Inheritance of Swiss pension fund savings

If I were to die, who would inherit the money in my occupational pension fund?

Hi there,

Assets held in Swiss 2a occupational pension funds do not fall under the same inheritance procedures that apply to private savings.

When a pension fund member dies, their surviving spouse or registered partner can claim a survivors pension. This pension is based on the amount of money contributed to the pension fund by the deceased.

Spouse or registered partner

A spouse or registered partner is entitled to receive a widows/widowers pension if they care for one or more dependent children or if they are over 45 years old and were married to the deceased for at least 5 years.

A spouse or registered partner who does not care for dependent children or is not older than 45 years old and married to the deceased for 5 years or more is only entitled to a one-time compensation equal to 3-years worth of pension payouts.

A widows/widowers pension is equal to 60% of the full old-age pension which the deceased would have received.

When a widow or widower remarries or enters into a new registered partnership, they lose their entitlement to a widows/widowers pension.

Dependent children

Dependent children of the deceased are entitled to an orphan's pension. This only applies if the children are financially dependent on the deceased. An orphans pension is equal to 20% of the full old-age pension which the deceased would have received.

Optional inheritance allowances:

In addition to the compulsory survivors pensions which spouses and dependent children are entitled to, pension funds may - if they choose to - allow suriviors pension claims to be made by other individuals. When applicable, these allowances will be included in a pension fund's terms and conditions.

Pension funds may allow the following individuals to claim survivors benefits in this priority:

1. Individuals who are financially dependent on the deceased. Individuals who lived in a partnership with the deceased for at least 5 consecutive years up until the point of the death. Individuals who share one or more dependent children with the deceased and are financially responsible for the care of those children.

2. If none of the above exist, a survivors pension may be paid out to a non-dependent child, parent or sibling of the deceased.

3. If none of the above exist, survivors benefits equal to either the pension fund contibutions made by the deceased or 50% of retirement assets may be paid out to other legal heirs in the order laid out by Swiss inheritance rules.

Special regulations and limitations apply when a surviving dependent also receives a disability pension.

Best regards from Moneyguru

More on this topic:
Swiss pension fund comparison
3a private retirement savings account comparison