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Disclaimer: This graph and calculations do not represent an offer or recommendation to purchase. They are simulations based on empirical data, and are used only to explain how the social security system and the third pillar works. For a more accurate result, request a social security analysis or request the final offers.
The amounts are constantly updated by law. In 2026, if you are an employee and have a pension fund (2nd pillar), you can contribute and deduct a maximum of CHF 7,258. If you are self-employed without a pension fund, you can contribute up to 20% of your net earned income, with a maximum cap set at CHF 36,288.
Banking solutions and apps offer excellent flexibility and lower costs, but they have one major blind spot: if an accident or illness leaves you unable to work, your income stops—and your retirement contributions stall.
Insurance solutions protect you from this exact risk. If you lose your ability to earn, the insurance company steps in and pays your contributions for you until you retire. This gives you absolute certainty that you'll hit your financial target, whatever life throws your way. Naturally, this level of protection comes at a higher cost.
There is no single perfect solution for everyone. The smartest move is to evaluate your individual pension needs and choose the path that fits you best. Often, combining both options is the most effective strategy.
The savings are immediate. The contributions you make to Pillar 3a are deductible from your taxable income. Depending on your salary, the amount you contribute, and the municipality where you reside, you can save between CHF 1,500 and CHF 2,000 in taxes per year. Additionally, the capital you accumulate in Pillar 3a is entirely exempt from wealth tax.
Absolutely yes. Many people think they are safe, but the reality is that the AHV (1st Pillar) and Pension Fund (2nd Pillar) together will only cover between 50% and 60% of your last salary before retirement. This will inevitably create a pension gap that will lower your standard of living unless you make private provisions. Starting to contribute to Pillar 3a early, even with small amounts, is crucial to leveraging the power of compound interest and closing this gap.
Useful tips for your 3rd Pillar, based on your profile
Not being subject to the 2nd pillar BVG, in case of disability, the independent worker are entitled only to the benefits of the first pillar. Reason why, taking out a third pillar to cover the risk of disability could be the right choice. Of course, before taking out a third pillar it would be appropriate to make a social security analysis.
Certainly, if both are employed in the family, both can make a 3rd pillar (3a) and thus take advantage of a bigger tax advantage, as well as bigger security in case of disability or death.
There are many solutions to cover the death and, depending on the type of mortgage and amortization, we can choose a policy with constant capital, or with decreasing capital. For example, if you regularly make amortization, the most sensible thing would be to have a policy where the death capital decrease at the same rate as decrease your debt. During a personal consulting you will find answers to this and other topics.>
By law, independent workers are not obliged to join the second pillar but, depending on their professional activity and their family situation, it is possible that the BVG offers excellent advantages in terms of tax and coverage. A social security analysis will answer all your questions. For further information please do not hesitate to contact us by clicking here
Death is a sensitive topic, but one that needs to be discussed as soon as possible. In case of the death of one of the parents (or both), our children would receive the benefits for orphans of the 1st and 2nd pillar, up to the 18th year of age (or 25th if they study). But these benefits are often not enough and leave our children in financial difficulty. With a pension analysis, you can predict possible scenarios and take the necessary measures to offer your children a peaceful future.
An invalidity due to illness can have negative effects on family finances because, generally, with the coverage provided by law we are not sufficiently insured. The third pillar allows to fill this gap, giving us the peace of mind to overcome moments of difficulty. Through our social security analysis, you will be able to decide whether or not to include, in your third pillar, the coverage in case of disability.
In the event of bankruptcy, your 3rd pillar insurance is not foreclosed and does not flow into the bankruptcy estate. An important condition is that the beneficiaries of these contracts are the spouse and the children. This way your family members are 100% protected.
We can't know what our children will do when they grow up, but whatever their dream, we parents can support them with an initial capital. Using a policy to save a portion of family allowances every month, we will create a capital that can be used, for example, for studies abroad, or to start their own business. The important thing is to think about it in time
Giving our children the opportunity to study in a prestigious university, perhaps even abroad, is the best contribution we can make to their future. Thinking about it in time is worthwhile. By saving small amounts every year, you will be able to accumulate, without effort, the money necessary for education.
If the bank has not already thought about it when granting the mortgage, you should think about it. In fact, one of the recurring problems in case of death is the fact that the family finds itself with an important debt, no longer having an income. Thinking about it in time is important!
