The economic editor for the List?n Diario, Hector Linares, says that the financial market in the Dominican Republic is good for depositors and bad for those with loans to pay. The cost of money in the financial marketplace is creating ?extremes?, according to Linares, who says that these are good times for depositors and savers, as interest rates are high. On the other hand, for those looking for credit or who owe on loans, times are hard. Interest rates on savings of up to 24% are available at banks and the certificates from the Central Bank earn between 24% and 28%. While these high rates are increasing local savings, paying off a loan at 40% interest, with the risk of rates potentially climbing to as much as 50%, is a depressing factor for businesspeople that can hinder most any project. Linares also points to the competition between the local commercial banking institutions and the Central Bank in the fight over deposits.