability of a financial institution is determined. These include:

1. Return on Equity;
2. Instant liquidity ratio;
3. Capital adequacy;
4. Public deposits.

Criterion	Characteristic	Note
Return on Equity	This indicator shows how efficient the bank is uses his own money, what is the profit, and what is his profitability. If this indicator is above the average level - this means that the bank invests significant funds in risky speculative operations. The result of such a policy may result in the loss of a significant customer base, which will lead the bank to a rapid and sharp deterioration in its financial condition.	This indicator is most interesting to investors.
Instant liquidity ratio	Shows the bank’s ability to make payments not only in within one working day, but also in the near future. Calculated as the ratio of bank assets to its obligations. Moreover, the calculation is limited to one calendar day.	The value of this indicator is established by the Central Bank. The minimum indicator is 15%.
Capital adequacy	An indicator characterizing the stability of the bank. Thanks to to him the bank can carry out its activities as usual mode, despite any crisis situations.	The most dangerous situation is considered to be in which the bank there is low capital adequacy and low profitability.
Public deposits.	Deposits are the bank's source of borrowed liquid funds. An increase in the number of open deposits depends on what policies are pursued by the bank's management?	The profitability and financial stability of a bank depends on how from both the loan and deposit portfolios.

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The presence of high indicators according to the above criteria may indicate that the banking institution has a high level of solvency.

However, as practice shows, both for applying for a loan and for a deposit, users tend to trust more the bank that is considered state-owned.

Can the government influence bank ratings?

The instability of the global economy led to the government deciding to intervene in banking activities. To avoid bankruptcy of large financial institutions, their controlling stake was purchased.

Today in Russia about 50 banks are under state control. It manages some directly, others through various companies. But whatever this guidance, the fact remains unchanged that when making decisions, these financial institutions take into account, first of all, the interests of the state. Prominent representatives of such banks are Sberbank, VTB, Rosselkhozbank and Gazprombank.

By supporting the bank, the state directly influences its rating. After all, it automatically becomes more stable and more reliable. He will always be able to answer for his obligations. Such a financial institution is trusted not only by the Central Bank, but also by depositors.

Of course, a bank with state participation can offer a relatively low interest rate on a deposit and a high interest rate on a loan. But as statistics show, most people tend to make a choice not in favor of making more profit, but in favor of opportunities to return your savings.

Which banks does the government support?

As noted earlier, the state is interested in supporting the banking sector. Its participation has a positive effect not only on the country’s economy, but also on the work of the financial institution itself. Based on the results of such activities, the authorized body compiles ratings.

The reliability rating in 2018 underwent some changes. This is primarily due to the revocation of licenses in many banks. However, there are a number of names that the state will provide support if necessary. This list includes those banks whose assets amounted to 60% of the total volume of all banking assets in the country.

More detailed information is presented in the table:

Name of the bank	Short description
Sberbank	Ranks first in reliability rating. Is different harsh attitude towards clients, but despite this is characterized by increased reliability, in particular for deposits. The total amount of financial capital is 22 billion rubles.
VTB	In 2016, the Bank of Moscow joined the bank, which had a positive impact on the financial institutions. The amount of financial capital was 9.5 billion rubles.
Gazprombank	A bank that mainly focuses on oil companies clients. Assets amounted to 5.2 billion rubles.
VTB 24	About more than 60% of the total number of shares are in “in the hands” of the state, which allowed the bank’s assets to grow to 3.14 billion rubles.
FC Otkritie	This is one of the largest holdings in the country. Own capital amounted to 2.8 billion rubles
Rosselkhozbank	The sole and full shareholder of the bank is Rosimushchestvo. The bank's capital is 2.8 billion rubles
Alfa Bank	The bank is different in that it is completely non-state, but is considered one of the most significant for the country's economy. The capital volume is 2.5 billion rubles
National Clearing Center	A subsidiary of the Moscow Exchange. Only at the beginning 2018 was able to get into the list of significant financial institutions of the country. Operates on the market securities, works with currency, precious metals and other. The total capital is 2.3 billion rubles.
Credit Bank of Moscow	Based on its performance results, the bank is included in the list of key financial institutions of the country. The amount of capital is – 1.45 billion rubles.
Promsvyazbank	Despite the fact that the bank's lending policy population leaves much to be desired, the bank enters the third year in the top ten key banks. Hold such positions for the bank his deposit portfolio helps. The amount of capital is – 1.33 billion rubles.

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The activities of the above banks are of great importance for the Russian economy, therefore the state is interested in their support and will provide it, despite any circumstances. The presence of this fact allows banks to enlist the support of their clients.

List of reliable banks for 2018 and their characteristics.

Taking into account the above information, we can compile a list of banks that were recognized by the Central Bank of the Russian Federation in 2017 as the most reliable.

Rating of banks by reliability according to the Central Bank for 2018

Name of the bank	Return on equity, %	Instant liquidity ratio, %	Capital adequacy, %	Share of Deposits in liabilities, %	Capital volume, billion rubles
Sberbank	20,2	218	13,7	39,6	22 336
VTB Bank of Moscow	5,6	34,5	11,1	5	9,5
Gazprombank	17,2	82,61	13,15	10,8	5,2
VTB 24	16,3	67,20	10,69	55	13,4
FC Otkritie	5,8	144,1	13,4	19,7	2,8
Rosselkhozbank	1,5	92,3	16,4		2,8
Alfa Bank	3,6	150	14,4	11,3	2,5
Credit Bank of Moscow	2,9	60	12,6	16,2	1,45
Promsvyazbank	12	108	13,5	26	1,33
UniCredit Bank	10,1	145	16,7	8,9	1,2

The table provides information on the main rating indicators. These data are compiled on the basis of reports that banking institutions provide to the Central Bank.

The table shows that Sberbank has the highest ratings. This bank has occupied a leading position for many years, which instills high confidence among the population.

In addition, there is such a thing as a credit rating. This indicator is very important for banks.

A bank's credit rating is an indicator of its creditworthiness. Remind that creditworthiness is the state of a bank in which its financial position allows it to take out a loan and repay it in a timely manner. This indicator is calculated taking into account the previous and current credit history of the banking institution.

• AAA rating. Indicates the highest degree of reliability. It is understood that a banking institution with such a description can timely and fully respond to its obligations.
• The AA rating indicates that the financial institution also has a high degree of reliability and will be able to fulfill its obligations.
• An A rating means that a banking institution is more exposed than others to adverse economic conditions, but despite this it can fulfill its obligations.
• BBB - means the bank has sufficient ability to meet its obligations, however, economic crises can significantly worsen its condition.