What is Mass Affluent Banking?

All over the world, financial institutions have started creating products and services catering specifically to the mass affluent. Mass affluent banking means these products are geared towards those in the upper middle class.

The middle class’ growth throughout the years has pushed banks to come up with innovative products to tap this market. The potential of this market is great, and it has made financial institutions more intuitive in their market. It has also made banks much more attractive to those in the middle class.

Who is the Mass Affluent?

Everywhere in the world, the rise of the middle class has been exponential. This has led to the division of the middle class into the following categories: lower-middle, middle, and upper-middle. Each individual in these categories is determined according to their household income. For financial institutions, mass affluent individuals are usually those in the upper middle class.

However, in the United States, mass affluent people are individuals who have liquid assets valued between USD 100,000 to USD 1,000,000. This means that their finances are not tied up in any land, cars, or houses. This is just the money they have on hand.

If we were to use the United States as the yardstick for mass affluence, for a Filipino to be considered mass affluent, they must have at least PHP 5,550,000*.

As a low-middle income country, this can severely decrease the market for mass affluent banking services. This is why in the Philippines, the mass affluent are those who have at least PHP 100,000 in liquid assets. Another good indicator is if the individual is in the upper middle class.

According to the Philippine Institute for Developmental Studies, you are a part of the upper middle class if you take home at least PHP 63,700 to PHP 109,200 per month.

Difference Between Mass Affluent and High-Net-Worth Individuals?

Now you may be wondering what’s the difference between mass affluent and high-net-worth individuals? They seem alike, especially since both types of individuals seem to have a large number of resources available to them.

Well, the difference is that high-net-worth individuals have more assets than the mass affluent. In the Philippines, this is how we classify the high-net-worth individuals:

• Mass Affluent – PHP 100,000 to PHP 1,000,000 in liquid assets

• High-Net-Worth – PHP 5,000,000 in liquid assets

• Ultra-High-Net-Worth – PHP 10,000,000 in liquid assets.

Depending on the person’s net worth, it’s possible that they get access to special banking privileges from their partner financial institution.

What is Mass Affluent Banking?

Now that you know who classifies as mass affluent and what differentiates them from high-net-worth individuals, it’s time to learn the benefits one can get from mass affluent banking.

Each bank has its own mass affluent banking product. These products can vary in maintaining deposits and benefits.

For RCBC’s Hexagon Club, as long as you can maintain at least PHP 100,000 pesos in your checking and/or savings account, you get to reap the benefits of our mass affluent banking product. This entitles you to many perks that can help you make the most out of your banking experience.

What are Mass Affluent Banking Services?

Most banks with mass affluent banking services will offer their clients a dedicated relationship manager, priority lines in banks, and preferential rates on loans.

All of these services are geared towards making you, as a client, feel valued by the bank. However, most banks also have tiers in their mass affluent banking services. The more money a client has stored with that bank, the more perks they get.

For example, a benefit that RCBC Hexagon Club members get is that they all get priority queuing in branches and a dedicated branch relationship manager. However, only Hexagon Club Priority members have exclusive access to a priority phone line.

So, as you can see, the higher one’s deposit is in the bank, the more benefits they’re likely to get.

Experiencing Excellent Banking With RCBC

We hope that you learned all about what mass affluent banking services are. If you’re on the lookout for a bank that can provide these services with a low-entry deposit, compared to other financial institutions in the Philippines, you should consider RCBC.

Our Hexagon Club has been awarded the Best Mass Affluent Banking Offering award in 2023. With RCBC, you’ll get the VIP treatment you deserve.

*USD 1 = PHP 55.5, median conversion rate as of 2023.