Unique Factors for the Swiss Franc

As posted on Investopedia

Switzerland’s famous neutrality is a significant factor in its economy and currency. Though Switzerland harmonizes many of its policies with the Eurozone countries, it is not a member and it maintains its independence. What’s more, as a global destination of choice for expatriated capital, Switzerland is less sensitive to the economic performance of its neighbors.

Switzerland does have some risks with its heavy reliance on its banking sector. Under pressure from countries like the United States and Germany, some of Switzerland’s bank secrecy laws have been relaxed. That is likely a concerning development for dictators, criminals and businessmen who want to keep their wealth both safe and secret. As a result, other countries like Singapore have begun tightening their rules and promoting themselves as emerging alternatives to Switzerland for offshore accounts.

Another odd aspect to the Swiss franc is that, in many ways, it is a currency and not a country. While the U.S. dollar is certainly boosted by its heavy weighting as a reserve currency and its safe haven status, trade in the dollar is still largely dictated by the economic conditions of the United States. For the Swiss franc, it sometimes seems that only the interest rate decisions of the SNB really matter. Perhaps this is because Swiss governments have maintained largely consistent economic policies (no one expects anything wild from the Swiss), or perhaps it is because demand for the Swiss franc is dominated more by its utility as a liquid, stable and reliable alternative currency.

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Anthony DiChi,
Your friend in Forex Currency Trading, FX Information and Forex News at TradeCurrencyNow