Despite the crisis: Swiss SMEs are optimistic about the future

Despite the crisis: Swiss SMEs are optimistic about the future

Facebook, OECD and the World Bank started a survey among SMEs in December and wanted to know how optimistic or pessimistic they are about the future. It turned out that they expect positive things, despite all adversities.

Digitization as a support for SMEs

The ongoing corona pandemic has plunged many companies into a deep crisis. Nevertheless, most SMEs are optimistic about the future, also due to the significantly improved use of digital possibilities. Above all, the companies that are already well positioned digitally and have a functioning online presence were optimistic. According to surveys, around 25 percent of them can generate their income digitally. The Swiss are still behind France and Italy, but already ahead of Germany. The front runners in a European comparison are Ireland and Great Britain, some of which can generate significantly more than half of their sales online.

Record decreased revenue

Despite all the optimism, it must be noted that the income of SMEs in Switzerland has fallen significantly compared to the previous year. Around 54 percent of the companies state that their sales have fallen significantly in some cases. The increased use of digital possibilities cannot completely cancel out this loss of sales, so that the crisis is definitely a serious burden for Swiss SMEs. Now companies say that only a digital take-off could bring the rescue, because how long restrictions and burdens from Corona will last is not certain.

Digitization as a way out of the crisis

It can also be assumed for the future that digitization will not decline again. This means that companies must continue to strive to further expand their online presence. Everyone is looking ahead and hoping for the effectiveness of the vaccination and medication to restore an almost normal state. What this will look like is still uncertain. The fact is, however, that SMEs will have to continue to appear online in the future. They are searched for and booked on the Internet, price comparisons are made and companies are checked for reliability. Those who cannot be found online will find it even more difficult in the future to gain a foothold or to keep pace with growing digital competition.

Conclusion: SMEs are optimistic, but have to get started

Even if SMEs are currently optimistic about the future and assume that the current crisis will soon be over, it is important to prepare for the new life after Corona. This in turn means that companies will have to rely on digitization even more than before. The employees who now work in the home office will soon be increasingly calling for this option, especially since the work-life balance, which has also increasingly come into focus, is easier to implement. From a market point of view, no company that wants to remain competitive in the long term will be able to avoid an online presence or the expansion of it.

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Health insurance: Can the health insurance company say no?

Promised assumption of costs for an operation by health insurance: Can the health insurance fund? No? say?

An example: patient A. has to be operated on on her knee and receives a rejection of the cost credit from her health insurance company. The reason: Allegedly, the insurance company does not have a contract with the hospital. A look at the insurance conditions clarifies whether this is legal.

Basic insurance pays a flat rate per case

The health insurance covers 45 percent of the flat-rate costs if the doctor operates patient A.'s knee in a hospital that is on the hospital list of the canton where A. lives. The canton of residence then pays the remaining 55 percent. Basic insurance often requires a patient to undergo preliminary examinations at the doctor's or in the hospital, and these examinations are then borne entirely by the health insurance company. This then sends a confirmation of costs before the operation. After the operation, the outpatient services will be offset, and the agreed deductible will also be offset. An additional 15 francs are added per day for meals; this is known as the hospital surcharge.

The supplementary insurance covers other benefits

If the doctor operates on patient A.'s knee outside the canton in which she is registered and lives, the canton of residence pays 55 percent of the flat rate for hospitals outside the canton. The difference must then be borne by A. himself if she does not have a corresponding additional insurance for the? General department throughout Switzerland? has completed.

Important to know: Not all health insurers conclude the usual contracts with all hospitals, because they are no longer allowed to agree arbitrarily high hospital and doctor tariffs. The decisive factor for a possible reimbursement of costs is always your own contract, which in our example must be available for patient A. Corresponding exclusions can be found in the general insurance provisions. Some policies are designed in such a way that they guarantee that costs will be covered throughout Switzerland, while this is not or no longer the case with other contracts. The costs that are not covered by the additional insurance are ultimately borne by the patient.

