Tag Archives: Switzerland

In his University of St. Gallen MA thesis entitled “CBDC with Collateralized Pass-Through Funding,” Bastian Wetzel assesses how strongly banks would be affected by deposit outflows into retail CBDC: The results of the study show that 92.7 percent of all sight deposits in the aggregate Swiss banking sector are covered by excess liquidity and eligible assets, whereas sight deposits held in CHF are covered by over 100 percent. Therefore, the collateral constraint seems to be a problem...

The NZZ argues that Switzerland is stuck (presumably when compared with first best, not relative to other countries), and it features evidence in a series of columns.

In a new working paper the Swiss Bankers Association identifies challenges for banks. Nevertheless it argues that [a]ny conclusion that the status quo is the least risky option seems premature and shortsighted. … The introduction of digital currencies and design questions regarding payment methods and infrastructure represent strategic business as well as political challenges on which public authorities and business must take a productive position. An informed discussion on the...

(Disclosure: Some of the links below may be affiliate links) In 2020, inflation in Switzerland was negative, at -0.7%. It means that, on average, consumer prices have decreased in the year 2020. So, life has become cheaper in Switzerland. But is life in Switzerland really cheaper? And if so, is it cheaper for everybody? Today, I want to delve into inflation numbers for Switzerland and what they exactly mean. As we will see, inflation is not a perfect indicator of the cost of living in...

(Disclosure: Some of the links below may be affiliate links) What the Swiss National Bank (SNB) does is not very clear for many people in Switzerland. So, I thought it would be interesting to research this subject and write about my findings. The Swiss National Bank is quite famous, even abroad, but what does it really do? It is because of it that we do not have any interest rate in our bank accounts? Let’s see in detail what this central bank is doing. We will also...

(Disclosure: Some of the links below may be affiliate links) What the Swiss National Bank (SNB) does is not very clear for many people in Switzerland. So, I thought it would be interesting to research this subject and write about my findings. The Swiss National Bank is quite famous, even abroad, but what does it really do? It is because of it that we do not have any interest rate in our bank accounts? Let’s see in detail what this central bank is doing. We will also see that the Swiss...

Finanz und Wirtschaft, June 5, 2021. PDF. The debt brake addresses some political economy frictions, but not others. Focusing too narrowly on explicit government debt it provides incentives to accumulate implicit debt, sell assets, or engage in creative accounting. The political pressure to raise SNB profit disbursements is a symptom of these incentives.

(Disclosure: Some of the links below may be affiliate links) We all want to pay lower taxes! When you fill your tax declaration in Switzerland, it is important to take advantage of all possible tax deductions. Tax deductions allow you to reduce your taxable income. Since your taxable income will directly drive the amount of taxes you are going to pay, it is essential to reduce it when possible. So, in this article, I want to go into detail about all the possible tax deductions that exist...

(Disclosure: Some of the links below may be affiliate links) We all want to pay lower taxes! When you fill your tax declaration in Switzerland, it is important to take advantage of all possible tax deductions. Tax deductions allow you to reduce your taxable income. Since your taxable income will directly drive the amount of taxes you are going to pay, it is essential to reduce it when possible. So, in this article, I want to go into detail about all the possible tax...

I have long thought about and written about the incredible opportunities that decentralized digital technologies have brought forward, especially when it comes to solving financial and monetary problems. The more these technologies and their applications develop and mature, the more I believe they hold many of the answers to some our most complex challenges. Chief among them is the future of money itself: the idea of a decentralized, robust and independent system of freely competing...