VIAC vs Finpension Vested Benefits: Best account in 2026?
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(Disclosure: Some of the links below may be affiliate links)
People between jobs in Switzerland transfer their second pillar to a vested benefits account. It is essential to choose the best vested benefits account.
There are many vested benefits account providers in Switzerland. Unfortunately, there are not many great options. So, it is crucial to choose the best account for your needs.
VIAC and Finpension Vested Benefits are currently the best options available for vested benefits accounts. So, we will see which you should choose!
I compare both options in great detail. We will examine their investment models, fees, and security.
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VIAC Vested Benefits
I have talked many times about VIAC on this blog. They are providing a great pillar in Switzerland. And in May 2020, they also started offering vested benefits accounts.
VIAC is a digital provider. You will use the web application to manage your account online. They also have a mobile application to manage your account if you prefer.
Their vested benefits accounts follow the same philosophy as their third pillar account:
- Low Fees
- High allocation into stocks
- Good diversification
If you want more information, read my review of VIAC vested benefits.
Finpension Vested Benefits
Finpension Vested Benefits started in 2017 as a vested benefits account provider. Finpension Vested Benefits is a second pillar foundation. The foundation’s assets are managed by finpension.
Finpension is a digital provider. You will use the web interface to access and manage your account.
Finpension also has a great third pillar account. You can read my review of Finpension 3a to get an idea of everything this provider provides.
If you want more information, read my complete review of Finpension Vested Benefits.
Investment Models
We start by comparing the investment models of VIAC vs Finpension Vested Benefits.
Both VIAC and Finpension have very similar investment models. They will invest your portfolio in index funds. They are both using cheap, well-diversified index funds. They are using funds of the same quality. I would say that their investment philosophies are both very good.
Both invest in index funds instead of ETFs. Pension funds can access better index funds than us because they can waive most of the fees. So, it does not make sense to invest in ETFs for them.
One difference is that finpension lets you choose between UBS, Credit Suisse, and Swisscanto for your funds. With VIAC, you can choose between Credit Suisse and Swisscanto.
VIAC will rebalance your portfolio once a month if necessary. Finpension will rebalance once a week. This is a very slight advantage for Finpension, but in practice, it should not matter much.
In both cases, this is done for free. And there is no reason to change more often. So this is a good point for both companies.
They both have different sets of default strategies. We can take a look at the default strategies of VIAC vs Finpension Vested Benefits:
- VIAC uses names with the number of stocks in it. For instance, Global 80 is a globally diversified fund with 80% stocks (note that Global 100 has 99% stocks). VIAC has three strategies: Global, Switzerland, and Sustainable.
- Finpension Vested Benefits has the same naming. For instance, Finpension Aktien 100 has 99% stocks, while Aktien 80 has 80%. Finpension also has three groups of strategies: Global, Sustainable, and Switzerland.
VIAC’s default strategies are more polished than Finpension’s. However, both allow you to customize your portfolio in detail, which is where we see the limits of both accounts.
It is also important to mention that Finpension has two vested benefits foundations. This allows you to have two accounts with them and save on taxes when you withdraw money!
Here, there are some significant differences between both. They both allow a high level of customization, but their limits are different.
- Finpension allows 99% in the entire vested benefits account. However, VIAC only allows 99% in stocks in the extra-mandatory part of your vested benefits assets.
- VIAC only lets you invest 60% in foreign currencies (non-CHF) instruments. On the other hand, Finpension Vested Benefits have no limit. This means you could invest 99% of your portfolio in U.S. stocks if you wanted to.
- They have different limits per asset class. For instance, you can only invest 10% in gold at VIAC and 20% with Finpension Vested Benefits. Finpension lets you invest up to 50% in real estate, while VIAC only enables you to invest 30%. Overall, Finpension Vested has higher limits. But these asset classes should not make a large portion of your portfolio anyway.
In light of this, Finpension Vested Benefits offers significantly better vested benefits portfolios! You have a better capacity to invest in foreign currency instruments.
VIAC lets you choose between cash and bonds for the part not invested in stocks. If you opt for cash, you could reduce slightly your fees, but you may reduce your returns depending on the current bond interest rates.
VIAC still offers good conditions compared to all the other vested benefits. However, they do not provide a better account when you compare it with Finpension Vested Benefits.
Fees – VIAC vs Finpension Vested Benefits
Fees are the only thing you control when you invest in stocks. So, optimizing fees if you invest in the long term is essential. So, we must compare the fees of VIAC vs Finpension Vested Benefits.
The most important fees for your retirement accounts are the management fees. These are the fees you will pay every year on your invested amount. In the long term, these are significantly more than flat fees. But many people ignore them because they are small numbers.
Finpension Vested Benefits has a fixed fee of 0.49% per year. Some of their funds have extra fees (real estate, for instance), but you can choose not to use them, putting the base fee at precisely 0.49% per year.