If the policy is based on a hospital list, the insurance must cover the agreed benefits. However, only if the hospital in which the insured person is to be operated is actually on the hospital list. If this is not the case, the health insurance does not have to cover the costs. Important tip: Before the operation, the health insurance company gives the cost credit. In any case, this should be waited for before a non-urgent operation is promised. If the health insurance company does not grant the confirmation of costs, the costs for the surgery will be charged to the patient.

Conclusion: Always wait for the cost approval first!

In accordance with these considerations, it is absolutely right for the health insurance company to refrain from assuming the costs for an operation or other treatment. If the services are based on a hospital list or if only the services in hospitals that are on the list for the respective canton of residence are paid for, a free choice of hospital is not advisable. If the operation is not urgent and cannot be postponed, the insured should therefore always ask the health insurance company for the confirmation of the costs and only then make an appointment for the operation. This avoids having to bear the costs yourself.

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Whether skiing, snowboarding or sledding? So you will come home safely

Whether skiing, snowboarding or sledding? So you will come home safely

The ski season has started and numerous winter sports fans are drawn to the mountains again. Whether for skiing, snowboarding, cross-country skiing or sledding? there is something for everyone. So that you get home safely, you shouldn't do without proper preparation! 

Proper preparation for fun in the snow

Maybe it's been a few years since you last stood on the board. This makes physical preparation for the coming season all the more important. Often skiing, snowboarding or sledging is underestimated and thus leads to accidents. Especially during the Corona period, even more people than usual are looking to escape to the mountains. Several thousand visitors quickly come together and the slope is full of beginners to professional skiers. As a result, great attention and consideration should be given.    

In order to arrive safely back in the valley, it is worthwhile to train your endurance, strength and flexibility. Since the muscles also play an important role in snow sports, you should do strength and stretching exercises once or twice a week. Especially now that the possibilities for physical movement have been restricted, it is important to prepare as well as possible for the winter sports days.

The following are suitable for this:

    • to jog
    • A long walk
    • Home workout

In addition to the physical preparation, a quick look at the equipment before departure doesn't hurt. In what condition is your ski or snowboard equipment? It is recommended that you have your equipment checked in a specialist shop for the best driving experience on the slopes. Helmet, ski goggles, back armor and, if necessary, wrist guards are a must on the slopes. It is better to try on the clothing again before use so that you can ensure that the protection of 100% can be guaranteed. A helmet that is too big does not provide protection in the event of a fall.

On the slopes? finished ? Come on!

Before the first ride, it is advisable to warm up to avoid any strains. Adapt your driving speed to the snow and weather conditions so that you are not suddenly surprised by a fork or lose control. If this is your first time on the slopes, it is worth attending a course. Taking a break when you feel weakened will reduce the risk of injury.

Insurance tips:

So that you are well insured not only on the slopes, but also off the slopes, it is worth checking your insurance cover again before leaving.

health insurance

How are you covered in the event of a skiing accident? For people who do not work more than 8 hours a week, it is important that accidents are included in the health insurance, otherwise you will have to pay for all costs yourself. To avoid this, find out about your current insurance coverage in advance.

Would you like to optimize your health insurance? click here and compare all health insurances without obligation and free of charge.

travel insurance

A week's skiing holiday in a hotel in the mountains was planned. Shortly before departure, a family member fell ill and the vacation had to be canceled. In such cases, travel insurance is very helpful.

Don't know if you own one or are interested in travel insurance, then compare here Your travel insurance without obligation and free of charge.

Household insurance

After a few trips, treat yourself to a short lunch break in the restaurant. You leave your skis in the ski depot and when you return from your lunch break, was it gone? the ski was stolen. Now the question arises, are you insured against theft abroad?

If you are unsure whether this is included in your package or if you do not have any household insurance at all, click here and compare all home contents insurances without obligation and free of charge.

Personal Liability Insurance

It is slowly getting dark and you are on your final journey. The fog covers the slope more and more and makes visibility worse. Further down you overlook a fork and the snowboarder coming from the right. They lose control in shock and collide. At the same moment the snowboard breaks. The snowboarder insists that you pay for the damage incurred. This is where your personal liability insurance comes into play.

If you do not yet have personal liability insurance or would like to compare your current insurance with other insurances, then click here.

