The best banks in the world 2020 - Forbes rating

The world is changing, and we all have to change with it. The best banks in the world in 2020 were no exception, they try to keep up with the times, and this is nowadays described by the capacious word "digitalization".

In an oversaturated market with financial services, low interest rates and uniformity of services, the approach to the consumer has become especially important. And now the consumer has gone spoiled - he does not want to go to the department with his feet, but wants to pay directly from his computer, laptop or smartphone. And it's easy, fast and 100% safe to do this.

How the coronavirus changed the banking industry in 2020

Many countries have been forced to introduce quarantines to contain the spread of the coronavirus epidemic. Naturally, customers could no longer come to the bank themselves, and since they wanted to make purchases and make payments, the banks had to hastily develop or refine mobile applications and online services.

According to financial experts, in the United States alone in May, the number of payments through mobile applications increased by 84%, and the number of transactions carried out by Apple Pay increased 10 times.

How Forbes searched for the best banks in the world for 2020

When compiling the rating, Forbes magazine decided to go in an unconventional way. Instead of counting assets, liabilities, profits, and other financial information, experts prioritized the ability of banks to respond to changing circumstances, evolve and do all this without harming customers.

Forbes has partnered with research firm Statista. The magazine provided the company with a list of the largest banks in the world, and employees of the company interviewed more than 40 thousand clients of these same banks in 23 countries. They were asked to rate whether they were satisfied with the work of the banks in general and whether they were ready to recommend them to their friends. Particular attention was paid to the following five points:

1. The general level of trust in the bank.
2. Terms of user agreement.
3. Bank services, quality of customer service.
4. Availability of digital services and their convenience.
5. The quality of financial advice.

The best foreign banks of 2020 according to Forbes

In total, Forbes and Statista examined more than 400 of the largest banks from 23 countries under the customer focus magnifier.

• The United States is ahead of the rest of the world in terms of the number of banks with a "human face", of which 75 banks were included in the rating. The top three banks include USAA, Union Bank & Trust and Renasant Bank.
• Japan came second... Amazingly, in this small country, there were only a third less client-loving banks than in multi-million America. Sony Bank ranks first among the best Japanese banks, while Sbi Sumishin Net Bank and Ogaki Kyoritsu Bank rank second and third, respectively.
• Then comes Germany; 40 German financial institutions were included in the world list of the best of the best banks according to Forbes. Sparda-Bank Hessen is in the top (other branches of the same bank, for example, in Munich and Berlin, were also among the favorites). In second place is the giant ING Group, which, in addition to Germany, ranks high in seven other countries. Although the bank's pedigree dates back to the 19th century, it is not stuck in the past.Back in the early days of the Internet era, in 1997, he created the all-digital bank ING Direct, pioneering online payments.
• Then there are countries whose banking culture is no longer as cultured as in the United States or Japan. In total, there are from 20 to 30 client-oriented banks in Italy, Switzerland and Austria. Along with them are India (the first place belongs to DBS Bank) and China, where the national giant Bank of China is in the lead.

The most customer-oriented Russian banks in 2020

Russian banks are gradually turning to the client face. True, not too willingly, because just a year ago there were 5 more of them in the list of the best banking organizations in the world. Among the favorites dropped out some of the largest and most famous Russian financial giants - banks VTB, Gazprombank, Rosselkhozbank and Sberbank.

Ak Bars Bank opens the top five of the best Russian banks. According to its founders, the main values ​​of the company are simplicity and customer friendliness. And the bank is trying to comply with the latter, including by creating online services.

Ak Bars has many programs aimed at different categories of clients, from ordinary individuals to individual entrepreneurs and entire companies. Among the bank's latest products is the Internet accounting department "My Business", with the help of which organizations and individuals can calculate taxes, fill out declarations and submit reports without leaving home.

Tinkoff Bank is in fourth place. He has been living in the digital age for a long time; the bank does not even have its own retail branches, only the main office in Moscow. All services can be obtained remotely (by phone, through a mobile application or on the website). You can deposit and withdraw money through ATMs of Tinkoff itself or other banks. And debit and credit cards are delivered directly to the customer's home.

The bank's mobile applications are not limited to payment of utility services alone. You can do everything through them: pay fines, buy and sell shares, transfer funds from card to card, make transfers, issue loans, make investments, receive cashback and much, much more.

Clients of the third place in the rating, Alfa-Bank, almost all services can be obtained online using the "Internet banking" system, or through a mobile application. In just a couple of clicks, you can create an account, deposit money, withdraw money, buy currency, not to mention such banal things as balance or payment history. Alfa-Bank is one of the most reliable banks in Russia according to the Central Bank.

And for loyal adherents of the bank, there are many additional partner programs, for example, the ability to skip the line to some exhibitions in museums.

In second place in the list of the best banks in Russia in 2020, according to Forbes, is Moscow Credit Bank. He pays special attention to the development of online services. With the help of "MKB Online" customers can make transfers (no commission) between cards, open accounts, manage deposits and loans.

The bank also has a developed partner network that allows customers to receive cashback, various bonuses and then turn them into banknotes.

Forbes gave the first place among the best in servicing Russian banks to Raiffeisen, a subsidiary of the Austrian banking giant.In addition to traditional offline services, Raiffeisen has developed a whole network of services for those who like to use banking services without leaving their homes. In addition to the mobile application and online banking for ordinary users, there are also special programs for large and not so businessmen.

In addition to the above, the list of the 15 most customer-oriented Russian banks also includes Avangard, Otkrytie, Uralsib, a subsidiary of the multi-million dollar American giant Citigroup - Citibank, Pochta Bank and others.