Post-crisis trends in household credit market behavior: evidence from Hungary (Literature review)

Abstract

In response to a sharp rise in household credit repayment risk after the 2008 crisis, the banking sector was consolidated, borrowing conditions were tightened and the regulatory authorities had to improve the financial literacy of population. The study evaluates the effectiveness of regulatory measures to prevent excessive indebtedness, and analyzes the results of the latest survey of population financial literacy in Hungary after the 2008 financial crisis. The results confirm the scientific studies of different economists and scholars who state that the financial awareness is closely related to household saving and borrowing patterns. The outcomes of the analysis reveal the risks associated with the lack of financial literacy in Hungary. In fact, the financial awareness of households over the past years has not improved significantly either in the wake of losses suffered on FX-based loans, or as a result of the preventive actions undertaken by the government regulatory bodies.