Category: Switzerland

Posts related to Switzerland, the country, the finances inside Switzerland or even its food. Find out the best things about Switzerland and find out about the worst ones as well.

VIAC vs Finpension 3a – Which is the best third pillar for 2021?

By Mr. The Poor SwissRetirement, Switzerland

Until the end of 2020, VIAC was pretty much unchallenged as the best third pillar in Switzerland. And then came Finpension 3a, another great third pillar offer.

I have already made reviews of these two great services. But we also need to compare VIAC vs Finpension 3a in detail to see which is the best third pillar in Switzerland?

In this article, I am going to compare VIAC vs Finpension 3a in detail. We will see their investing strategies, fees, and everything you need to know to choose!

Continue reading “VIAC vs Finpension 3a – Which is the best third pillar for 2021?”

The Best Websites For Online Shopping In Switzerland

By Mr. The Poor SwissSave, Switzerland

These days, a lot of shopping is done online. It is so practical to shop for something online. It can save you a lot of time. And it allows you to compare many different websites to get the best deals easily. Shopping online can also save you some money.

Of course, online shopping also has its dark side. Since it is convenient to shop online, some people are buying many more things than they should. It is so easy to press a button and get things delivered at home. I am sure it happened to many of you. At least, it happened to me!

If you are only buying things you need, online shopping can be a great thing. But you still need to know where to shop online. Even in our small Swiss country, there are hundreds of websites where to shop. And let’s not forget that sometimes online shopping is not cheaper than shopping in a normal shop!

In this article, I list the best online shopping websites in Switzerland. This list should allow you to shop for the best prices!

Continue reading “The Best Websites For Online Shopping In Switzerland”

Free by 40 in Switzerland – Book Review

By Mr. The Poor SwissSwitzerland, Investing

I just finished reading Free by 40 in Switzerland, a book about financial independence, in Switzerland, by fellow blogger Mr. Mustachian Post, alias Marc Pittet. Mr. MP was kind enough to send me a version that I could review before the release date. So I can have this review ready now that the book is available!

Free by 40 in Switzerland will go over how to retire by the age of 40 in Switzerland. It covers how to reduce your expenses, increase your income, and invest your savings. And all this is directly tied to Switzerland.

It should not matter much, but I have to say that I have read the French version. But the English version should be similar, and both are available for sale now (the German version will arrive later).

Continue reading “Free by 40 in Switzerland – Book Review”

What is The Best Credit card in Switzerland for 2021?

By Mr. The Poor SwissSave, Switzerland

A credit card is a powerful personal finance tool. But it is only a good tool if used correctly. And unfortunately, many people are not using credit cards correctly.

The first important thing is to choose a card with no annual fee. Contrary to what credit card companies want you to believe, it is often better to get a credit card with no fee and smaller cashback than an expensive card with a lot of cashback. The important thing is to do your research and compare it with your actual credit card spending.

But there are many options, making it difficult to find the best credit card in Switzerland. So, this article will explore the different credit card options that are available in Switzerland.

Continue reading “What is The Best Credit card in Switzerland for 2021?”

Swiss Deposit Insurance – When a Bank Bankrupts

By Mr. The Poor SwissRetirement, Switzerland

We have talked a lot about Swiss Banks on this blog. But we have not yet talked in detail as to what happens to your money if one Swiss Bank defaults (bankrupts).

In that case, there is a special deposit insurance for the customers of the failed bank. Even though Swiss banks are reputed very safe, they are not infallible. It is essential for customers what would happen to their bank account balance if their bank goes bankrupt.

In this article, we will cover this deposit insurance in all its details and see what people can do about that.

Continue reading “Swiss Deposit Insurance – When a Bank Bankrupts”

12 Things I Love about Switzerland – Beautiful Country

By Mr. The Poor SwissSwitzerland

Even though there are some things I dislike about Switzerland, I love living in Switzerland. In this post, I list the things I love about Switzerland.

There are 12 things on my love list! And there are not the only things I love about Switzerland. I have many more things I like about it than things I do not like.

Before you read what I love about Switzerland, you should be aware of my situation! You have to remember that I live in the Swiss countryside. I live in a tiny village. And I do not like cities. Some people like cities more than villages. But I would hate living in a town. I also enjoy hiking a lot, and I like being outside. This situation will be reflected in some things I like the most about Switzerland.

Below, you will find 12 things I love about Switzerland. They have almost nothing to do with money. And they are in no particular order.

Continue reading “12 Things I Love about Switzerland – Beautiful Country”

Swiss Investors May Lose Access to US-Domiciled ETFs in 2022

By Mr. The Poor SwissInvesting, Switzerland

Since the beginning of 2019, Swiss investors cannot buy Exchanged Traded Funds (ETFs) domiciled in the United States from my previous broker, DEGIRO. This event is bad news for Swiss investors.

This problem is due to new regulations that will come into play. These regulations have already affected all European investors since 2018. But Switzerland was not affected before. We are going to see what changed. These issues are based on several European and Swiss laws. These laws are sad news for European investors and Swiss investors. I am not a legal expert at all. So this is only my interpretation of these laws. If I am wrong or I missed something, please let me know!

Normally, this should only come into effect in January 2022. But DEGIRO decided to implement this earlier, effectively cutting Swiss Investors from the best ETFs available. I have now switched to Interactive Brokers.

In this article, we are going to see why this is happening. And we are also going to see what are the different options for us. There are several possible solutions to this issue. But none of them is perfect, as we will see.

Update 2021: It seems now likely that we will be able to keep investing in U.S. ETFs in 2022.

Continue reading “Swiss Investors May Lose Access to US-Domiciled ETFs in 2022”

What is the Best Swiss Bank in 2021?

By Mr. The Poor SwissSave, Switzerland

Unless you live entirely off the grid and get paid in cash, you will need a bank account. But which Swiss Bank should you choose?

There are tons of Swiss banks. After all, Switzerland is the country of banks. However, contrary to popular belief, Swiss banks are not great!

Most Swiss banks are costly and offer poor service. You can find much cheaper and better banks in other countries. Fortunately, this is starting to improve with some new banks trying to make things move in a better direction.

Let’s see which is the Best Swiss Bank in 2020! But first, let’s start with how we can choose a bank!

Continue reading “What is the Best Swiss Bank in 2021?”

The Best Phone Plans in Switzerland in 2021

By Mr. The Poor SwissSave, Switzerland

Update: Fully updated as of August 2020! Plans have become even cheaper than before!

We can agree that everybody wants to pay as little as possible for their phone bills. Even though you may think your current phone plan is the cheapest available, there could be new deals since you started using your plan. It is always essential to keep up to date with the latest offers.

The Swiss Phone plan market is quite diverse these days. Fifteen years ago, it was almost only Swisscom, and everybody was content with it. Now, many other providers are using one of the three major networks.

In this post, I am going to compare the phone plans and prepaid cards for seven standard phone usages. For each of them, I will show the cheapest options available. Keep reading if you want to save money on your phone bill!

Continue reading “The Best Phone Plans in Switzerland in 2021”