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Pillar 3a interest rate comparison 2023: Pension recommendations & news

With the 3 column system Switzerland has created a unique system. Compared to other countries, we are offered really good options for structuring pension provision and optimizing taxes.

Not all pillar 3a products on the market are recommendable for every age group. This is because in some cases the charges are too highrespectively the Interest too low. On this page you will find therefore not only a Pillar 3a interest rate comparison 2023. Be sure to read further after the interest rate comparison!

For the reasons listed later, it is generally worthwhile to rely on several providers, so this article is probably relevant for everyone. We look forward to your feedback on the Pillar 3a recommendations in the comments and wish you good retirement planning!

By the way The maximum contribution to the 3rd pillar in 2023 is CHF 6,883 for employed persons and CHF 34,416 for self-employed persons.

Pillar 3a interest rate comparison 2023

These are the average percentages in the Pillar 3a interest rate comparison 2023:

  • 0.25% Telco
  • 0.2% We Bank
  • 0.2% Banca dello Stato del Cantone Ticino
  • 0.2% District Savings Bank Dielsdorf
  • 0.2% Bank CIC
  • 0.1% Berner Kantonalbank
  • 0.1% Raiffeisenbank
  • ...
  • (all data in the pillar 3a account interest comparison as of February 2022 - without guarantee)

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Why the pillar 3a interest rate comparison is not necessarily meaningful

In discussions one often notices that Pillar 3a in interest rate comparison Apples with pears be compared. Because interest on paper does not equal the net return in your wallet. The reason for this lies in the Reduction of the stated interest rate by the fees, and if applicable, by the poor performance of the provider. Thus, it may happen that a provider with a lower interest rate achieves a higher return. Simply because his fees are lower, or his performance is better. 

For young people with a longer investment horizon (more than 10 years), we would therefore not necessarily recommend the interest rate as a key figure when choosing a 3a account. As long as there is hardly any interest in the pillar 3a account comparison, your interest account is a losing business. An exemplary inflation of 2% and interest of 0.2% will shrink your assets every year. In times of low interest rates, it makes sense to invest in securities (stocks, bonds, etc.).  

In our view, low fees and a high, but broadly diversified equity share are the key factors here. This is because most funds only have high management fees, but their performance is below average.

The average or benchmark for this is actually the market return of the entire stock market, which is approximately 9% yield per year. 9% is much more than the 0.4% in the pillar 3a interest rate comparison 2023 - see above. Don't worry, we don't want to make it extra complicated. I just want you to know that older people can take less risk because they will have to draw their pension soon. Risk and return are always linked. The equity market offers good opportunities for returns, but is cyclical. This means that one should never invest urgently needed money.

Young people can also endure a multi-year financial crisis, as they still have about many years until retirement. This allows you to achieve a high return with reduced risk thanks to a long time horizon.

Rule of thumb: Equity share = 100 - Age

Example: 100 - 30 years = 70% equity share. Since the 30 year old still has 34 years (or 35 years for men) until retirement, he can take a higher risk. As the years go by, the proportion should then be reduced so as not to have the portfolio in the red shortly before retirement age. (Keep in mind that this is a simple rule of thumb and not an investment recommendation).

To cut a long story short: If this makes sense and you are not completely risk averse, you we recommend looking for a higher proportion of equities rather than high interest rates for the 3rd pillar.

Providers such as Selma Finance, Frankly or Viac are examples of this.

Pillar 3a with Frankly ZKB: Recommendation 2023

Thanks to TV commercials or billboards, you can hardly get past frankly. The digital pillar 3a solution of the ZKB offers a very simple and extremely inexpensive entry into pillar 3a securities.

A 3a interest account is also available at frankly, so it is not mandatory to invest in securities. You can find out more about frankly here:

Selma Finance Pillar 3a:

Selma Finance is much more than just a 3rd pillar provider. Selma is a so-called roboadvisor, i.e. an intelligent algorithm. Like an investment advisor, it asks you about your personal goals and your current situation. She then gives you a recommendation that you can implement if you wish. A professionally trained employee then checks everything again before you start. But because of this efficiency, the costs are low and your return is high. You can get tax-optimised investment advice on pillar 3a 2023 from Selma free of charge and without obligation. Our Selma Finance experiences have been consistently positive so far, which makes us all the more pleased about the new 3a feature.

Selma Finance Pillar 3a 2020 recommendation Interest rate comparison

The 3a Interest rate comparison with Selma cannot be drawn directly, because it depends on your strategy. However, it is possible to hold up to 80% shares in your 3a account. You have maximum transparency, control over your investments and in the pillar 3a interest rate comparison you are of course much better equipped than with about 0.4% interest.

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Pillar 3a comparison Viac

No commission or anything like that, we can only tell you good things about our VIAC experience report! 100% Digital, Absolutely Transparent and Cheap Cost  for pillar 3a: This makes our investors' hearts beat faster! 

We don't get a commission or anything else from Viac for this review, but our Viac experience so far has been really 100% positive. The Viac app is intuitive and the heart of your Pillar 3a with Terzo Foundation. From your smartphone, or even your PC or tablet, you can conveniently control everything. Either you specify a preferred investment strategy, or you simply let it suggest proven methods.

Up to 5 pension accounts can be opened and then later on be obtained on a staggered basis. So if you want to open an interest account at Viac after the 3a account interest comparison, you can do this in addition to a securities account there.

Portfolio shifts can take place monthly, but it's best to set it up once and let it run until you retire. You also contribute to climate protection, as the whole thing is paperless and you automatically receive your tax certificate every new year.

Criticism we can't make any criticisms of Viac so far, as everything works flawlessly. The support is terrific and with the high share of up to 98%, the investor in us is doubly pleased.

Pillar 3a 2020 recommendation Interest rate comparison

To Viac Performance of course, it is not possible to make a general statement, as this depends on your investment strategy. Here you have enormous freedom in the organisation. However, if you follow the Global 100 strategy, for example, which is available to you, you can at least look at the Viac performance historically. Annualised, this would be 8.3% per year over the last 10 years. But of course the future cannot always be derived from the past. 

 The 3a account is used for long-term retirement planning and should not necessarily be used to implement active investment strategies. With the 5 different accounts, however, you can of course pursue different strategies and then make gradual shifts in order to reduce the risk in old age. If you like Viac's digital 3rd pillar, but would like a little more advice, it is worth taking a look at Selma Finance (see above). Our Viac Field Report shows you even more details and all the impressions we have collected in one year of Viac. 

Conclusion on the pillar 3a account comparison

Perhaps you have found a suitable interest account for you in the pillar 3a account comparison. Unfortunately, interest rates are currently lower than inflation, which is why a securities account or pillar 3a account may make sense for a longer investment horizon.

A Pillar 3a securities comparison is therefore often more sensible, which is why we have done this.

How will you approach your preparedness this year?

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