Bausparvertrag Equivalent Rate Calculator
German Bausparkassen don't have to disclose one effective rate — this calculator works it out anyway.
A German Bausparvertrag (building society savings contract) has two economically different phases: a savings phase (fixed monthly deposits at a low savings rate) and a loan phase (the remainder disbursed as a standard amortising loan at a pre-agreed rate). Because the product spans both, Bausparkassen aren't required to quote a single effective interest rate for it. This calculator simulates both phases and blends the net cost into one comparable equivalent rate you can hold directly against a conventional mortgage quote.
German Bausparkassen aren't required to disclose a single effective rate for the product, since it has two phases with different economics. This calculator simulates the savings phase (compound monthly contributions until the tariff's minimum savings ratio is reached) and the loan phase (standard amortising loan on the remainder), then blends the net cost into one comparable equivalent rate — the same technique used for Islamic-financing equivalent-rate comparisons. It does NOT model the exact allocation queue (Bewertungszahl), which depends on your Bausparkasse's collective funding position and can lag behind the savings-ratio trigger modeled here.
How to use
Enter the contract sum and minimum savings ratio
The Bausparsumme is set in your contract; the tariff's minimum savings ratio before allocation is typically 40–50% of that sum.
Enter the savings phase
Your monthly contribution and the current savings rate (typically 0.01–0.25%/yr in 2026). The calculator simulates month-by-month until the minimum ratio is reached.
Enter the loan phase and closing fee
The pre-agreed loan-phase rate and term from your tariff, plus the closing fee (typically 1–1.6% of the contract sum).
Frequently asked questions
- Why is the equivalent rate often quite low?
- Because the savings phase earns interest instead of costing it, and only the smaller loan-phase portion is actually financed — the net cost (loan interest + closing fee − savings interest) gets spread across the whole contract term, not just the loan phase.
- What's the Bewertungszahl and why isn't it modeled?
- It's the scoring system that determines actual allocation order within a Bausparkasse's collective — it depends on that institution's current funding position and can't be generalised. This calculator uses 'minimum savings ratio reached' as an approximation of the allocation trigger; real allocation can lag behind it.
- Is a Bausparvertrag worth it vs. a conventional mortgage?
- Compare the equivalent rate here against a current mortgage quote for a similar term. A lower equivalent rate favors the Bausparvertrag — especially valuable if you expect rates to rise, since the loan-phase rate is locked in today.
- Does the calculator store my numbers?
- No. Everything stays in your browser.
Sources & references
Authoritative references behind the math, constants, and tables on this page. Verified by Buğra Sözeri on the dates shown and re-checked at every deploy.
- Stiftung Warentest — Bausparverträge im Vergleich — Reference for the 40–50% minimum savings ratio and 1–1.6% closing fee ranges(as of )