23.01.2026 13:00
According to BDDK data, the overdraft account balance has increased to 742.5 billion TL, surpassing housing loans and nearly doubling in a year; as the increase comes to the attention of economic management, it has been stated that a new set of rules regarding overdraft limits for banks will be prepared.
With millions of people turning to Overdraft Accounts (KMH), debt balances have reached remarkable levels. According to data from the Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency, as of the week of January 16, the KMH balance rose to 742 billion 516 million TL. During the same period, housing loans remained at 648.4 billion TL. The KMH balance, which was 441.2 billion TL in the same week last year, has nearly doubled in a year.
ON THE AGENDA OF ECONOMIC MANAGEMENT
Morning writer Dilek Güngör noted in her column that this rapid increase in KMH debts has not gone unnoticed by economic management. Güngör reminded that in July of last year, a restructuring step was taken for credit card, personal loan, and KMH debts with a maturity of up to 48 months and a maximum interest rate of 3.11%. Nevertheless, she emphasized that KMH debts continue to rise.
INCOME CRITERION INSUFFICIENT
In the current application, although the KMH upper limit is generally determined as a maximum of three times the monthly income, the final decision is made by the banks. Güngör stated that sometimes the balance is disrupted in evaluations based on income and credit score.
FINANCIAL STABILITY COMMITTEE IN ACTION
The rise in KMH debts was also discussed at the Financial Stability Committee Meeting. In the statement made after the meeting, it was noted that the current situation regarding overdraft accounts, credit commission fees, and credit cards was reviewed.
NEW RULE SET FOR BANKS
Dilek Güngör reported based on the information she obtained that a new rule set regarding the use of KMH would be prepared for banks. Accordingly, new KMH accounts will not be allowed to be opened above the determined limits.
WHAT IS KMH?
An Overdraft Account is a banking product that allows cash withdrawals within the defined limit even if there is no balance in the account, and enables automatic payments such as bills and loan repayments.