Useful information about the historical interest and return calculator on moneyland.ch:
- The historical interest and return calculator makes it easy to find and compare the historical performance of Swiss savings account interest and Swiss stocks over historical time frames, with or without showing inflation.
- The interest rates of Swiss savings accounts, as per data from the Swiss National Bank, can be calculated from as far back as 1933. You can track Swiss stock market rates based on your choice of these indices: SMI (Swiss Market Index, starting from 1997), SPI (Swiss Performance Index, starting from 1988) and the Pictet stock market index (starting from 1926).
- Results include the highest, lowest and average Swiss interest rate and stock market performance over the selected time frame. Additionally, the cumulative interest and/or the cumulative returns over the entire time frame are also shown.
- You have the option of entering an initial capital outlay. The final capital, including capital gains, at the end of the chosen time frame is shown in the results. This option lets you simulate the capital gains which could have been achieved had the initial capital amount been invested across the selected time frame.
- You can select the starting and ending years of the time frame used for the calculation yourself. Note that the earliest possible starting year differs depending on which set of data you want to calculate. You can perform two calculations simultaneously. In this case, you can only select a single time frame for both sets of data.
- You can choose to calculate inflation (and deflation) over the selected time frame alongside interest and return calculations. If you do not choose to account for inflation, the nominal interest and returns are shown. When you choose to account for inflation, the real interest and returns are shown. Average and total inflation is shown separately. The Swiss Consumer Price Index (CPI) published by the Federal Statistical Office based on historical data starting from 1914 is used as the basis for inflation calculations. Savings interest and stock market index calculations are based on the CPI in December of each year.
- Real interest – actual interest after accounting for inflation – can be negative even if nominal interest is positive. This happens when inflation rates are higher than interest rates and therefore negate interest yields.
- Savings interest calculations are based on average annual interest rates. Stock index calculations are based on the last available rates in December of each year. This means that the difference in stock market index performance between two years is the percentage by which rates change between one end of December and the next. The highest and lowest annual performance figures indicate the biggest and smallest changes in rates from one year to the next, as percentages.
- Average savings account interest rates, average stock index performance and inflation rates are calculated based on the geometric mean average (not the arithmetic mean average). This is because the arithmetic mean average does not account for interest compounding.
- All results are rounded to the second decimal.
- Data used in calculations is published by these sources: Federal Statistical Office, Pictet, Swiss National Bank (SNB) and SIX.
- You can find all moneyland.ch calculators here.
- On moneyland.ch you can also use the current comparisons to find out from which Swiss banks you can get the best savings interest rates and buy shares at the best price.
