Tag Archives: 3.) Personal Finance

A federal initiative aimed at subsidising health insurance premiums once they exceed 10% of disposable income met with resistance in Bern this week, reported RTS. Photo by Negative Space on Pexels.comThe idea, which was put forward by the Socialist Party, would require the federal government to foot two thirds of the bill for the subsidy with cantons left to find the remaining third. First the plan was rejected by the Federal Council on the grounds that some cantons...

Every three months the rate of interest used to set the rents in Switzerland is reviewed. If it goes down some renters have the right to request a decrease in rent. If it goes up landlords can push up rents. This time the rate remained at 1.25%, however it looks set to rise next year. The interest rate used to set the reference rate is the average rate on Swiss mortgage loans outstanding at 30 September 2022. The average rate was 1.18%, up from 1.17% from the second...

© Robert Buchel | Dreamstime.com On 2 December 2022, Switzerland’s Federal Council agreed to boost the salaries of those working for the federal government by 2.5% in 2023. Inflation, which was 3% at the end of November 2022, has fuelled demands for higher pay. During negotiations, staff representatives pushed for a pay deal that fully made up for inflation. However, finance minister Ueli Maurer pointed out that Switzerland’s already negative budget should be...

© Eugenesergeev | Dreamstime.com On 16 November 2022, Switzerland’s federal government announced the sums that will be transferred between the nation’s statelets or cantons in 2023, a mechanism aimed at ensuring wealthy cantons support those with weaker economies. In 2023, CHF 5.6 billion will be transferred, a sum CHF 290 million greater than in 2022 (+5%). The total sum is equivalent to less than 1% of Swiss GDP. Under the national financial equalisation mechanism,...

Switzerland’s recent vote on state pension reform on 25 September 2022, divided men and women, reported RTS. Photo by Vlada Karpovich on Pexels.comThe vote was split into two parts. The first asked whether the state pension age for women should rise from 64 to 65 to bring it into line with the pension age for men. The second part asked whether VAT should rise from 7.7% to 8.1% to fund a looming pension funding shortfall. According to an analysis by the survey firm...

After construction workers went out on strike for two days in French-speaking Switzerland, construction workers protested in Zurich over hours and pay on 11 November 2022, reported RTS. Photo by Rodolfo Quirós on Pexels.comWith inflation in Switzerland running at 3%, construction workers are demanding higher pay. However, the construction industry has responded with an offer of better pay tied to higher maximum hours. The industry would like maximum weekly hours to...

© Jan Gajdosik | Dreamstime.com According to the bank Raiffeisen, a future rental housing crisis is likely in Switzerland as the home vacancy rate moves below 1% in 2024, reported 20 Minutes. The combined forces of higher construction costs and higher interest rates have reduced the number of homes being built, said the bank. This combined with the continued growth of the population and a trend towards more living space is expected to create a squeeze as growth in...

© Hai Huy Ton That | Dreamstime.com For the seventh consecutive year, the price of tickets on Swiss public transport will remain unchanged. It will also become easier to buy tickets for bicycles and canine companions, reported RTS. News of no price increases is likely to be welcomed given the relatively high price of Swiss public transport. A survey several years ago put the cost of travelling 100km on public transport in Switzerland at CHF 52, far above France (CHF...

In Switzerland, it pays not to be married. Married couples pay higher taxes and receive lower state pensions than unmarried couples. Two referenda were launched this week to change this, reported RTS. [caption id="attachment_948338" align="alignleft" width="400"] Photo by Mikhail Nilov on Pexels.com[/caption] Across much of the world, individuals and couples pay the same tax and receive the same welfare payments regardless of whether they are...

[caption id="attachment_949458" align="alignleft" width="400"] © Guenter Purin | Dreamstime.com[/caption] The Swiss People’s Party (UDC/SVP) argued this week that the CHF 6 billion spent on state employees should be cut, reported 20 Minutes. Since 2007, the amount spent on state employees has risen by around a third from CHF 4.5 billion to more than CHF 6 billion. In 2021, there were close to 40,000 people working for the Swiss state, a number...