Vested Benefits Account Comparison 2026: 10 Swiss Providers Compared

Updated on 13 November 2026 · Reading time approx. 10 minutes · by Helga Baechler, certified wealth advisor IAF

A job change with a gap, a sabbatical, travelling, becoming self-employed or leaving Switzerland. Suddenly you have to decide where your pension fund money goes. Often it is tens of thousands of francs. In my vested benefits account comparison I compared 10 providers, from free accounts to low-cost portfolios.

My two favourites for vested benefits

No. 1 · my winner

finpension vested benefits

CHF 25Credit towards your fees

• 0.49 % per year all-in, account and portfolio
• Up to 99 % shares, index funds
• No fee for changing your strategy

⧉LIEBXP How to redeem →

*Advertising. Enter the code when you open your account. More in my finpension review.

No. 2 · everything included

Descartes vested benefits

CHF 50Bonus on the vested benefits account

• 0.64 to 0.80 % all-in, fund costs included
• Up to 100 % shares, Bitcoin also possible
• Independent foundation and custodian bank

⧉liebefinanzen Descartes code (in German) →

*Advertising. Enter the code when you open your account.

The best vested benefits providers 2026, my ranking

I rated fees, maximum share of equities, transparency, ease of use and the costs in special cases. Banks offering only an interest account are rated separately in the interest section.

1. finpension vested benefits0.49 % all-in, up to 99 % shares, account and portfolio in one app★ 4.8 / 5
2. Descartes vested benefits0.64 to 0.80 % truly all-in, up to 100 % shares, CHF 50 bonus★ 4.5 / 5
3. VIAC vested benefitsManagement fee max. 0.40 %, free account solution, up to 99 % shares★ 4.5 / 5
4. frankly vested benefits (ZKB)0.44 % all-in on securities, max. 75 % shares★ 4.1 / 5
5. Tellco vested benefitsFree account, funds approx. 0.40 to 0.72 %, up to 85 % shares★ 3.8 / 5
6. Liberty vested benefitsapprox. 0.68 % total, up to 95 % shares, cash free of charge★ 3.7 / 5

My own rating, as of November 2026. Not investment advice.

Vested benefits account or vested benefits portfolio?

A vested benefits account is a savings account for your pension fund money. Safe, but with almost no interest. In a vested benefits portfolio your money is invested in funds. It fluctuates, but has much better return potential over the long term. What matters most is how long the money stays there.

Vested benefits portfolio comparison 2026

With a portfolio, fees matter most. Half a percent more or less quickly adds up to a five-figure amount over many years.

As of November 2026. finpension according to its fee schedule (valid from 1 July 2026), VIAC according to its fee FAQ, Tellco according to its cost regulations, others according to provider information and my own research. With VIAC, fund costs, stamp duty and currency costs may be added depending on the strategy, with frankly the funds’ issue and redemption fees. No guarantee.

Vested benefits fees in a chart

Tellco and Descartes shown as the middle of their range. With VIAC and frankly further costs may be added, with finpension and Descartes they are included.

Vested benefits account interest rates 2026

With a pure account, interest rates in 2026 are almost zero. The Substitute Occupational Benefit Institution (Stiftung Auffangeinrichtung BVG) cut its rate from 0.40 % to 0.05 % on 1 January 2026. At the banks, the average at the beginning of 2026 was approx. 0.08 %.

Interest according to providers and comparison sites, as of October and November 2026. Rates can change at any time.

• Fees beat interest. With a CHF 36 account fee and 0.05 % interest, you make a small loss on CHF 50’000.
• Inflation. If the money stays in the account for longer, you lose purchasing power in real terms.
• Check the foundation. Several offers lead to the same foundation, only the interest rate differs.

Vested benefits account vs. portfolio over 20 years

The difference is huge. After 20 years, in this example the low-cost portfolio holds approx. CHF 140’000 more than the account. Compared with an expensive bank fund it is still approx. CHF 30’000 more, just because of the lower fees.

All vested benefits providers in detail

1. finpension vested benefits, my winner

finpension uses index funds and charges a flat 0.49 % per year for the account and index strategies. Strategy changes, custody and transactions are included. You can invest up to 99 % in shares, globally, sustainably or with a Swiss focus.

• Everything included. One fee, no hidden transaction costs.
• High share of equities. Up to 99 %, ideal for a long investment horizon.
• Good for splitting. As one of two vested benefits accounts for staggered withdrawals.

• Fee also on cash. finpension is too expensive just for parking money.
• Special fees. Early withdrawal for a home CHF 500, withdrawal when living abroad also CHF 500.

More in my finpension review. The code LIEBXP is above, all details on my finpension promo code page.

2. Descartes vested benefits

Descartes is an independent asset manager from Zurich with a FINMA licence. For vested benefits you pay 0.64 to 0.80 % per year all-in. Fund costs, currency fees, transaction costs and issue surcharges are already included. Since May 2026 up to 100 % shares are possible again, and since 2026 also Bitcoin.

• Truly all-in. No TER on top.
• Independent. No own funds and no products from the custodian bank.
• CHF 50 bonus. With my code liebefinanzen on the vested benefits account.

