Vested benefits account comparison Switzerland 2026: the best interest rates

What is a vested benefits account?

A vested benefits account is a blocked account for your pension fund assets from the second pillar. You need it when your pension capital temporarily can’t be transferred into a pension fund — for example in the case of:

• a job change with a gap between two positions
• unemployment
• a career break, sabbatical or longer further education
• a family break after leaving your job
• taking up self-employment (no longer subject to mandatory pension fund membership)
• part-time work with a salary below the BVG entry threshold
• emigrating from Switzerland

Your vested benefits (also called termination benefits) are transferred by your previous pension fund to the account and remain locked there until you join a pension fund again or a legal reason for withdrawal exists. You can’t pay in yourself. Your balance grows solely through interest — which is exactly why comparing pays off. If you would rather invest your assets in securities, you’ll find the funds in the vested benefits investment comparison.

How to find the best vested benefits account

Three criteria decide which vested benefits account pays off for you: the interest rate, the fees and the security of the provider.

Interest rate: small differences, big effect

Interest rates currently range from 0.00 % to 0.50 % per year. What sounds like little adds up: with a balance of CHF 100'000, an account at 0.50 % earns around CHF 2'500 over five years. With an account at 0.05 %, you get only around CHF 250. Because vested benefits balances are often high and stay put for a long time, the interest rate is the most important comparison criterion. Note: banks adjust their rates regularly, so another look at the comparison is worthwhile later on too.

Fees: account management, closure and early withdrawal

Most vested benefits accounts are free to run, but some providers charge annual fees. More common are charges when closing the account or for an early withdrawal for home ownership. These sometimes range between CHF 100 and 500. High fees can wipe out the interest advantage, so check the fees with the provider before opening.

Security: bankruptcy privilege and state guarantee

Pension assets (vested benefits and pillar 3a together) enjoy privileged protection up to CHF 100'000 per person if a bank goes bankrupt — in addition to your ordinary bank balances. So if you have a pillar 3a account and a vested benefits account at the same bank, the limit applies to both balances together. At most cantonal banks, a state guarantee from the canton comes on top. If your pension assets are well above CHF 100'000, you can increase your security by splitting your termination benefits between two vested benefits institutions at different banks when you leave the pension fund.

Opening or switching a vested benefits account in 3 steps

You can open a vested benefits account at any time, or switch to a provider with better conditions. Here’s how:

• Open the account: choose the provider with the best conditions in the comparison and open the account. With many providers this takes only a few minutes online.
• Arrange the transfer: give your pension fund (or, if switching, your current vested benefits institution) the new account number and instruct the transfer. Important: only the entire balance of an account can be transferred.
• Close the old account: if switching, have the old account closed. Check beforehand whether your old provider charges a closure fee.

Compare yourself or get advice?

For many people it’s straightforward: compare vested benefits accounts, open one, have the balance transferred. It gets more complicated with emigration, divorce or early retirement, for example. Then it pays to analyse your situation and needs carefully.

At Evaluno’s partner finfinder.ch, you’ll find financial advisers by topic, region and language and can get in touch directly.