Every three months the rate of interest used to set Swiss rents is reviewed. If it goes down some renters have the right to request a decrease in rent. This time it remains unchanged at 2.00%. The interest rate used to set the reference rate was the average rate on Swiss mortgages at 31 December […]
The Swiss tax money go-round: winners and losers in 2015
Swiss cantons have very different tax bases, tax rates and costs. Many think all taxes raised by each canton are spent there. This was true, however in 2008 it changed. A national financial equalization mechanism (or péréquation financière nationale in French) was introduced to reduce cantonal financial disparities. Now every year rich cantons pay and poor cantons […]
A Swiss solution to Greek problems
Greece is certainly in a pickle. It needs to borrow more money to keep its wheels turning, but has borrowed to the point where it needs a loan write-off. Try asking your bank manager for a loan write-off while asking for more money and see what she says. The Swiss on the other hand have […]
Switzerland – staring down the barrel of deflation
The recent rise in the Swiss franc is driving deflation in Switzerland. The prices of imported goods are declining and there is talk of reducing salaries in some corners. Deflation is bad for an economy, particularly for the heavily indebted – your mortgage remains the same even if your salary declines and Government debts increase […]
Desperately seeking Susy – understanding supersymmetry
The human eye sees very little. Our eyes can see only 0.0035% of the electromagnetic spectrum, ranging from high frequency gamma rays to low frequency radio waves. To really understand the natural world and cosmos we need technology that takes us beyond our natural sensory limits. We also need to make clever guesses about how […]
