Money & Finance
Banks, taxes, salary, investing, and money transfer. The decisions that affect every paycheck you earn in Germany, from your first Girokonto to your annual Steuererklärung.
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Latest in Money
18 articles
Iranians in Germany: Banking and Money Under Sanctions ({{YEAR}})
Why opening accounts and moving money is harder for Iranians in Germany, how sanctions affect transfers, and the practical workarounds that stay compliant.
US Citizens in Germany: Tax, FATCA, and Double Filing ({{YEAR}})
Why Americans in Germany file taxes twice, how FATCA affects your bank account, and the treaty mechanisms that stop you actually paying tax in both countries.
Sending Money from Germany to Pakistan ({{YEAR}})
The cheapest ways to send money to Pakistan from Germany, why the Roshan and remittance channels matter, real costs, and the bank checks large sends trigger.
Sending Money from Germany to the Philippines ({{YEAR}})
The cheapest ways to send money home to the Philippines from Germany, real costs compared, peso delivery options, and the bank checks large remittances trigger.
Stuttgart for Expats: Banking and Money in the Auto Hub ({{YEAR}})
Why Stuttgart's economy shapes expat money differently, what its high salaries meet in high rents, and how to set up banking in Germany's engineering capital.
Sending Money TO Germany: Inbound Transfers Done Right ({{YEAR}})
How to move money into Germany without losing a chunk to fees and bad exchange rates, what banks flag, and the cheapest routes for funding your life here.
Crypto Tax in Germany: The One-Year Rule ({{YEAR}})
Why Germany taxes crypto unusually well, the one-year holding rule that makes long-term gains tax-free, and the records you must keep to prove it.
Riester and Rürup: Germany's Private Pensions Explained ({{YEAR}})
What the Riester and Rürup pensions actually are, who each one suits, the tax breaks and subsidies, and why expats who may leave should think twice.
Investing in Germany: ETFs, a Depot, and the Sparplan ({{YEAR}})
How to start investing in Germany as an expat, what a Depot and a Sparplan are, the broker options, and the capital-gains tax that takes a fixed cut.
German Credit Cards for Expats (Including No-SCHUFA Options) ({{YEAR}})
Why getting a real credit card in Germany is harder than you expect, the difference between debit and credit here, and the no-SCHUFA cards that work for newcomers.
Feather vs HUK24 for Haftpflicht: Cheap German vs English Support
HUK24 at €36/year is cheapest. Feather at €59/year handles your claim entirely in English. For €23 more per year, you avoid filing damage claims in German under stress.
Taxfix vs Wundertax: Which One Gets You the €1,095 Back Faster
Taxfix at €39.99 vs Wundertax at €34.90. Both file your German Steuererklärung in English. Taxfix wins on UX, Wundertax wins on moving-to-Germany deductions. Real differences nobody tells you about.
Wise vs Revolut for Germany Residents: Real Fees, Real Limits
Wise wins on transfers above €1,000 with mid-market rates and 0.41% fees. Revolut wins on multi-currency travel + free EUR transfers within plan limits. Both now give German IBANs. Here's when each actually saves you money.
N26 vs Sparkasse for New Arrivals: Which One to Open First
N26 opens in 8 minutes with just a passport. Sparkasse needs Anmeldung, a branch appointment, and €6/month. Both have a place in your first year, but you only need one to start.
Frankfurt for Expats: Banking, the ECB, and Where to Actually Live
32% of Frankfurt's 779,000 residents hold foreign passports. ECB, Deutsche Bundesbank, and a finance industry that pays well above national averages. Westend, Nordend, Ostend, and the rental tactics that work.
How Pakistani Students Open a German Blocked Account from Karachi
€11,904 in a Sperrkonto, but the transfer from Pakistan is the part that traps people. SBP rules, Fintiba vs Expatrio for Pakistanis, and the order to do everything in.
How to Send Money from Germany to India Without Getting Fleeced
The cheapest way to send euros to your SBI or HDFC account from Germany. Real fees on €500 and €5,000. What German banks ask above 12,500 euros. NRE vs NRO in three sentences.
The Tax Refund I Didn't Know I Was Owed for Three Years
€2,847 sitting at the Finanzamt for three years, waiting for me to ask. The four-year backfile window, the Werbungskosten line items most expats skip, and the exact deductions that made up the refund.