Conclusion: Safe driving is twice as much fun

Numerous ski areas have reopened their slopes and attract several thousand visitors. The whole thing is to be enjoyed with caution. With good preparation, nothing stands in the way of you. On the slopes? finished ? Come on!    

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Legal expenses insurer: The wave of lawsuits continues

Legal expenses insurer: The wave of lawsuits continues

Legal protection insurers have been unable to save themselves from inquiries since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus. Above all, legal questions about the workplace, canceled trips and shopping on the Internet are right at the top of the inquiry list.

Enormous increase in the need for legal clarification

The Axa Group stated that there were around 20 percent more inquiries in the first eight months of 2020. The legal expenses insurer Axa-Arag, as the largest insurer of its kind in Switzerland, named this figure. In March alone there was an increase of around 42 percent. The Touring Club Switzerland also feels an enormous need for clarification, and inquiries are also increasing here. Around every tenth request is related to legal issues relating to the corona pandemic.

Often the inquiries concern labor law, with short-time working being the focus of interest. Can short-time work be ordered, what about the wages and how do I get back to my normal working hours? These and other questions need to be clarified, whereby the focus was also on incorrect accounting for short-time work.

Many companies fired their employees and justified the termination with an in-house decline in orders due to Corona. The instruction to work in the home office also led to numerous inquiries from insurers. Many workers wanted to know if their employer could force them to work in the office when they were so afraid of infection. Others wanted to achieve the opposite and go back to work, although the boss advised against it. What is legal and what rights does the boss have in this regard?

Great need for clarification in the travel sector

Many people had booked a vacation that had to be canceled thanks to Corona. Here, too, Axa-Arag stated that inquiries about travel rights had actually doubled compared to the previous year. The Touring Club Switzerland even stated that inquiries had increased by around 60 percent. Some vacationers want to cancel their flight themselves, but have been warned not to. In that case, they could be left at their expense. Any claims will not be paid to those who cancel a flight on their own!

Other topics included canceled hotel and package tour bookings, overnight stays booked through Airbnb and possible refunds.

In addition to the travel sector, shopping on the Internet was more frequently affected by inquiries, and the courts were concerned with numerous lawsuits against sellers. It was about money losses due to paid and not delivered goods and about defective or defective goods deliveries. Tip from the experts: Avoid dubious shops and be sure to find out about the seriousness of the retailer first via known rating platforms.

Conclusion: complaints about complaints in the corona crisis

The corona crisis is very preoccupying for people in Switzerland and is leading to extreme uncertainties with regard to work, travel or online shopping. Legal expenses insurers are currently confronted with a flood of inquiries that will continue to grow. In addition, a wave of lawsuits is rolling towards the courts, which has so far received little attention as a by-product of the Corona crisis.

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Canceling life insurance: does it make sense or not?

Canceling life insurance: does it make sense or not?

Life insurance is often regarded as a standard insurance that "you just have to have". But it often tears a deep hole in the household budget when the premiums are debited. Therefore, the question arises for many insured persons as to whether life insurance should not be terminated after all?

Protection for death and old age

The mixed life insurance should not only protect the surviving dependents in the event of death, but should also serve as financial provision for one's own old age. In addition, the risk of disability can be insured. Such mixed life insurance policies are often sold within the 3a pillar and have a very long term. Usually the retirement age is given as the end of the contract.
However, it is also possible to take out pure term life insurance, in which there is no savings component and which also counts as a pension under the 3a pillar.

However, one's own life situation can also change and those who have previously been well insured are no longer dependent on the protection of the insurance. Or your own financial situation deteriorates so much that money becomes scarce and could be used otherwise. The contributions for life insurance seem pointless and are simply no longer affordable.
With a pure term life insurance, termination is not a problem, as this can usually be terminated three years after the conclusion of the contract. It is even possible to re-enter insurance at a later date, but then the premiums are higher due to the increased age at which the insurance company can join.

Termination: sensible or not?

