In recent weeks, we have received many inquiries about government bonds and the advantages of FlexPlus. In the following article, we will go into more detail and show you how to profit optimally from the interest rate turnaround with FlexPlus.
Table of Contents
Profitability
The deposit rate of the European Central Bank is currently 3.00% (as of March 2023). This implies that banks can deposit money with the ECB and receive 3.00% interest per year. The banks can rejoice but are less happy to share this joy with their customers, as the interest rates on current and call money accounts are often far below this. A recent analysis by Business Insider for examples states that the average interest rate on overnight deposit accounts is just 0.25%.
In comparison, the yield on 1-year government bonds of the Federal Republic of Germany is currently approximately 3.00%. So if you lend money to the German government for one year, you get a significantly higher return than bank interest rates. To let all savers participate in the changing interest rate environment in an optimal way FlexPlus was constructed.
Flexibility
According to the German Bundesbank, there were 1.75 trillion euros in current accounts in Germany in 2020, which can be used for payments. On the other hand, making payments with a conventional call money account is not possible. We, therefore, asked ourselves how to combine earnings and flexibility. For the first time, UnitPlus makes it possible to pay directly with government bonds worldwide free of charge using the associated debit card or Apple and Google Pay.
Diversification
If you save in an account with a bank, the bank decides autonomously how high it will set its interest rates on the related savings products. You are therefore exposed to the interest rate policy of the respective bank.
The FlexPlus portfolio invests in 10 European countries simultaneously. Thus, it takes advantage of yield opportunities in several countries and broadly diversifies the risk.
No restriction
Overnight and time deposit offers almost always come with certain restrictions. Whether minimum term or guaranteed interest only for a certain period. In some cases, certain sums must also be invested to take advantage of the offer. There are no such restrictions if you invest in government bonds via FlexPlus. Instead, money can be invested and spent flexibly. The term and minimum investment amount are also waived with FlexPlus.
Investor protection
In the case of banks, deposit protection applies to bank balances of up to €100,000. Amounts exceeding this value are at risk in the event of insolvency. While FlexPlus also has deposit protection on clearing accounts, the securities account and all assets are legally considered separate assets. This implies that the money is protected from insolvency by our partner bank or even UnitPlus. Thus, the repayment of investments in government bonds is only entirely at risk in the event of a sovereign default, which can be considered extremely unlikely in the case of European government bonds with a very high credit rating.
And that is how we understand lived innovation in the capital market.
Risk Notice:
This article is not to be understood as an investment recommendation. Nor is it advice to buy or sell financial instruments. Capital market investments are associated with risks that can lead to total loss. Historical earnings performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance.