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Neon 3a experiences in the largest Neon 3a test report: the fees stand out

neon 3a experiences: Testing the neon pillar 3a

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.

Table of contents

neon Pillar 3a – The most important facts in brief

The facts:

  • Fees: 0.39% to 0.45% (staggered according to assets)
  • maximum Equity ratio: 100% possible
  • Minimum deposit: CHF 1
  • Up to 5 pots for staggered delivery
  • Change of strategy: Possible weekly
  • WEF advance withdrawal: CHF 400
  • ⭐️ Swiss franc rating: 4.5/5 
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All neon 3a costs in detail: Transparent and fair

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.

The neon 3a fee scale at a glance:

AssetsFees per annum.
CHF 0 - 4,9990.45%
CHF 5,000 - 9,9990.44%
CHF 10,000 - 24,9990.43%
CHF 25,000 - 49,9990.41%
From £50,0000.39%

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.

The 5 neon 3a investment strategies: From cautious to bold

Neon 3a offers five predefined strategies, which differ primarily in terms of their equity allocation:

StrategyEquity shareBondsReal EstateGoldRisk profile
Defensive 2525%63%9%2%Deep
Balanced 4545%44%9%2%Moderate
Dynamic 6565%23%9%2%Medium
Ambitious 8080%8%9%2%Increased
Offensive 10099%0%0%0%High

The remaining portion is held in cash, free of risk.

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Personalisation possible:

  • Standard: Broadly diversified with approximately 10% Swiss equities
  • Focus on Switzerland: Increased Swiss exposure (up to 60% Swiss equities in Offensive 100 – too highly concentrated for many investors)
  • Focus on sustainability: ESG-compliant index funds instead of standard variants
  • Combination: Switzerland + Sustainability can be selected simultaneously

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How neon pillar 3a works in practice

Opening an account: record-breaking speed

The neon 3a test shows that integration into the existing neon app makes opening an account child's play:

  1. In the neon app: Tap on «Pillar 3a»
  2. Risk profile: Answer four simple questions about your risk tolerance
  3. Select strategy: Adjust based on profile or manually
  4. Personalisation: Optional focus on Switzerland or sustainability
  5. Finished: Account is ready for immediate use

What stood out positively in the test:

  • No separate login necessary
  • details to the Investment strategies are elegant in the neon appprocessed and available for viewing
  • Fund data sheets etc. are then linked via the website. During testing, there were still some faulty links to Swisscanto that did not work. Hopefully, these will be fixed soon.
  • Tax statement available directly in the app
  • Weekly strategy adjustment possible (rare on the market!)

Administration: Everything in one place

The dashboard clearly shows:

  • Current portfolio value with Performance
  • deposit history
  • asset allocation in real time
  • Up to 5 separate 3a portfolios manageable (for later staggered reference)

neon 3a comparison vs. competition:

100% Comparison of shares with a focus on Switzerland:

ProviderCosts (at CHF 30,000)CH shareWEF referenceChange of strategy
neon Switzerland0.41%60%CHF 400Weekly
VIAC Switzerland0.44%75%CHF 300Monthly
Finpension Switzerland0.39%70%CHF 250Monthly
Frankly Extreme Index0.44%30%CHF 0Daily

You can find a complete overview of all providers in our Pillar 3a comparison.

Special strengths of neon 3a

  • Seamless integration: Perfect for existing neon customers
  • Fair prices: Regardless of the chosen strategy, the higher the 3a assets paid in, the lower the fees.
  • Maximum flexibility: Weekly strategy adjustment possible
  • 100% shares: One of the few with a full equity allocation
  • Simplicity: Very intuitive solution

The neon 3a disadvantages at a glance

  • WEF connection expensive: With CHF 400 at the upper end (Frankly: CHF 0)
  • Only limited fund selection
  • High focus on Switzerland: 60% CH shares in the Swiss variant are too concentrated for many. However, competitors are comparable or even higher.

Who would benefit from the neon pillar 3a?

Perfect for:

  • Existing neon customers: Integration makes it unbeatably convenient
  • 100% share fans: One of the few with a full equity allocation
  • Convenience optimiser: Those who prioritise simplicity over every last penny
  • Beginners: Minimum deposit of CHF 1

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Neon Säule 3a experiences: Our conclusion

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:

  • Integration: Unbeatable for existing neon users
  • Prices: In the leading group with 0.39%-0.45%
  • Flexibility: Weekly adjustments and up to 5 pots
  • Simplicity: Highly intuitive 3a solution
  • Focus on Switzerland: CH equities Focus on the Swiss strategy
Neon vs Viac vs Finpension vs Frankly vs True Wealth vs Yuh

The lowlights:

  • WEF reference: At CHF 400, significantly more expensive than frankly (CHF 0)
  • Product selection: Only Swisscanto index funds available

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.

FAQs about neon 3a experiences

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.

Financial author Eric Marschall certified investment advisor (IAF) independent financial expert Switzerland - certified financial expert switzerland
About the author

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.

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