The termination of a mixed life insurance policy can be very expensive, because the surrender value of the same is at least zero in the first few years. The reason is that insurers want to recoup all of their costs first. You deduct administration fees and the commission for the insurance contract by your insurance agent from the savings amount, so that the policy can even be negative at first.

Only then will the majority of the premiums paid be used to build up the assets and the interest on the capital will begin. This in turn consists of the guaranteed interest rate and the profit sharing. The participation itself is determined by the success of the insurance company and its amount is often difficult to understand.

In order to decide whether it makes sense to terminate life insurance or not, an alternative form of investment must be carefully analyzed. Does it make up for the cost of high life insurance buyback? If life insurance is in the 3a pillar, the only sensible alternative is to order another 3a solution from a bank. The reason is that the assets cannot be withdrawn from the 3a pillar, but must remain there up to five years before retirement age. The tax authorities do not care, they are not interested in transactions within the 3a pillar. The income there is only taxed when it is paid out and not before.

Smart alternatives to life insurance?

It is not only important that life insurance can be terminated at all, but also what the alternative to termination is. As an alternative, many life insurers offer exemption from premium payments so that the contract is suspended for the time being. The assets saved so far remain with the insurance company until the policy has properly expired.

The insurance company invests the capital for the insured. However, not only are the premium payments omitted, but also insurance cover. There is also a catch: If the insured is to be exempted from the premiums, the surrender value of the policy is determined first. The losses must also be taken into account. This amount is then used for the new policy, which is exempt from the premiums. The released assets do not correspond to the capital that has been paid up until then!

Conclusion: Don't just cancel, think carefully beforehand

The mixed life insurance was intended as long-term insurance protection and was managed as such, a termination is therefore not intended. If it is nevertheless to be carried out, it sometimes costs a lot of money because the insurers first deduct their own costs from the current balance of the insurance policy. Tip: If you take out life insurance, you should calculate in advance at what point in time a termination would make economic sense.

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Mortgage landscape in Switzerland: Swiss banks will survive Corona well

Mortgage landscape in Switzerland: Swiss banks will survive Corona well

Corona also has Switzerland firmly under control and yet the economic consequences here could be more bearable than in many other countries. Nevertheless, new dangers are already in sight that could ultimately have a significant impact on banks.

Nervous economy in Switzerland

As everywhere in the world, the economy in particular is suffering from the consequences of the corona virus and the restrictions on public life. In spring 2020, a shutdown was imposed in Switzerland, which was supposed to break the first wave of infections and which had a very negative impact on the economy. But the consequences of the shutdown still had to be compensated.

In view of the renewed wave, there is now great fear that a lockdown could bring everything to a standstill. Experts agree that a complete closure of many industries could have such a negative impact that the number of bankruptcies is likely to skyrocket.

The banks are also suffering from the measures that have been imposed to combat the virus. Allegedly, 2021 could be the toughest test the financial industry has ever had to go through. The reason: The support services that the state can provide are not made to last and cannot be sustained for long. They should stabilize the banks and primarily help borrowers so that they do not become completely over-indebted.

But the banks are being forgotten about it. You have counted on the interest income, which you will now completely or at least partially lose. How great the damage is already will become clear as soon as state aid fails to appear. It was found by financial experts that the dynamics of the economic downturn cannot be compared with that after the financial crisis. The economies were and are strongly supported by the tax authorities, which was not the case during the financial crisis. The financing markets are currently still stable. Overall, the banks are better equipped to deal with what is to come than they were in 2009.

The economy is still stable

In contrast to the economies of other countries, the one in Switzerland could still come out of the crisis with a black eye. Even if the Swiss banks are less profitable and assets or their quality will deteriorate, the Swiss banks can contain the credit losses more strongly and are not completely defenseless as in other countries.

The reason for this is Switzerland's inherently more stable economy, where loan defaults are particularly low. In addition, the quality of the loans is completely different than in other countries. In Switzerland, mortgages are mainly given instead of the otherwise usual consumer loans, which in turn ensures that assets can be supported in the economic crisis.

