Financial topics, clearly explained
Plain talk instead of small print: here I share what really matters on the most important insurance and financial topics.
Retirement savings account and the 2027 reform: what changes in subsidised pensions
What does the German pension reform act contain and is it already law? How much allowance per euro from 2027? Do I have to convert my Riester contract? What is the early-start pension for children? All rules with their status – no providers, no recommendations.
BasicsMortgage basics: what to know before you talk to a bank
How does an annuity loan work? Nominal or effective rate? Which fixed-rate period, which repayment? What are special repayments, loan-to-value, commitment interest, forward loans and early-repayment penalties – and where do German mortgage rates stand in October 2026?
BasicsBausparen: how German building-society saving works
What is the Bausparsumme, what is the rating number, when does allocation happen? What does the closing fee cost, what do the housing premium and employee savings bonus pay in 2026? How does cancellation work – and what are the pros and cons? Explained factually, without a recommendation.
EmployersSetting up a company pension: the employer's lever
A company pension retains talent and saves costs. Which subsidies are mandatory in 2026, what the state adds, and how employers design a scheme wisely.
BasicsOccupational pensions for employees in Germany: your right, the top-up, the catches
Do I have a right to a company pension? How much must my employer add? What is tax- and contribution-free in 2026? Why does a company pension cost health insurance in retirement – and what happens when I change jobs? The bAV from the employee's point of view, honestly explained.
BasicsOccupational disability: the basics – state cover, the gap, the terms
When do you count as unable to work, what does the statutory reduced earning capacity pension really pay, what do "abstract referral", "prognosis period" and "top-up guarantee" mean – and what are the alternatives? The basics, no sales pressure.
IncomeIncome protection: why now is the best time
Disability insurance protects your most valuable asset – your ability to work. What the statutory reduced-earning-capacity pension really pays, why the entry age sets the premium, and why waiting rarely gets cheaper.
BasicsYour rights when taking out insurance: information, advice, withdrawal, complaints
What must an intermediary show you before you sign? How long can you withdraw from a policy? What happens if a health question is answered incorrectly? And who helps you free of charge in a dispute with the insurer? Your rights under German law, with sources.
BasicsThe three layers of German retirement provision: who subsidises what, who taxes what
What do layer 1, 2 and 3 mean? How much basic pension (Basisrente) is deductible in 2026? What do Riester allowances pay, and what changes in 2027? Why is the state pension taxed? The German three-layer model explained, with a table.
BasicsETFs, funds, tangible assets: the terms explained simply
What is a share, a bond, a fund, an ETF, an index? What do TER, accumulating and Sondervermögen mean? How are returns taxed in Germany (flat-rate tax, saver allowance, partial exemption, advance lump sum) and what is in the key information document? A glossary, not a recommendation.
BasicsThe German state pension explained – and your pension gap in 4 steps
What is a pension point and what is it worth in 2026? When can I retire – at 63, 65 or 67? How do I read my annual pension statement? And how big is my pension gap? The statutory pension explained with all 2026 values.
BasicsStatutory health insurance in Germany: who must, who may, what it costs – the basics for 2026
Who is compulsorily insured in the GKV, who may switch to private cover? How is the contribution calculated, what is the contribution ceiling, who qualifies for free family insurance, how do I change funds – and how much sick pay is there from week 7?
BasicsGold and precious metals: the basics, no sales pitch
Bars or coins, premium and spread, "paper gold" and counterparty risk, storage, taxes (§ 25c UStG, § 23 EStG), the cash limit when buying, counterfeit risk – what to know before you even start thinking about it.
BasicsHousehold contents insurance done right: sum, risks, pitfalls
What counts as household contents, how do I calculate the sum insured, what is an underinsurance waiver, when does the insurer not pay – and what about bikes, holidays and heavy rain? The basics.
BasicsBuying or renting a home: the arithmetic behind the decision
How high are purchase costs by German state? How much equity is the rule of thumb? What is the price-to-rent ratio? What does a home cost to run – and how are prices moving according to Destatis? The logic, not the decision.
BasicsInflation, interest and purchasing power: what your money is really worth
What does 3.3 % inflation mean in practice? Why does the ECB aim for 2 %? What is the real interest rate, what is the rule of 72 – and how much purchasing power do €10,000 lose in 10 or 20 years if they just sit there? The arithmetic, without investment tips.
