During the financial crisis, the financial sector has continued to lend to families, companies and government institutions. There is no threat of loan scarcity, therefore, for those who are able to submit a complete and sound credit file.
Nevertheless, the financial sector expresses some points of concern for the future. The new European legislation could have an impact on the availability and the price of the long-term loans. Therefore, the sector is looking for alternative sources of funding.

During the financial crisis, the salary policy of specific financial institutions, and in particular the bonuses of specific traders and top managers, was highly criticised. Large foreign institutions, in particular, appeared to sometimes pay bonuses to traders and management that society considered to be “excessive”. In the Belgian institutions, such high amounts were never paid. This does not mean, however, that the financial sector in Belgium has not adapted its remuneration policy where necessary.

The financial sector is an interesting and informative sector that offers opportunities to ambitious people. Opportunities for further growth, training and coaching are available for the employees. The remuneration policy (salary and benefits in kind) is often more attractive than in some other sectors. Nevertheless, the sector has to cope with an image problem due to which it is often difficult to attract and keep young people. The heavy workload and the resulting difficulty to combine work and family life may also be a decisive factor not to choose the financial sector as an employer.