However, the next problem is already evident. The pressure on margins will continue to be maintained by low interest rates, but profitability could decline for political reasons. The reason: The imputed imputed rental value has been abolished, which could reduce the size of the loan books and the capacity of the banks' income.
It is interesting that the Corona crisis and its economic effects are currently only rarely observed by Liechtenstein. There you are unimpressed by the crisis that is keeping the world in suspense. The banks' earnings base was only a little weaker temporarily, after which assets recovered very quickly.

However, one thing remains to be said: private banks are heavily dependent on investor confidence and a lack of confidence can result in a significant outflow of funds.

Conclusion: the Swiss economy and banks are doing well so far

The Swiss banks and the country's economy are still doing well to very well in view of the ongoing Corona crisis. In contrast to many other countries, you have so far got away with a black eye and therefore we can only hope that the crisis will soon be over. How long banks and the economy can hold out without suffering long-term damage cannot currently be stated.

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Moving to another apartment: what applies to household insurance?

Moving to another apartment: what applies to household insurance?

When moving to another apartment, many questions arise. Some of these concern insurance coverage: What happens to my home insurance? Does this still apply or do I have to take out a new one?

A closer look at different cases

There are several options when moving: You move in with or away from a partner, you move into a shared apartment or a condominium. The following cases illustrate how the household insurance should be handled in each case:

    • Moving in with the partner
      A household only needs household insurance. This should then have the family cover, so that all family members are included in the insurance. Incidentally, this applies to household contents insurance as well as to liability insurance. If you want to keep your existing household contents insurance, it is sufficient to inform the insurance company that you are moving in with your partner and the old contract will be terminated or will be replaced by the new one. Important: When two people move in together, the value of the household effects usually increases, because everyone brings something from their household, and often all the pieces of furniture are retained because, after all, the new apartment is also larger and therefore no restrictions have to be made in terms of furniture. The sum insured should always correspond to the replacement value that has been calculated for the entire household contents.

    • Moving into your own apartment
      If you move into your first apartment, you have to take care of the contents insurance. Damage to the rental object, i.e. to the apartment itself, is covered by personal liability insurance, which can be integrated into the household contents insurance. It is important to analyze the entire household contents and determine how high the sum insured should be. Please avoid underinsurance!

    • The partner moves out
      If the partner moves out, household insurance should be checked. Family coverage is no longer necessary, at least if there are no other people living in the household. If the value of the household effects decreases when the person moves away, the insurance should be adjusted accordingly. This allows the premiums to be reduced, because overinsurance does not bring any advantages.

    • Move to a shared apartment
      Each flat share resident can take out individual insurance for his part of the household effects of the shared flat. However, this is usually more expensive than an overall policy for the entire apartment and the people who live there. However, it may be more practical because whoever moves out basically takes their share of the insurance with them. In the meantime, however, the insurers offer tailor-made products for household effects and private liability for shared apartments, which usually also include liability to roommates. This is where WG insurance differs from normal household contents and liability insurance.
      Tip: You may still be covered by your parents' family insurance if you do not yet have your own income. Then their insurance also includes the household effects of the child living in a shared apartment.

    • Move to the condominium
      If you move to your condominium, your household contents insurance should also include broken glass so that, for example, windows or the glass ceramic stove are also insured. The furnishings that are firmly connected to the building (for example the fitted kitchen) must be covered by a mandatory building insurance, here household insurance alone is not sufficient.

Conclusion: Individual insurance protection after moving

The insurance cover for household items must be adjusted individually after moving. It is particularly advisable to check the insured values because it is easy to over- or under-insure after moving to another apartment.

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Orthopedic aids: do pet insurance companies carry wheelchairs for dogs?

Orthopedic aids: do pet insurance companies carry wheelchairs for dogs?

If a dog is diagnosed with joint damage or even a body part has to be removed, the question arises whether such damage is covered by the animal insurance. The only way to do this is to ask the insurer in question.

Orthoses help with joint problems

Many dogs have problems with their joints due to osteoarthritis, and sometimes they can no longer walk. Custom-made orthoses that support the weakened joints or parts of the body help here. Physiotherapy can also help give the animal more freedom of movement. At a point where people have long been using rollators, crutches or wheelchairs, animals have to get along with what is offered to them. And that's not much, especially since orthotics and prostheses for animals are extremely expensive.

