Norway to allow bond funds in Equity Savings Accounts from 2027

The Norwegian Parliament (Stortinget) has passed a decision that will allow bond funds (rentefond) to be held within an Equity Savings Account (aksjesparekonto, ASK) starting in 2027. Currently, bond funds cannot be combined with stocks and equity funds in this specific account type. Tuva Moflag, leader of the Finance Committee, stated that this change will provide citizens with greater flexibility and better opportunities to spread risk.

Under the new rules, bond funds will likely be taxed as standard interest income at a rate of 22 percent, while the equity portion maintains the current 38 percent rate. Financial experts from the Association of Norwegian Fund Managers (VFF) and DNB have expressed positive views on the development. This follows a significant trend in Norway where private investors have heavily increased their holdings in bond funds, with 18 billion NOK invested in such funds during the first half of the year.

In a related context regarding personal finance, a survey conducted by Kantar for SpareBank 1 Østlandet highlights the impact of small, recurring expenses on long-term wealth. The study suggests that cutting minor ‘guilty pleasure’ costs, such as unused streaming subscriptions, and redirecting those funds into equity funds could lead to significant long-term gains due to compound interest.