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Austria

Explore stories and insights from Austria.

Why Your ‘Risk-Free’ Savings Account Is Riskier Than a Bond ETF
Austria

Why Your ‘Risk-Free’ Savings Account Is Riskier Than a Bond ETF

Austrian investors are waking up to a brutal truth: the supposedly ‘safe’ choice between Tagesgeld and money market ETFs hides risks that could cost you thousands. The real scandal isn’t volatility, it’s the silent wealth destruction neither banks nor ETF providers advertise.

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The Real Cost of Building in Austria: Why Your €400k Budget Won’t Get You a Basement
Austria

The Real Cost of Building in Austria: Why Your €400k Budget Won’t Get You a Basement

A brutally honest breakdown of Austrian construction costs in 2024, based on real projects. Discover why that slope-side plot will cost you €200k extra and where you can actually save money without sacrificing quality.

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The Global Diversification Illusion: Why Your MSCI World ETF Is Just a Shadow of the S&P 500
Austria

The Global Diversification Illusion: Why Your MSCI World ETF Is Just a Shadow of the S&P 500

Think your international ETFs protect you from US market swings? The data tells a radically different story about true diversification.

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Volksbank vs. Erste Bank vs. Sparkasse: The Hidden 1.25% Interest Rate Wars for Austrian GmbHs
Austria

Volksbank vs. Erste Bank vs. Sparkasse: The Hidden 1.25% Interest Rate Wars for Austrian GmbHs

Why your business account is probably earning 0% while others collect 1.25% interest on identical balances, and how the Austrian banking oligarchy keeps it that way.

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Your Grandmother’s €170k Portfolio Is Funding Your Banker’s Pension, Not Her Security
Austria

Your Grandmother’s €170k Portfolio Is Funding Your Banker’s Pension, Not Her Security

A grandson inherits control of a €170k portfolio stuffed with high-fee active funds. The real dilemma isn’t market risk, it’s navigating Austrian fiduciary law, family expectations, and the mathematical certainty that ‘mündelsicher’ advice is destroying generational wealth.

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A €300k Apartment on €2,650 Net: The Austrian Homeownership Math That Doesn’t Add Up
Austria

A €300k Apartment on €2,650 Net: The Austrian Homeownership Math That Doesn’t Add Up

A 30-year-old with €135k savings questions whether a subsidized €300k apartment purchase makes financial sense. The answer reveals a dangerous gap between monthly affordability and long-term wealth destruction.

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Austria’s Tax Trap: Why Your Investment Losses Are Useless Without This Year-End Move
Austria

Austria’s Tax Trap: Why Your Investment Losses Are Useless Without This Year-End Move

Miss the December deadline for capital loss offset in Austria, and you’re essentially donating 27.5% of your gains to the Finanzamt. Here’s how to stop the bleeding.

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Last-Minute Donations in Austria: Your 2025 Tax Deduction Window is Closing
Austria

Last-Minute Donations in Austria: Your 2025 Tax Deduction Window is Closing

A practical guide to maximizing tax deductions through charitable donations before year-end in Austria, including specific rules, calculations, and pitfalls to avoid.

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Financial Goal Setting for 2026: What Austrians Actually Plan vs. What the Data Reveals
Austria

Financial Goal Setting for 2026: What Austrians Actually Plan vs. What the Data Reveals

Austrians are setting ambitious financial targets for 2026, €100k portfolios, 10% wealth growth, €1k monthly savings, but the reality is more sobering. Here’s what the numbers say about bridging the gap.

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Swiss Francs Under the Mattress: Is the CHF Your Secret Weapon Against the Eroding Euro?
Austria

Swiss Francs Under the Mattress: Is the CHF Your Secret Weapon Against the Eroding Euro?

Why some Austrians are quietly parking savings in CHF accounts on Revolut, and when betting against your home currency makes financial sense.

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The Permanent Ledger: Austria’s Kontenregister and Your 20-Year-Old Student Account
Austria

The Permanent Ledger: Austria’s Kontenregister and Your 20-Year-Old Student Account

Austria’s hidden financial register retains every bank account you’ve ever opened, long after you’ve closed them. We explore what this permanent record means, why it exists, and its implications for your financial privacy.

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The Mietanbot Trap: How Austrian Rental Offers Lock You In Before You Read the Fine Print
Austria

The Mietanbot Trap: How Austrian Rental Offers Lock You In Before You Read the Fine Print

That rental offer you signed in a panic? It might be legally void if the landlord hid a two-year lock-in clause or banned your WG plans. Here’s how Austrian law actually protects you.

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The Austrian Rental Contract Clauses That Legally Don’t Exist (But Cost You Anyway)
Austria

The Austrian Rental Contract Clauses That Legally Don’t Exist (But Cost You Anyway)

Austrian rental agreements are riddled with void clauses that landlords hope you won’t challenge. From WG bans to hidden insurance fees, here’s what your Mietvertrag is really saying.

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Austria’s New Betriebliche Vorsorge: A 401(k) Opportunity or a Misguided Experiment?
Austria

Austria’s New Betriebliche Vorsorge: A 401(k) Opportunity or a Misguided Experiment?

The Austrian government is overhauling occupational pensions with universal access and flexible withdrawals, but critics warn the changes could destroy the very purpose of retirement savings. We analyze whether this creates a genuine 401(k) alternative or undermines long-term security.

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