Keep your pension growing.

No. You can also leave your money in your previous employer’s pension fund for up to half a year. You only have to inform your previous fund of your new pension fund or vested benefits account after six months. So if you take a short break when changing jobs and go travelling for a few months, you don’t necessarily need a vested benefits account.

If you don’t register for a new account, your previous pension fund will deposit your pension assets in the national pension fund “Stiftung Auffangeinrichtung” after no less than six months but no more than 24 months.

If you are aged 58 or older, you don’t necessarily have to open a vested benefits account. If your employer has terminated your employment relationship, you can remain with your employer’s pension fund.

[Learn more about the vested benefit account]

You can withdraw your vested benefits no more than five years before reaching the statutory retirement age 65 but also no more than five years afterwards. However, under certain circumstances you may also use your vested benefits for other purposes:

• Reaching retirement age (or up to 5 years before)

• Transferring your vested benefits to another provider

• Living with a certified disability

• Starting a self-employed activity

• Permanently leaving Switzerland (EU Member States: only the non-mandatory portion may be withdrawn. Non-EU countries: the entire amount may be withdrawn, i.e. both the mandatory and non-mandatory portions)

• Buying or renovating a home (Primary residential property)

• Cash payout of small amounts

Your retirement savings are exempt from wealth tax for the duration of the term. The interest earned is tax-exempt until withdrawal.

When your retirement savings are paid out, they will be taxed separately from other income at a reduced rate.

If capital withdrawals are made from the 2nd and 3rd pillars in the same year, they are added together. It is therefore worthwhile not to withdraw everything in one year and to plan a staggered withdrawal. According to the law, you may hold up to two vested benefits accounts at the same time. However, splitting your benefits into two accounts is only permitted when leaving the pension fund, and is not permitted afterwards.

[Learn more about the vested benefit account]

After you have completed the opening process, you will enter the Alpian Vested Benefit dashboard. There you click on the navigation element “Transfer” and can generate your ready-made transfer order. All you have to do is complete this order with your personal details, sign it and send it to your previous pension fund / vested benefits foundation.

No, voluntary contributions to the vested benefits account are not permitted. Only Pillar 2 funds that are already tied up can be transferred to the vested benefits account, these funds come from a pension fund, a vested benefits account or a vested benefits insurance policy.

By Swiss law (the Vested Benefits Act), your accumulated retirement assets from your 2nd pillar must be integrated into your new employer's pension scheme to keep your retirement provision seamless and avoid gaps in coverage.