- An invested 3a is something you open yourself, with the provider of your choice.
- Digital providers cost about 0.4% a year; a bank's 3a fund, often 1% or more.
- Open several portfolios from the start: the tax on withdrawal will be lower.
1. Choose the provider
Digital providers cost about 0.4% a year, fund costs included: often less than half of a bank's 3a fund. Nobody opens it for you: not your employer, not your pension fund. Opening takes a few minutes online, with an ID document, and there is no minimum amount at finpension or VIAC.
Between the three big digital providers, the fee gap is small. What sets them apart: the maximum share of equities, the number of portfolios and how much Switzerland weighs in their strategies.
The providers and their fees
| Provider | Fees per year | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| finpension | 0.39%, fund costs generally included | Up to 5 portfolios, from 1 franc |
| VIAC | 0 to 0.44% depending on the strategy, the first CHF 8'500 free of charge | Up to 99% equities, small death and disability cover included |
| frankly (Zurich Cantonal Bank) | 0.43%, all-in fee | Up to 95% equities |
| 3a fund at a traditional bank | Often 1% or more, plus custody fees | Often actively managed, advice in a branch |
Fees published by the providers, checked in October 2026. Some products add small issue fees or the costs of listed real estate funds.
2. See what fees cost you
One point of fees a year looks small, but it is taken every year from all your capital, for decades. At the maximum, over 30 years, moving from a bank fund to a digital provider often leaves you about 50'000 francs more at withdrawal. Set the fees of your current 3a:
What the fee gap costs you:
ViaVest calculation: 5% a year before fees, contribution at the start of each year. Indicative result, returns are not guaranteed.
3. Choose your share of equities
With more than 15 years ahead of you, an equity-heavy strategy has done far better than a 3a account in the past, with falls along the way. Digital providers go up to 95% equities or more. In 2022, a strategy with 60% equities lost about 17%: that is the price of long-term returns.
Also look at the share of Switzerland. In some strategies, Swiss shares make up almost 40% of the equities, while Switzerland is only a few percent of the world stock market. That weight avoids currency risk, but concentrates your savings on a few large companies. finpension and VIAC offer a more global version of their strategies. The pros and cons: Swiss shares or the world.
4. Open several portfolios
Open 3 to 5 portfolios from the start: tax on withdrawal goes down if you withdraw them in different years. A 3a account is withdrawn in one go, and the tax rises with the amount withdrawn in the same year. The same capital, spread over several accounts withdrawn between 60 and 65, therefore costs less tax. finpension and VIAC allow up to 5 portfolios in the same app. The calculation by canton: how many accounts, and in what order.
If you might leave Switzerland, several portfolios help too: you can withdraw your 3a in full when you leave for good. Some providers charge a fee to pay out abroad, lower once you have been a client for more than a year.
5. Move your old 3a
A 3a sleeping in an account or in an expensive fund can be moved to another provider, with no tax. You open the new 3a, then request the transfer, often directly in the app. The old bank sometimes charges a closing fee, and the money is out of the market for a few days.
A 3a taken out with an insurance company does not move like an account: cancelling it early often loses part of the premiums paid. Ask for its surrender value first, in writing. Your options are in 3a with a bank or an insurer.
Going further
Pay in January rather than December. Each contribution works almost a year longer. At withdrawal, your capital is higher by about one year of return, with no effort at all.
Prepare each portfolio before its withdrawal. Since your accounts will be withdrawn in different years, reduce the equity share of each one in the 5 years before its own withdrawal, not your whole 3a at once.
The 3a recovers more withholding tax. The institutional index funds used by 3a foundations recover a large part of the tax withheld abroad on dividends, which a private investor with an ETF does not always get. One more advantage, invisible on your statement.
How much tax does your 3a save?By canton and income, with the long-term projection.
Work out my savingYour next step
To do, at your own pace:
Path “The basics” · step 7 of 8
Frequently asked questions
Which 3a provider costs the least?
The three main digital providers, finpension, VIAC and frankly, all charge around 0.4% a year, with fund costs largely included. The 3a funds of traditional banks often cost 1% or more, plus custody fees.
Can I move my 3a to another provider?
Yes, with no tax. You open the new 3a, then request the transfer, often directly in the new provider's app. Your old bank may charge a closing fee. The securities are sold before the transfer: the money is out of the market for a few days.
How many 3a portfolios should I open?
Three to five. A 3a account is withdrawn in one go: several accounts withdrawn in different years lower the tax on withdrawal. finpension and VIAC allow up to 5 portfolios.
Can I open a 3a as an expat?
Yes, as soon as you have AHV-liable income in Switzerland, with any residence permit. If you are taxed at source, you need a subsequent ordinary assessment to deduct your contributions.
What happens to my 3a if I leave Switzerland?
You can withdraw it in full when you leave Switzerland for good, whatever your destination. The withdrawal is taxed at source, at a reduced rate, and some providers charge a fee to pay out abroad.
Can an equity 3a lose money?
Yes, in some years. In 2022, a 3a strategy with 60% equities lost about 17%. Over 15 years or more, such falls have been made up in the past. As you approach withdrawal, reduce the equity share of the portfolio concerned.
Sources: finpension, 3a fee schedule (in force from 1 July 2026) and Durable 60 strategy factsheet (30.09.2026) ; VIAC, pillar 3a fees (October 2026) ; frankly, Zurich Cantonal Bank Epargne 3 pension foundation, all-in fee ; VZ VermögensZentrum, comparison of 3a securities solutions (2026) ; BVV 3 / OPP 3. ViaVest calculations.