In my country, until the mid-2000s, the Postal institution enabled its savers to partially or completely freeze their balances for a specific period of time, provided that the freeze on the amount would not be lifted regardless of whatever reasons, even in if the person’s death. This product was not available in banks as I recall, but since the 2000s this product has been completely abandoned. When I think about the concept, I find it very useful and it can serve the financial institution and the saver as well, especially those who want to secure their savings so that they never think about using it. I think that there are many reasons that might encourage a person to do this according to his assessment of his needs in the medium and long term. The financial institution will also benefit from the liquidity that it will accumulate from the frozen balances, in addition to the possibility to impose fees for the service.
I know that it is possible to secure a deposit in the bank with any type of asset, but with the possibility of permanent disposal of it, meaning that its owner cannot ask the bank to lock it.
What I would like to ask is whether this product exists in the banking system of your country and why, in your opinion, are there central banks that do not allow it? Also, is this possible on online virtual banks?
My personal expectation is that this will be possible with some small local banks or state postal institutions. I also expect that this is not allowed in other laws because I have not heard of it much.
In my country, we have Fixed Deposit Accounts (Deposito) that offer higher interest rates but lock funds for set periods (usually 1-12 months) with penalties for early withdrawals. For less restrictive options, online banks like Jago offer "tabungan terkunci" (locked savings) with more flexibility, such as lock periods as short as 14 days.
I believe the concept of completely freezing funds long-term is not widely used for several reasons. Firstly, it reduces banks' ability to lend to businesses and individuals, potentially hindering economic growth. Secondly, frozen deposits could worsen a crisis during economic uncertainty if banks struggle to meet customers' withdrawal needs during a potential run