They have to be made to measure, which is accompanied by the difficulty of making a plaster cast of the affected body part. The materials that are used are the same as those used in human orthopedics. Carbon is a popular choice, but it is more expensive than plastic. But carbon is more resilient and flexible. However, the future is seen more in 3D printing.

The production of an individually fitting wheelchair or an orthosis is a real sisyphean work. After the model has been made from plastic or carbon, work is continued by hand. Everything has to be laminated and sanded, followed by upholstery, sewing, riveting and drilling? depending on the need for further adjustments. Up to 20 working hours are incurred per orthosis. This costs a lot of money, which is why it is understandable that the pet owner asks himself: does the pet insurance pay for that?

Little used tools for animals

Many pet owners do not even know that orthoses can be made at all. Success stories only occasionally make their way through the media and are then given a lot of attention, but are quickly forgotten. In addition, it costs several hundred Swiss francs to have such special products made for your dog.

Those who do not have animal health insurance often have to make the decision to euthanize the animal. After all, it is not only the orthosis that costs money, but also the entire treatment up to then, combined with constant physiotherapy. Some critics see no point in the aids and are of the opinion that they are not doing the animals any favors. After all, they could no longer run properly, although that would suit their nature. In this respect, it is only advisable to every pet owner to assess the behavior of his animal individually and then to make the decision about orthosis or not or about life and death.

Does the animal insurance cover the costs?

The assumption of costs is possible in principle, but it depends on the animal insurance and the insured cases. Most of the time, cost limits are set here, whereby these are limited partly per illness and partly to the year. For example, formulations can refer to a maximum cost assumption of 80 percent of the surgery costs per year.

The remaining costs must be borne by the owner. In addition, it is possible that a deductible has already been agreed for each insured event. Furthermore, a maximum amount of damage may have been agreed. If this is exceeded, the animal insurance no longer pays for orthoses and Co.

Incidentally, wheelchairs are usually cheaper than orthoses and prostheses and can be used when there is no longer any possibility of adjusting a walking aid exactly.

Conclusion: animal insurance bears the cost of wheelchairs and orthotics

In principle, the costs for orthotics and wheelchairs are also covered by the animal health insurance, but this does not always apply. It may also be that such aids have been excluded, which is noted in the insurance policy. It is also important to consider the maximum limit for reimbursement of costs per year or per insured event. Everything that goes beyond this must be paid for by the pet owner himself.

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In good health: the Swiss feel fit

In good health: the Swiss feel fit

Every year, surveys are carried out in Switzerland to find out how fit the Swiss really are. That was also the case in 2019 and it feels like the Swiss are above average. But they don't top the list of the fittest Europeans.

Different health perception among Europeans

In the survey, over 90 percent of the Swiss stated that they feel fit and that their state of health is good to very good.

The Swedes, however, did not feel quite as good, here it was only 76.5 percent of the respondents who rated their well-being as good, very good or excellent. This made the Swedes the bottom of the ranking, because apparently the people of other European countries felt much healthier. Great Britain, France and Norway were also ahead of Sweden.

In the last survey carried out in 2016, the Swiss stated that they felt totally healthy and rated their own fitness as positive. At that time, however, only 88.9 percent of Swiss people said they felt good to excellent. Since then, the values have increased by 0.8 percent annually. Things looked different for the British in 2016. At that time they still felt good and 90.0 percent rated their own state of health as positive. In 2019 there were only 81 percent who expressed themselves in this way.

However, the values asked only reflect the subjective perception, they do not provide any really objective information. This sees the Germans and the French ahead of the Swiss, even if they may be the healthiest subjectively. The health of the Germans and the French shows better in an evaluation of chronic diseases: Only 47.4 percent would have received confirmation from a doctor that they are chronically ill. In Switzerland, it was a total of 49.3 percent of respondents in 2019.

Severely impaired Americans and Norwegians

The survey also looked across the pond and found that around 66.3 percent of Americans suffered from a chronic illness or that this proportion of the population had received a corresponding confirmation from a doctor.