BasicsCar insurance explained: liability, partial and full comprehensive, and the 30 November deadline
What must I insure on my car and what is optional? What is covered by partial and full comprehensive cover, what do type class, regional class and no-claims class mean – and when can I get out of my contract?
ProvisionSavings plans for children: why starting early does so much
Time is the strongest ally when saving for children. How compound interest works arithmetically, what to look at in any savings plan – and what the new German Frühstartrente is (status: passed by the Bundestag, Bundesrat pending).
BasicsDaily sickness benefit: the income gap from week seven
What happens to my income if I am ill for more than six weeks? How much is statutory sick pay, where is the cap, what applies to the self-employed and the privately insured – and when do I need private daily sickness benefit?
BasicsConsumer loans and refinancing: what to know before you sign
What does the effective rate say, what the two-thirds rate in adverts? How do term, instalment and total cost interact? What are the rules on payment protection insurance, withdrawal and early repayment? When does refinancing add up, what does an overdraft cost – and what does the Schufa know?
BasicsCancel or keep your life insurance? Alternatives, tax, guaranteed interest
What do I really get back if I cancel? What are the alternatives – paid-up status, policy loan, sale, withdrawal? When is the payout tax-free? And why is an old guaranteed rate so valuable? A neutral checklist for German endowment and private pension policies.
BasicsBroker, agent, adviser: who works for whom – and who pays them?
What is the difference between an insurance broker, an insurance agent and a fee-based insurance adviser in Germany? What is in a brokerage agreement, what does a full mandate mean, how is a broker paid – and what duties does he owe you?
BasicsLong-term care insurance in Germany: care grades, 2026 benefits, the nursing-home co-payment – and the gap
How is a care grade determined, what does the care fund pay at home and in a nursing home in 2026, how high is the co-payment really, what does care insurance cost – and what three types of supplementary cover exist?
Health insurancePrivate vs. statutory health insurance: 5 common mistakes
Private (PKV) or statutory (GKV) health insurance? These five thinking errors cost the insured the most – with the 2026 figures: income threshold €77,400, maximum statutory contribution around €1,017, no way back from age 55.
BasicsPersonal liability insurance: why it is the most important voluntary policy
What does personal liability insurance pay, how high should the cover be, what about children, lost keys and favours – and what is not included? The basics, explained simply.
BasicsLegal expenses insurance: what it pays – and what it does not
Which modules exist, what does legal expenses insurance really cover, why is there a waiting period, what is excluded, can I choose my own lawyer – and what happens if the insurer refuses cover?
BasicsReporting a claim correctly: deadlines, duties and your rights
How quickly must you report a claim? What may you repair and what not? When do you need the police? What if the insurer reduces or rejects the payout? The process step by step, with sources.
BasicsReading your electricity and gas contract: standing charge, unit price, price guarantee, term – what matters
What do standing charge and unit price mean, why does the monthly instalment not match the annual bill, which price guarantee really protects you, how long may a contract run – and when may I cancel immediately?
BasicsAccident insurance: what the statutory scheme covers – and where private cover starts
Am I not insured against accidents through my job? What does private accident insurance pay for permanent disability, what do the limb schedule and progression mean, when does an accident count as an accident – and who actually needs this cover?
BasicsBuilding insurance: the basics for homeowners
What does building insurance cover, what do "sliding new value" and "1914 value" mean, is natural hazard cover becoming compulsory, what happens when you sell – and is the fitted kitchen building or contents?
BasicsFact check: 5 myths about switching your electricity supplier
Five common claims about switching electricity supplier that are simply wrong – they will not take me back, I will sit in the dark, the default supplier is cheaper – with the law and sources.
BasicsHow our monetary system works – in plain words
Where money comes from, why it loses value, what central banks and interest rates do – and what separates monetary assets from real assets. The basics without jargon.
BasicsStatutory or private health insurance: contributions, trends, benefits
The maximum statutory contribution in 2026, what private cover costs, how both systems developed over 20 years and where benefits differ – with sources.
BasicsNotice periods for all insurance policies: the overview
When can I cancel which insurance? Car, household, liability, building, legal expenses, life, private and statutory health insurance – all notice periods and special cancellation rights at a glance.