Banque de France (central bank)
France's central bank, part of the Eurosystem. It publishes the quarterly usury rates that cap the cost of credit, hosts the payment-incident files (FICP, FCC) that lenders consult, and backs the ACPR that supervises banks and intermediaries. Brokers follow its releases to calibrate their structures.
Key points
Frequently asked questions
Why should a broker follow Banque de France publications?
The quarterly usury rate sets an absolute ceiling beyond which no loan can legally be granted. Knowing this ceiling in advance allows a broker to anticipate files that risk exceeding the threshold once ancillary costs are included. Regular monitoring prevents submitting structures doomed to fail.
How does the FICP concretely affect a mortgage file?
A borrower listed on the FICP for default is typically declined by mainstream banks, as the listing signals an active or recent payment incident. The broker should check this situation early in the preliminary file analysis, in order to direct the client toward an appropriate solution or wait for the listing to be lifted.
What is the difference between the Banque de France and the ACPR?
The Banque de France is the central bank responsible for monetary policy, financial stability, and incident-file management. The ACPR is the supervisory authority attached to it: it grants licenses, handles disciplinary proceedings, and ensures that professionals, including brokers, meet their obligations. In practice, a broker interacts mainly with the ACPR via ORIAS.
In practice
At the start of a quarter, a broker notices that the new usury rate for 20-year fixed-rate loans has just dropped by 0.15 percentage points. Knowing two active files risk breaching the ceiling once borrower insurance is included, the broker urgently renegotiates the insurance premium with the insurer to stay below the threshold.
Official sources
- Prudential supervision and resolution authority · ACPR (Banque de France)
- The banking-operations intermediary (IOBSP) · ABE Info Service (Banque de France / ACPR)
- Single register of intermediaries · ORIAS