Open a new retirement savings account 3a with PostFinance

Using e-finance

With e-finance, you can open your retirement savings account 3a with just a few clicks. Choose between the interest-bearing version of your assets or (partial) investment in retirement funds. The next time you log in, your retirement planning solution will be displayed. All customer documents for the retirement savings account 3a will be sent to you electronically.

Using a written order

1. Fill in the form “The link will open in a new window Pension agreement and application to open a retirement savings account”
2. Send the completed and signed form to: PostFinance Ltd, Scan Center, 3002 Bern, Switzerland

Transferring retirement assets to PostFinance

Would you like to switch your current retirement savings account from another pillar 3a institution to a new retirement savings account 3a at PostFinance?

1. Fill in the form “The link will open in a new window Order for transfer of retirement assets”
2. Fill in the form “The link will open in a new window Pension agreement and application to open a retirement savings account”
3. Print both forms, sign them and send them to: PostFinance Ltd, Scan Center, 3002 Bern, Switzerland

Opening an additional retirement savings account 3a

For tax reasons, it may make sense to spread your pension assets over several pillar 3a retirement solutions. This is because the retirement capital is taxed at a reduced rate when it is paid out. By distributing the inpayments across several retirement accounts 3a, the lump-sum payout in old age (no earlier than five years before reaching the ordinary OASI retirement age) of the individual accounts can be staggered over several years and the tax-rate progression can be interrupted.

You open an additional retirement savings account in the same way as for a new retirement savings account.

With your retirement savings account 3a, you save three times as much in taxes. 

Year in, year out

You can deduct your payments from your taxable income up to the statutory limits, and substantial tax savings mean you earn a higher total return.
For persons subject to withholding tax: payments into pillar 3a can only be taken into consideration for tax purposes if a retroactive standard assessment is carried out. Check with a tax expert to find out whether it is worthwhile paying into pillar 3a.

Over the term

Interest and investment earnings are exempt from income and withholding tax. Wealth tax is not levied on your retirement assets.

On payout

Retirement capital is taxed separately from other income at a reduced rate. With additional retirement savings accounts, you can spread the capital repayments over several years so as to reduce your tax-rate progression. Please note the rules in your canton of residence.

To be eligible to make deposits, account holders must earn an income subject to OASI (contributions).

Advantages for double-incomes subject to OASI

The retirement savings account 3a is possible for each partner.

Age at entry and redemption

• Age at entry: from 18 years 
• Age at redemption: min. 60, max. 65 years

If you are in employment after the ordinary OASI retirement age, you can still open a retirement savings account 3a or make tax-privileged inpayments into pillar 3a. This applies up to a maximum of five years after the ordinary OASI retirement age has been reached.

Statutory maximum amounts for pillar 3a 2024

• Employed persons with a pension fund: max. CHF 7,056 per year
• Employed persons without a pension fund: up to 20% of income from employment up to a max. of CHF 35,280 per year

Combination with retirement funds

When opening a retirement savings account 3a, you can select your preferred retirement solution: earn interest on the assets in your retirement savings account 3a, or invest all or part of your assets in retirement funds. Four retirement funds with different equity components are available for you to choose from. You pay no issuing and redemption commission. The easiest way to create fund orders is in e-finance or by sending a written order.

Funds saving plan

The retirement funds saving plan can be set up during a consultation, independently via a fund order or directly in e-finance. It enables you to make regular inpayments to the selected funds at half-monthly, monthly, two-monthly or quarterly intervals. You can invest in a PostFinance Pension Fund from as little as CHF 20.

Current interest rate for the account solution as an alternative to investment in retirement funds: 0.60%.

PostFinance Ltd offers retirement savings account 3a in cooperation with a partner. It has established the "PostFinance Retirement Savings Foundation 3a" with its partner, UBS Switzerland AG, especially for this purpose. Assets in retirement savings account 3a that are deposited as savings are invested with PostFinance Ltd by the Pension Fund Foundation. If PostFinance Ltd were to become insolvent, funds in retirement savings account 3a would enjoy privileged protection of up to CHF 100,000 per customer (regardless of other deposits). If an account holder simultaneously manages retirement savings account 3a assets and vested benefits assets via various foundations that invest the funds with PostFinance Ltd, the maximum privileged protection of CHF 100,000 applies to each product. Assets in retirement savings account 3a that are invested in funds are protected as segregated assets in accordance with the Collective Investment Schemes Act (CISA). If the "PostFinance Retirement Savings Foundation 3a" were to become insolvent, bankruptcy proceedings would be carried out according to the usual legal procedure.