The neon bench expands its range with a fully integrated pillar 3a Solution. Following the success of neon invest, the logical addition to retirement provision is now available. neon is closing this gap with its own 3a solution. With 240,000 customers, neon has great potential for the neon pillar 3a solution. We have reviewed the details and show, whether neon 3a is worthwhile for you.
The facts:
Neon Säule 3a surprises with a well-thought-out pricing model. Unlike many competitors, every investment strategy costs the same here – regardless of whether you invest defensively with 25% shares or aggressively with 100% shares.
| Assets | Fees per annum. |
|---|---|
| CHF 0 - 4,999 | 0.45% |
| CHF 5,000 - 9,999 | 0.44% |
| CHF 10,000 - 24,999 | 0.43% |
| CHF 25,000 - 49,999 | 0.41% |
| From £50,000 | 0.39% |
Calculation example for a 30-year-old with CHF 15,000 in credit: With assets of CHF 15,000, you pay 0.43% per year, or CHF 64.50. This is less than Frankly (0.44%) and only slightly more than finpension (0.39%-0.42%). In Pillar 3a comparison This puts neon among the most affordable providers.
Neon 3a offers five predefined strategies, which differ primarily in terms of their equity allocation:
| Strategy | Equity share | Bonds | Real Estate | Gold | Risk profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Defensive 25 | 25% | 63% | 9% | 2% | Deep |
| Balanced 45 | 45% | 44% | 9% | 2% | Moderate |
| Dynamic 65 | 65% | 23% | 9% | 2% | Medium |
| Ambitious 80 | 80% | 8% | 9% | 2% | Increased |
| Offensive 100 | 99% | 0% | 0% | 0% | High |
The remaining portion is held in cash, free of risk.
Personalisation possible:
The neon 3a test shows that integration into the existing neon app makes opening an account child's play:
What stood out positively in the test:
The dashboard clearly shows:
| Provider | Costs (at CHF 30,000) | CH share | WEF reference | Change of strategy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| neon Switzerland | 0.41% | 60% | CHF 400 | Weekly |
| VIAC Switzerland | 0.44% | 75% | CHF 300 | Monthly |
| Finpension Switzerland | 0.39% | 70% | CHF 250 | Monthly |
| Frankly Extreme Index | 0.44% | 30% | CHF 0 | Daily |
You can find a complete overview of all providers in our Pillar 3a comparison.
Perfect for:
Neon 3a is a pleasant surprise. Although we were initially sceptical – yet another 3a provider? – the implementation is impressive thanks to its well-thought-out details.
The highlights:
The lowlights:
Overall rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
For existing neon customers the in-house 3a solution is a clear recommendation. Seamless integration and fair pricing make it the top choice for this target group. Non-neon users should also consider finpension (for maximum cost efficiency) or Frankly (if planning to buy a home).
You can find a complete market overview with all relevant digital providers in the always up-to-date Pillar 3a comparison.
This article was created in collaboration with neon. Our rating remains unaffected by this and is based on objective criteria.
Opening an account directly in the app takes less than 5 minutes. You do not need any additional documents or video identification if you are already a neon customer.
Yes, the transfer is free of charge with neon. The process takes approximately 4-6 weeks. Your previous provider may charge termination fees.
With an investment horizon of 35+ years, a high equity allocation is historically attractive. However, your investment strategy should always be tailored to your personal situation.
The Swisscanto index funds used actually have a TER of 0.1–0.3%. These are special institutional tranches for pension funds (known as «fund of fund» classes) that are available to large clients such as Simply3a. The management fees of 0.39–0.45% mentioned above are the actual total costs – there are no additional fund fees. Incidentally, VIAC uses some of the same funds with the same conditions.
neon uses the same proven infrastructure as Yuh and Glarner Regionalbank, provided by Descartes Finance. Your pension assets are held by the Simply3a foundation (not neon) and managed by the private bank Lienhardt & Partner. Investments are made in Swisscanto index funds. In the event of neon's bankruptcy, your 3a assets would be fully protected as they are held by the independent pension fund.
The funds are deposited with the Simply 3a Foundation and kept separate from the bank's assets. In the event of bankruptcy, your pension assets are protected.
Yes, you can open up to five separate 3a portfolios. This makes sense for staggered payouts in old age.
The tax statement is available directly in the app. Staggered payouts across multiple pots can save taxes on payouts.
Eric is the founder of Schwiizerfranke.com and certified IAF wealth advisor. Since 2019, he has been helping Swiss citizens to organise their finances comprehensibly, independently and efficiently.
📌 Note: This article is for information purposes only and does not constitute personalised investment advice.