Indirect depreciation through the third pillar offers us a double advantage. First: it allows us to accumulate the capital that will be used to pay off the mortgage when you retire, deducting the amount paid every year from taxes. Second: by keeping the debt unchanged until retirement (or mortgage expiration), you will have a greater interest charge, which you can deduct for tax purposes. Overall, this system is generally more advantageous than direct depreciation.
There are many factors to consider when talking about death. When the source of income is lost, the family must adapt to a new lifestyle, cut costs, evaluate if the current mortgage is still sustainable, or if we can still finance the studies of our children. With a pension analysis, we can answer all these questions and find solutions quickly.
Who stays at home is the real engine of the family and plays a very important role within it. Just think for a moment of having to hire a full-time person who will wash, iron, cook, tidy the house, bring children to school and their after-school activities and much more. This is why it becomes very important to cover a wife/husband who is not employed in case of disability and death. With a very small premium you can give peace of mind to your family in a very difficult time. Think about it.
Depending on your needs and goals, you will choose the type of third pillar that best suits you. For example, the third pillar 3a, does not allow major changes to the beneficiary clause as a precise order of beneficiaries is already provided by the law. If, on the other hand, we take out a free third pillar (3b), we will be able to arrange the order of the beneficiaries as we wish. During a consultancy interview we will go deeper into this important topic.
The law provides that, within one year of becoming independent, the capital accumulated in the pension fund can be withdrawn. To do it, you have to registrate your self as independent at the AHV office. For further information, do not hesitate to contact us by clicking here
Of course yes, almost all life insurance policies, like the 3rd pillar, can be pawned and also serve as a credit instrument. In particular, the third pillar is used for indirect amortization.
The answer is yes. The third pillar can be used to pay for the renovation of the primary house. Be careful though, because you can only use capital for certain types of jobs.
A special feature of insurance. In the event of death, the beneficiaries of your third pillar will immediately receive the stipulated capital, without waiting for the division of the inheritance. Furthermore, if the beneficiaries are the legitimate heirs, they will be entitled to the benefit even if they renounce the inheritance
Often and willingly there is the belief that, being married, the spouse automatically has the right to receive a widow's pension in case of death. But is not so. In fact, in the first pillar (AHV), but also in the second pillar (LPP), the following conditions must be fulfilled in order for your spouse to be entitled to a widow's pension.
- Having 1 or more children, or
- Be 45 years old and have been married for at least 5 years. For this reason it is important to understand your situation well through a social security analysis and, if necessary, to put the right remedies through, for example, a taylored third pillar..
Not working, children and students do not enjoy second pillar covers. This is the reason why, in the event of disability, they are considered "early disabled" and will have a benefit only from the 1st pillar, equal to 133% of the full minimum pension, which today is equivalent to CHF 1562 / month. Early invalidity is a problem that we do not think about (or do not want to think about), but which has very important repercussions on the life of our children and on the economy of the family in general. However, there are coverages under the third pillar that solve this problem with very low costs, BUT YOU MUST THINK ABOUT IT..
Choosing between an insurance 3rd pillar or a banking one, depends, above all, on the purpose with which we do it. We can say that the most important difference between a bank and an insurance is the "WAIVER OF PREMIUM FOR DISABILITY". This coverage, typical of insurance, means that in the event of disability, the insurance company pays the premiums for you until the contract expires (that is, until the ordinary age of retirement). A concrete example: Mr. Rossi, 30 yeras old, starts today to pay CHF 3,000 / year in a third pillar banking account, while Mr. Bianchi, also 30 years old, pays CHF 3,000 with an insurance third pillar. Since both have 35 years to retirement, we can say that both should arrive at 65 years old with a capital of CHF 105,000 (not including interest, surpluses, etc.). But, what if they both become disabled only after, for example, 7 years of payments? Well,Mr. Rossi, who has paid his third pillar for 7 years in a bank account, will receive when he retires CHF 21,000 (plus interest). Mr. Bianchi instead, who paid his insurance third pillar for 7 years, when he retires will receive CHF 105,000 (plus surplus evv).. This big difference is produced by the WAIVER OF PREMIUM FOR DISABILITY. This is why, for those who still have many years before retirement, the insurance third pillar, or a mix between insurance and banking, could be the right choice. For further information, do not hesitate to contact us by clicking here.
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