Pension : The federal government determined to abolish penalty-free early retirement after 45 years of contributions (Rente mit 63). The opposition against it failed. The legislative process is expected to conclude by the end of 2026, with implementation beginning in early 2027. The opposition now shifts to the length of the transition period. [1]
Pension : Scalable Capital* is the first provider to launch the state-subsidized Altersvorsorgedepot. It's free. Only the ETF's running costs remain (capped at 0.15% per year). Scalable Capital waives this cost in the first year. The state-subsidized Altersvorsorgedepot officially launches in 2027. However, you can already open an account today.
Energy :New gas contracts are getting expensive. The cheapest tariffs with a 12-month price guarantee averaged 11.56 ct/kWh on 18 August. In early March they averaged 9.34 ct/kWh. This results in an increased payment of 300€ per annum for a 100 m² flat (15,000 kWh usage per annum). Investing in modernizing your home to improve its energy efficiency becomes more attractive. [3]
Proposal : Tenancy law reform to make it easier for tenants to install air conditioning units and sun shades. Current law gives tenants no statutory right to install cooling devices or fixed shading systems in a rented property. You (as a tenant) depend on the landlord's consent. The bill will change this. You can expect a draft bill in autumn 2026. [4]
Proposal : The Mietrecht II reform has the following major proposals.
Limits on Index Rent Increases
The Current Situation: Index rents rise automatically based on inflation. It's a 1:1 mapping.
The New Proposal: In areas with a housing shortage, suppose inflation rises more than 3% in a year. In this case, the landlord can increase the rent by 3% plus half of the remaining inflation rise. E.g., the inflation rose by 7%. In this case, the landlord can increase the rent by 3% + 2% (4%/2) = 5% instead of 7% as of today.
Crackdown on Short-Term Rental Loopholes
The Current Situation: Landlords use short-term "temporary" contracts to avoid tenant protection laws.
The New Proposal: True temporary rentals (without normal tenant rights) may last up to 6 months. In special cases, this can be extended to eight months. Anything longer must follow standard, protective rental rules.
Extra Time to Pay Back-Rent
The Current Situation: If a tenant falls behind on rent, a landlord can issue an immediate eviction notice (extraordinary termination) or a standard notice (ordinary termination). Tenants currently have a grace period (Schonfrist) to pay the debt and cancel the immediate eviction notice. However, they can still be kicked out via the standard notice.
The New Proposal: If a tenant pays off all their rent arrears within the grace period, it will cancel both types of eviction notices.
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Deadline : The deadline to file the 2025 income tax return (Steuererklärung) has passed. If you missed the deadline, you can hire a tax advisor. The deadline with a tax advisor extends to March 1, 2027.
Phishing : The following phishing attempts have been reported.
WhatsApp account will be deactivated. You must click a link to prevent it. Don't click any such links. [1]
Sparkasse scam emails to update your details. Don't click on the links in the email. [1]
Product Recall : The following products have been recalled by the manufacturer.
EDEKA Bio frozen wild blueberries are recalled as they may contain Salmonella. Salmonella can cause fever, diarrhea, vomiting, and flu-like symptoms.[1]
HERCULES is recalling Rob Fold SL e-bike models because their carbon fork may fail. [2]
For emergencies:
BSI Lagezentrum: +49 228 999582 5110
BaFin Consumer Protection: consumer@bafin.de
Police: 110.
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Germany recorded the highest number of divorces among the EU member states. The number of divorces in Germany in 2024 was 129k. The second-highest is Spain, with around 83k divorces. Read more ->
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AI corner
News : OpenAI launched ChatGPT for Teens. It's a separate version built for younger users. It comes with parental controls, time limits, and stronger content protections. It also includes Study Mode, which walks a student through a concept step by step and asks questions instead of just handing over the answer.
Launch : Firefox added a free AI feature called Smart Window. It puts an optional chatbot in your browser that can search the live web and group your open tabs into categories. You choose which AI model it uses and what data it can see. Everything is stored on your own device, and you can delete it any time.
Latest News
German gas storage is 49% full. At the same point last year it was 67%. Booked storage capacity stands at 78% of German capacity. The Federal Economics Ministry does not expect a gas shortage this winter. [1]
123 Invest Gruppe has stopped paying part of its creditors and private investors. "123 Invest" issued a letter stating that the interest payment due on 30 June 2026 could not be made. The company says a restructuring will probably run through insolvency proceedings. Treat any offer to swap due claims for new bonds with caution.
The Robert Koch Institute estimates around 14,000 heat-related deaths in Germany this summer. That is roughly 17 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants. 7,040 of those deaths were people aged 85 and over. [2]
Germany is extending border controls at all nine of its land borders until mid-March 2027. Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt has formally notified the European Commission. This is the fourth extension since the controls began in September 2024 [3]
Deportations from Germany fell 18% in the first half of 2026, to 9,663. Voluntary departures supported by the federal REAG/GARP program rose 26%, to 9,276. The top three destination countries were Turkey, Georgia and Algeria. [4]
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New here? Check out GermanPediaDid someone forward you this? Subscribe to this newsletter. Your unfair advantage in Germany Essentials Pension : 68% of Germans oppose the government's plan to end "Rente mit 63" (found in an Insa poll for Bild). Rente mit 63 allows you to retire by 63 without reducing your pension if you have contributed to the pension fund for 45 years. Only 24% support ending the scheme. The poll surveyed 1,005 people on 6 and 7 August 2026. Read more -> Insurance :...
New here? Check out GermanPediaDid someone forward you this? Subscribe to this newsletter. Your unfair advantage in Germany Essentials Law : From August 1, 2026, first-grade children have a legal entitlement to all-day education and care. If your child starts first grade this school year, your local school or municipality must offer a place. It can either be at an all-day school or through after-school care. The right expands gradually. It extends to grades two through four in the following...
New here? Check out GermanPediaDid someone forward you this? Subscribe to this newsletter. Your unfair advantage in Germany Sorry, I was unable to send the newsletter last week. This was the first time in the history of the GermanPedia newsletter that I missed sending one. I fell sick and was about to travel back to Germany. But now I'm back in Berlin and want to share some exciting news with you. We just crossed the 6,000-subscriber mark. 🎉 Thank you, everyone, for being part of the...
