The Swiss franc (CHF) has always been known as a bastion of safety for money. Switzerland takes a neutral stance on most political issues, and so its currency and bonds are less susceptible to interest rate risk than those of other countries. Buying bonds directly from the government is difficult, however. Unlike in the United States, it is difficult for noninstitutional investors to purchase bonds in a public exchange. However, there are several bond funds that hold Swiss government bonds.
Buy Swiss Government Bond Funds
Go to Yahoo! Finance. See Resources for a link.
Enter RPIBX in the "Get Quotes" box. This is an international bond fund managed by T. Rowe Price. Familiarize yourself with the price performance by studying the price chart for a 6-month, one-year and two-year time frames.
Research other international bond funds that hold Swiss government bonds. You can start with LUX, a fund managed by UBS, or BCV Dynagest International Bond Expo denominated in CHF by inputting security number 2388558 into Yahoo! Finance's "Get Quotes" box.
Decide on which fund you would like to purchase. These are all mutual funds, so you only need to purchase one.
Purchase shares by contacting your stockbroker. If you do not have a broker, sign up with E-trade or Fidelity. See Resources for a link.
