Number format: this calculator uses German notation throughout — a comma is the decimal separator and a dot groups thousands. “1.234,56” means one thousand two hundred thirty-four euros and fifty-six cents. The figures come from German tax law, so they are shown the way German authorities write them.
Nominal rate (Sollzins)
The nominal annual rate of the loan, on which the instalment is calculated.
In plain language
The nominal rate is the price of the borrowed money: the percentage the bank charges per year on the debt still outstanding. It is not the same as the annual percentage rate — that also contains the incidental costs and is therefore higher. The instalment follows the nominal rate; comparing two offers follows the annual percentage rate.
In detail
The fixed nominal rate is the loan's nominal annual interest rate (§ 489 BGB uses the term in the context of the right of termination). For the instalment it is spread across the payment periods: with monthly payments the period rate is one twelfth of the annual rate. In each period interest accrues on the outstanding debt; whatever is left of the constant instalment repays capital. Because the debt falls, the interest share falls and the repayment share grows — hence the accelerating profile towards the end. The annual percentage rate under § 16 PAngV is higher, because it takes in the intra-year payment pattern and the incidental costs.
Worked example
A 250.000 € loan, 2 % initial repayment, monthly payments: at a nominal rate of 3,75 % the instalment is 1.197,92 € and the annual percentage rate 3,82 %. At 4,75 % the instalment rises to 1.406,25 € and the annual percentage rate to 4,85 % — and the term falls from 339 to 308 instalments, because at the same initial repayment rate the higher interest forces a higher instalment.
In brief
Per period the nominal rate is divided by the number of payments per year.
Legal basis: § 489 BGB (nominal rate) · as at 2026