• More expensive than finpension. Especially for the low-risk strategies.
• No native app. Descartes runs as a web app.

3. VIAC vested benefits

VIAC belongs to WIR Bank. The management fee only applies to the invested part and is capped at 0.40 % per year. The pure account solution is free and pays 0.05 % interest.

• Free account solution. Perfect for parking money for a short time.
• Fee cap. Max. 0.40 % management fee, total under 0.44 % when fully invested.

• Not quite everything included. Depending on the strategy, fund costs and currency exchange costs are added.

How VIAC compares with finpension is in VIAC vs finpension vs Frankly.

4. frankly vested benefits (ZKB)

frankly is the digital pension solution of Zürcher Kantonalbank. For vested benefits there is an account solution with interest and four strategies with 15 to 75 % shares. The all-in fee is 0.44 % on securities and does not apply to cash.

• A big bank behind it. For everyone who wants a cantonal bank.
• Simple. A few clearly defined strategies.

• Max. 75 % shares. Rather low for a very long horizon.
• Active funds. Issue and redemption fees are not included in the all-in fee.

5. Tellco vested benefits

Tellco from Schwyz offers a free account solution and a digital securities solution. With the Tellco Classic funds there is no custody fee, you only pay the fund costs of approx. 0.40 to 0.72 % per year. Up to 85 % shares are possible.

• Free account. No costs for opening, managing or closing.
• Large choice of funds. Thematic and third-party funds also possible.

• Third-party funds cost extra. Additional custody fees apply to thematic and third-party funds.

6. Liberty vested benefits

Liberty is one of the large independent vested benefits providers, based in Schwyz. With the index fund strategy up to 95 % shares are possible, and total costs are approx. 0.68 % per year. Cash stays free of charge. Solid, but more expensive than finpension and VIAC.

Banks and the Substitute Occupational Benefit Institution

Raiffeisen, UBS, PostFinance, cantonal banks and the Substitute Occupational Benefit Institution are safe and simple. As an account, however, they pay almost no interest in 2026, and some even charge an account fee. Their pension funds are usually much more expensive than the digital providers. For a few months that is fine, for many years it costs you a lot of money.

Which vested benefits provider suits you?

Leaving Switzerland? What happens to your vested benefits

Many expats move on after a few years. Whether you can take your pension fund money with you depends on where you move to.

• Moving outside the EU and EFTA (for example to the UK, the USA, Canada, Australia or Asia): you can usually withdraw your entire vested benefits in cash.
• Moving to an EU or EFTA country: only the extra-mandatory part is paid out straight away. The mandatory part usually stays in Switzerland, for example in a vested benefits account, until retirement age or another reason for withdrawal.
• Taxes: the payout is taxed at source in Switzerland. The rate depends on the canton of your foundation, which is why many expats compare foundations in low-tax cantons. Under a double taxation agreement you may be able to reclaim the tax.
• Fees: check the fee for withdrawal when living abroad, it differs a lot between providers (see special fees).

If part of your money has to stay in Switzerland, a low-cost portfolio can let it keep growing until you retire. More about your pillar 3a when leaving is in pillar 3a for expats.

Special fees compared

Besides the annual fee, it is worth looking at the fees in special cases. They can cost more than several years of interest.

finpension according to its fee schedule valid from 1 July 2026, others according to provider information and comparison sites. «–» means I found no separate fee. Please check the current regulations before any withdrawal.

The splitting trick, two foundations for lower taxes

When you leave your pension fund, you may split your balance between a maximum of two vested benefits institutions. This is mainly worth it for larger amounts.

• Staggered withdrawals. You withdraw the two accounts in different years and so break the tax progression.
• Account and portfolio. One part safe in the account, one part invested in a portfolio.
• Only when leaving. It is best to split right at the change, later it is more difficult.

The most important vested benefits rules 2026

• Deadline. If you do not give your pension fund payment instructions, it transfers the money to the Substitute Occupational Benefit Institution after 6 months at the earliest and 2 years at the latest.
• Withdrawal. At the earliest 5 years before the reference age. Postponing it, up to age 70 at most, is only possible if you keep working.
• Home ownership. Early withdrawal from CHF 20’000, at most every 5 years and up to 3 years before the reference age.
• Self-employment. If you become self-employed as your main occupation, you can have the balance paid out in cash.
• Emigrating. Outside the EU and EFTA you can withdraw everything. In the EU and EFTA only the extra-mandatory part is available straight away.
• Taxes. As long as the money is in vested benefits, you pay no wealth tax and no income tax on it. On withdrawal it is taxed separately at a lower rate.

How to open your vested benefits account in 4 steps

Checklist for your vested benefits account

Frequently asked questions about vested benefits accounts

Conclusion

For a few months a free account is enough. If your vested benefits stay there longer, a low-cost portfolio is worth it. My number one is finpension, Descartes fits if you really want everything included and up to 100 % shares. VIAC is the best choice if you want to park money for free for a while. And split larger amounts between two foundations, it saves taxes later.

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*Advertising, affiliate links and codes. This article is for general information only and is not investment or tax advice. Fees and interest rates as of November 2026, no guarantee.