Americans also top the rankings for various diseases. Arthritis, high blood pressure, cancer, diabetes and mental illnesses are particularly common among them.
The Norwegians top the list for other diseases: asthma, stroke and lung diseases are particularly common. Germany has the highest rate of heart disease, even if it is generally assumed that this should be the case among Americans.

Further results of the polls

Interesting: Those with a migration background feel less healthy than people with a migration background, the German-speaking Swiss feel better than residents of French-speaking Switzerland and Ticino, and women are less satisfied with their health than men.

Germans are least concerned about jobs and sources of income, while in Switzerland more than a third of the population is concerned about rent, mortgage and income. The Swiss are only surpassed by the Americans, who incidentally also lead the way when it comes to taking medication.

Almost every second of them takes two or more medications every day that require a prescription, while the proportion of Swiss people who take medication is significantly lower and is only around a third.

There is also dissatisfaction with general practitioners: in Switzerland, almost every second person thinks that the general practitioner takes too little time and does not involve the patient sufficiently in the decisions. In Germany and Australia, on the other hand, more than half to three quarters of those surveyed are satisfied with the services of the family doctor.

Conclusion: the Swiss feel fit and for the most part are too

The satisfaction of the Swiss with their own health has increased continuously in recent years. It turned out that they only feel subjectively fit and objectively they are not at all. Because almost half have already received confirmation from a doctor that they have a chronic disease. Nevertheless, the number of people who are satisfied with their own health has risen steadily in recent years.

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Cheap loans for foreigners: Switzerland offers personal loans with poor credit ratings

Cheap loans for foreigners: Switzerland offers personal loans with poor credit ratings

Switzerland has always had the reputation of having a special knack for finance. When it comes to credit, the Swiss banks are the number one point of contact if, for example, a German cannot get a loan in his home country due to a lack of creditworthiness.

Swiss credit as an alternative

If the creditworthiness is classified as weak, the banks sometimes refuse a loan. The applicant also receives a negative entry in the credit agency, so that further loan applications are only associated with problems and are usually rejected. The solution is often sought in a loan in Switzerland.

So-called Schufa-free loans are available here, for which other proof of sufficient income must be provided. The reason for this path: The Swiss are not interested in the German Schufa and apply different standards to the assessment of an applicant's solvency.

However, applicants from abroad have to provide some evidence, because? Into the blue? no Swiss bank will grant a loan either. She also wants to make sure she gets her money back and will ask about income accordingly. It is therefore important to have a regular income, which, depending on the loan amount, must be proven for at least three months. In some cases, proof of permanent employment is required, because what good is an income receipt if the income is lost in the coming months?

The creditworthiness would not be given and a loan default is to be expected. In order to provide additional security, the bank will have the right of attachment granted. This means that the borrower must agree that in the event of insolvency, the income may be attached.

Not always good conditions for foreign borrowers

Anyone who takes out a loan in Switzerland due to a bad credit rating must expect that the conditions are not as good as those with a very good credit rating. This means that interest rates will usually be very high, which is almost no longer expected in times of persistently low interest rates. Nevertheless, it should be understandable that the banks also want to protect themselves against payment default and that the higher risk can be paid for in the form of higher interest rates.

At the same time, the loan amount is partially limited, but this also depends on the borrower's income and the securities offered. Sometimes the loan amounts are a few thousand euros, so that, for example, the purchase of a new car could not be financed with this loan.

Many borrowers complain that the term and rates of a Swiss loan are not negotiable and that these are fixed. But here, too, the bank's wish to protect itself against payment default is obvious.

Conclusion: Swiss credit for foreigners is not cheap

Anyone who opts for the Swiss loan because, for example, in Germany no loan for the desired financing is available, has to live with the fact that the conditions are not the best. The interest rates are high, terms and the amount of the installments is usually given.

It is important for Swiss banks and lenders to protect themselves against possible payment default, especially since they do not look into Schufa or similar credit agencies. Rather, the bank must rely on the information provided by the loan applicant as well as on his proof of income and security. It is understandable that this is accompanied by sometimes unfavorable conditions.

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