Our advice on the third pillar

A third pillar is a contract that can last twenty or thirty years. Choosing it on the basis of an online ranking or the first offer that arrives is a bit like buying a house after looking at one photo. For us, consulting is the starting point: we devote time to each client, use professional analysis tools and compare products from different companies, so that the third pillar you sign is the one that fits your situation, not the one that is easiest to sell.

Consulting means answering three questions before talking about any product:

• Where do you stand today? What the first pillar (AHV/OASI) and the second pillar (BVG) will actually pay you at retirement, and what they would pay you and your family in the event of disability or death.
• Where do you want to go? The income you want in retirement, the people who depend on you, plans such as buying a home or becoming self-employed.
• What is the best way to get there? The type of third pillar, the right amount, the right duration and the right company, within a budget that is sustainable for you.

Only when these answers are clear does it make sense to compare offers.

1. Your request. Everything starts when you send us a comparison request or contact us, or book a free 30-minute call. We ask a few basic details: age, income, family situation, whether you are affiliated to a pension fund, what you already have.

2. The documents. For a precise analysis, we ask you for the documents that contain your real numbers: your pension fund certificate, any existing third pillar or life insurance policies, and, if available, your AHV contribution statement. If you are taxed at source or a cross-border commuter, we also take your tax situation into account.

3. The pension analysis. We calculate your first and second pillar benefits in the event of retirement, disability and death and compare them with your current income. With graphs, we show you how the three pillars work together in your specific case and where the gaps are: how much income would be missing at retirement, and what would happen to your family if you could no longer work.

4. The type of third pillar. We discuss with you which "type" of third pillar suits you best: pillar 3a or 3b, bank or insurance, a traditional solution with guarantees, a plan linked to investment funds or to indices, with or without capital protection, with or without risk covers. Each option has a different balance of return, security and flexibility.

5. The comparison between companies. Once the type is defined, we compare offers from several insurance companies on the same basis: premium, guaranteed and projected capital, costs, surrender values in the first years, risk covers and the conditions of the premium waiver. You see the differences side by side, in plain numbers.

6. Your decision, and the follow-up. You decide without pressure. After signing, we stay your contact person: for the annual tax certificate, for adjusting the premium if your income changes, for early withdrawal when buying a home, and for the periodic review of your situation.

Two third pillars with the same premium can lead to very different results. In every comparison we check in particular:

• Costs: acquisition and administration costs, fund fees, and how they weigh on the capital over the years.
• Surrender value: how much you would get back if you had to stop the contract in the first years. In insurance solutions it is often low at the beginning; you need to know it before signing.
• Guarantees: what is guaranteed at maturity and what is only a projection.
• Risk covers: disability pension or capital, death capital, and the waiting period before the premium waiver starts.
• Flexibility: the possibility of changing the premium, taking a break from payments, switching between 3a and 3b, or changing the investment strategy.

• Employees who want to reduce their taxes and close their pension gap.
• Self-employed people without a pension fund, who can pay up to 20% of their income (maximum CHF 36,288 in 2026) into pillar 3a and need to build their own risk cover.
• Families who want to protect their partner and children in the event of death or disability.
• Cross-border commuters and holders of a B permit taxed at source, for whom the tax deduction requires a specific procedure.
• Anyone who already has a third pillar and wants to know whether it still makes sense, or whether it is worth adjusting it.

Whether you work with us or with someone else, a few questions help you judge the quality of the advice you receive:

• Have you calculated my first and second pillar benefits before proposing a product?
• How many companies have you compared, and why do you recommend this one?
• What would I get back if I stopped the contract after three or five years?
• Which part of the final capital is guaranteed?
• How are you paid for this advice?

An adviser who answers these questions clearly is an adviser you can trust with a contract that will accompany you for decades.

You can get a first estimate in a few minutes with our calculator, which shows your pension gap and the capital you could build with a third pillar. For a complete analysis, book a free 30-minute consultation: with all the elements in hand, we will help you choose the third pillar and the company that are right for you.