Compound interest calculator Switzerland: savings in CHF
How much will your savings grow if you add a bit every month? This compound interest calculator shows it in Swiss francs: enter your starting capital, monthly deposit, interest rate and term, and it does the rest. The rate starts at the highest savings rate without bonus conditions from our Swiss savings rates table.
Balance after 10 years
CHF 35,355
- Deposits
- CHF 34,000
- Interest and compound interest
- CHF 1,355
On a Swiss savings account, the bank deducts 35% withholding tax once the interest exceeds CHF 200 in a year. If the bank credits interest more than once a year, this threshold doesn't apply. If you live in Switzerland, you get the tax back through your tax return. The calculator shows interest before withholding tax.
Show year-by-year table
| Year | Deposits | Interest and compound interest | Balance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CHF 12,400 | CHF 68 | CHF 12,468 |
| 2 | CHF 14,800 | CHF 150 | CHF 14,950 |
| 3 | CHF 17,200 | CHF 248 | CHF 17,448 |
| 4 | CHF 19,600 | CHF 360 | CHF 19,960 |
| 5 | CHF 22,000 | CHF 488 | CHF 22,488 |
| 6 | CHF 24,400 | CHF 631 | CHF 25,031 |
| 7 | CHF 26,800 | CHF 789 | CHF 27,589 |
| 8 | CHF 29,200 | CHF 962 | CHF 30,162 |
| 9 | CHF 31,600 | CHF 1,151 | CHF 32,751 |
| 10 | CHF 34,000 | CHF 1,355 | CHF 35,355 |
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How the calculator works
- Deposits: the starting capital is in the account from day one. The monthly deposit arrives at the start of each month.
- Interest: interest accrues every month on the current balance. Depending on the setting, it’s credited yearly, quarterly or monthly, and only earns interest itself once it’s credited.
- Crediting: many Swiss savings accounts, for example at UBS, Migros Bank, Cembra, Cler and Swissquote, credit interest once a year on 31 December. Leave the setting on “Yearly” unless your bank credits more often, like wiLLBe quarterly or Alpian monthly.
- Inflation: if you enter an inflation rate, the calculator also shows what the final balance is worth in today’s francs.
- Taxes: the calculator shows interest before tax. More on that below.
- Not included: fees, rate tiers and interest caps. The calculator counts every month as 30 days and the year as 360 days, and banks round differently.
The rate stays the same for the whole term. In practice, banks change their savings rates when interest rates move. Treat the result as a calculation at today’s rate, not a forecast.
What is compound interest?
Compound interest is interest on interest that has already been credited. In the first year you earn interest on your starting capital. In the second year you earn interest on the starting capital plus the first year’s interest, and so on. The longer the term and the higher the rate, the stronger the effect.
Without regular deposits and with yearly crediting, the formula is:
Final capital = starting capital × (1 + rate)years
With CHF 10,000 at 1% for 10 years, that’s CHF 10,000 × 1.0110, or about CHF 11,046. Without compounding it would be CHF 11,000. With monthly deposits the formula gets messy, which is what the calculator is for.
How much does a savings account earn in 20 years?
Take CHF 10,000 starting capital and CHF 200 a month for 20 years. By the end you’ve paid in CHF 58,000. This is the interest on top:
| Interest rate | Interest after 20 years | Balance |
|---|---|---|
| 0.075% (median savings rate in our table) | CHF 514 | CHF 58,514 |
| 0.60% (Cembra Sparkonto Plus) | CHF 4,273 | CHF 62,273 |
In this example, even at the best savings rate, most of the final balance comes from your own deposits. To get a better rate, compare the banks in the savings rates table. Whether switching pays off depends on the amount, the fees and the withdrawal limits.
Interest and inflation: what’s left in real terms?
If the interest rate is below inflation, your money loses purchasing power despite the interest. The Swiss National Bank equates price stability with a rise in consumer prices of less than 2% a year. Use the “Inflation” field to see what your final balance would be worth in today’s francs.
Which taxes apply to interest?
- Withholding tax: if the interest on a Swiss savings account exceeds CHF 200 in a calendar year, the bank deducts 35% withholding tax on all of it. This threshold only applies if the bank credits interest once a year. If you live in Switzerland, you get the tax back when you declare the account and the interest in your tax return. See how to reclaim withholding tax.
- Income and wealth tax: you pay income tax on the interest and wealth tax on the balance. That also applies below the CHF 200 threshold.
The calculator shows a note as soon as withholding tax applies.
Savings account, pillar 3a or investing?
The calculator works for any fixed rate. For a savings account, enter your bank’s rate. Shares and ETFs have no fixed rate: returns vary from year to year and losses are possible, so an assumed return in the calculator is only a scenario. How the three fit together is covered in the path to wealth. For retirement savings with a tax deduction, see the pillar 3a comparison.