Moving out of Switzerland: Which vested benefits account for retirement savings?

I am moving back to Germany and I need a vested benefits account for my pillar 2 savings. The amount is 25,000 CHF.

Which banks provide this type of vested benefits account?

Hi there,

You can use the interactive vested benefits account comparison to find the most favorable account for your Swiss vested benefits.

In addition to interest rates, make sur to look at fees and charges as well. Be on the lookout for ongoing account fees, as these costs can deplete the interest you earn on savings or even your retirement savings themselves. Other fees to consider include charges for account-opening, early withdrawals (transfer to a different vested benefits foundation, home ownership, self-employment, emmigrating from Switzerland), and for cashing out your account. You can find all fees listed on the "Details" pages corresponding to each product listed in the comparison.

Best regards from Moneyguru

More on this topic:
Vested benefits account comparison
Swiss bank accounts for cross-border workers
Vested benefits: How many accounts?
Vested benefits accounts: Possible fees and charges explained

Hello,

I lived and worked in Switzerland from 2015-2020, then I moved back to my resident country, Slovenia (EU). I opened my vested benefits account at UBS, because at the time that was the only bank/foundation I could open an account with without having a domicile in Switzerland. In 2021 UBS started to charge a management fee of 3 CHF/month (and the interest rate is very low), which is not optimal since I'm losing pension money.

Is there any bank or foundation which does not charge a management fee and you do not have to have a domicile in Switzerland?

Thank you for your help in advance.

There are vested benefits foundations which accept non-residents who live in EU countries and therefore have to keep their vested benefits in Switzerland. In fact, unlike regular bank accounts, you can generally open a vested benefits account as a non-resident. You can also transfer your vested benefits from an old vested benefits account to a new one.

Most Swiss banks do not charge ongoing account fees for vested benefits accounts, so UBS is the exception. You can compare the costs and interest rates of vested benefits accounts using the comparison right here on moneyland.ch: https://www.moneyland.ch/en/vested-benefits-accounts-comparison

Most banks also exclude vested benefits accounts from their extra fees for non-residents. That kind of makes sense because if you live in EFTA or the EU, you have to leave your vested benefits in Switzerland. You don't have a choice.

UBS does not charge a fee when you close your account and transfer your benefits to another vested benefits account (some banks do).

I recommend that you also consider vested benefits asset management services like Viac and Finpension. You could also look at vested benefits retirement funds, which you can also compare here on moneyland.ch (just tick the "vested benefits" filter on the main comparison page): https://www.moneyland.ch/en/retirement-fund-comparison

Online asset management services let you invest all or part of your vested benefits using ETFs. You can get an overview of online asset management services for Swiss vested benefits in this guide:
Pillar 3a and Pillar 2 digital asset management services