Savings has the first negative result in 5 years with a withdrawal of BRL 35.5 billion in 2021

Withdrawals from savings accounts exceeded deposits by R$ 35.49 billion in 2021, according to data released by the BC (Central Bank) this Thursday (6). This is the first negative annual result since 2016, when the modality recorded a net withdrawal of BRL 40.7 billion.​

In the year, Brazilians deposited BRL 3.4 trillion and withdrawn BRL 3.45 trillion.

In December, however, savings had a net inflow of R$ 7.66 billion. In the month, inflows totaled BRL 325.8 billion and withdrawals, BRL 318.2 billion. Normally, the book has a positive result in the period due to the payment of the 13th salary.

The negative number for the year came after record funding (difference between inflows and outflows) in 2020, with a net inflow of BRL 166.3 billion. Brazilians managed to save money amid the payment of emergency aid and the drop in consumption due to social isolation.

At the height of the crisis, in April 2020, savings funding reached a record, with R$ 30.4 billion. The result was surpassed in May of that year, with R$ 37.2 billion, the highest in the historical series so far.

With the reduction of the benefit last year, savings had positive results in just five months: between April and July and in December.

The aid had an average value of BRL 250 in the period, lower than that made available throughout 2020 — initially at BRL 600 and later reduced to BRL 300.​ In addition, the benefit ended in December 2020 and only returned to be paid in April 2021. The new round has been deposited by October 2021.

Since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, the results of the booklet are impacted by the payment of emergency aid.

The amounts are paid through Caixa Econômica Federal’s digital savings account, which helped to explain the sharp rise in net funding throughout 2020.

Even with the negative result of 2021, the balance, which is the entire amount invested in the modality, remained above R$ 1 trillion in the month. The stock reached the mark for the first time in history in September last year.

Currently, the passbook yields 0.50% per month, plus the TR (reference rate), set at 0.114% this Wednesday (5), the latest data released by the BC. The indicator has daily fluctuation.

The savings rule changed last month with the raising of the Selic (basic interest rate), which is at 9.25% per year.

The rule provides that, when the base rate is above 8.5% per year, the savings yield is 0.50% per month, plus the TR. If the Selic rate is less than or equal to 8.5% per year, the investment is remunerated at 70% of the Selic rate, plus the TR.