Bank loans in Brazil

My understanding is that if your credit rating is good a loan is not a problem, I would always try and get a loan from your own birth country and compare the rates, as the rates in Brazil seem extortionately high.

Out of 18 countries, Brazil has the highest bank leading rate of 53% (monthly) with the next highest country (South Africa) at 10% according to "Trading Economics" as of June 2018.  Needless to say, this makes getting a loan somewhat difficult from the stand point of the bank lending rate.  For this reason, I saved enough money to buy a new car in Brazil through my American credit card and then paid it off within 60 days.  Banks in Brazil are difficult to deal with and not reliable.  For instance, bill pay in Brazil is done either through paying on line (but only if the bank has the business you need to pay actually has an account with that bank).  If not, then you have to pay through other means such as a Lottery store, or another bank (requires going and standing in line) or at some grocery stores or at some post offices.  If the bill to be paid is too large (R$1,000.00 or $243.00 USD.....some places can't accept that amount and you must search for another location that will.  What one bank accepted as payment to a business this month may change and will not be accepted next month.  For us expats in Brazil, many of us have US or European bank accounts and use our debit cards to withdraw money as needed from local Banks.  But banks like Bradesco and Banco do Brazil have rendered our spouses card as "invalid" making withdrawing money out of an ATM with the spouse's card impossible.  The spouse's debit card will work at points of sale, but only one card will work for other bank ATM withdrawals.  However, the spouse's card will work at Banco 24Hours but the user fee is R$24.00 or about $7.00 USD.   Interest rates on Brazil Visa credit cards are criminally high, with many cards having up to a 400% interest fee!!!  Banks and banking is one of the many critical challenges that we expats have by choosing to live in Brazil.  For this expat........I pay as I go and stay very clear of Brazilian Banks!  There is nothing more disheartening (and frustrating) then standing in line to withdraw money from an ATM and then having to wait for a 70 year old lady who is forced to pay her bill through an ATM as she struggles to figure out how to operate her bank key fob in order to retrieve a one time bank code and then figure out how to work the computer!

I find my Santander account very good and pay all my bills by my online App and this works very well. I have to pay for my bank at scoure but I am very happy with my results to date.
The issue is, is having a CPF number to open the account and I only got that through my being married to my Brazilian wife. Apparently CPF can be gained by working expats on a work visa.

Geoff Newton........A CPF is available to anyone that applies.  All one has to do is go to their office and apply.  One does not even need to have an RNE to obtain one.  I recently helped a couple from Norway apply and receive their CPF in Natal.

Thanks for the heads up.

As said CPF is easy. It was the first document I got when I arrived.
Had to have it to buy a car. (did a wire transfer to dealer)
Now getting other documents from the Government, well that's not easy.