VIAC has a base administration fee of 0.52%, which is only due on the invested assets. This fee is also capped at 0.40% for the total portfolio. Then, there are some fees for the funds used in each portfolio.
I will take the Global portfolio as an example since this is the portfolio that would suit most people. It has a fee of 0.41%. Since VIAC is a pension fund company, they do not pay TVA, so this is the complete fee.
On top of that, VIAC has some fees for foreign currency exchanges. For this, they pay a 0.75% fee. However, this is optimized between customers. It seems like it should be about a 0.05% fee per year. So, VIAC has a total fee of 0.46% per year.
So, for management fees, VIAC is slightly cheaper than Finpension Vested Benefits. This is a difference of 0.03% per year. If you have 100’000 CHF in your portfolio, this is a difference of 30 CHF per year. Such a difference is likely negligible for most people.
Both companies have other one-time fees. With VIAC, you will pay 300 CHF if you buy a house with the money in your vested benefits account.
With Finpension Vested Benefits, you have a few more one-time fees:
- 400 CHF if you leave Finpension within one year of joining
- 200 CHF for pledging your portfolio
- 500 CHF for withdrawing the money to buy a house
- 500 CHF for withdrawing money while abroad
- 1500 CHF if you do it within one year of joining
So, Finpension Vested Benefits is more expensive for special operations. But in most cases, people will only pay these fees once or even never for some people.
For some people, there is one extra significant difference between the two offers: the domicile of the foundation. If you are retiring in Switzerland, this will not matter to you. But it is important if you plan to leave Switzerland and withdraw your second pillar. The difference is that when you withdraw money from your second pillar account, you will be taxed based on where your assets are managed. If you withdraw in Switzerland, your tax domicile will be used instead.
VIAC is in Basel, and Finpension Vested Benefits is in Schwytz. And Schwytz is the best canton in Switzerland for that. They have the lowest second pillar withholding tax in Switzerland. If you work many years and have a large second pillar amount, this can account for more than 10’000 CHF saved (with about 300’000 CHF) compared to Basel.
So, if you want to withdraw your money abroad, Finpension Vested Benefits will allow you to save a lot of money on withdrawal taxes! But be careful about the 500 CHF fee for withdrawing abroad. This may not make it useful in the case of a small amount.
Sustainable Investing
More and more people want to invest sustainably. This means they want their money to work on companies that work for a better future and not only for profits. So, we can compare the sustainable options of VIAC vs Finpension Vested Benefits.
Both companies offer ways to invest sustainably. With VIAC, you can choose a Sustainable strategy (Sustainable 100, Sustainable 80, …). You can also create your portfolio and choose sustainable funds. They have some Socially Responsible Investing (SRI) funds and some Environmental Social and Governance (ESG) funds.
With Finpension Vested Benefits, you do not have a default strategy with sustainable options. However, you can also opt for a custom portfolio and choose sustainable funds. They have a few ESG funds, but they have fewer choices of sustainable funds than VIAC.
In both cases, you will pay slightly more fees for these portfolios. Indeed, all sustainable funds are more expensive than their non-sustainable equivalent. This will not make an enormous difference, but it is still relevant to realize this.
You can invest sustainably with both VIAC and Finpension Vested Benefits. They each offer sustainable strategies that can change to using sustainable funds.
Safety of your assets
Over the years, you will have much money in your vested benefits. So, it is essential to know that your assets are safe. So, we should compare the safety of your assets between VIAC vs Finpension Vested Benefits.
In Switzerland, pension accounts are well regulated. They are all under the same law.
Your assets are segregated from the pension foundation for both companies. However, the organization is slightly different.
With VIAC, VIAC is your fund manager. WIR Bank holds your cash assets, and Credit Suisse (or Swisscanto) holds your shares. The foundation in charge of the assets is the WIR Vested Benefits Foundation. If VIAC goes bankrupt, the foundation will find another manager for your assets. If WIR Bank bankrupts, your assets are protected by Swiss law by up to 100’000 CHF in cash. Your shares of funds are held in your name and are safe.
Finpension Vested Benefits is the actual foundation in charge of the assets. finpension is the asset manager. If finpension fails, the foundation will find a new asset manager for your assets. And if the bank holding your assets fails, your shares are in your name, and your cash is insured for up to 100’000 CHF.
With Finpension Vested Benefits and VIAC, your assets are as safe as they can be in Switzerland. They have the same level of safety.
Short-term vested benefits
Sometimes, you need a vested benefits account for the short term. For instance, if you are between jobs. In this case, it does not make sense to invest in the stock market because you will have to sell everything to move back to the pension fund of your new employer.
In this case, you have to be more conservative. If you plan to go back to work in the next few years (ideally less probably), you likely want to keep your vested benefits in cash.
Both of these providers are equal and let you keep your vested benefits account in cash.
Technical Security
We can also compare the technical security of VIAC vs Finpension Vested Benefits.
In both cases, there is very little you can do from the account. Security is slightly less important than a bank account since you cannot withdraw money from the application. However, the application still contains much of your data, and your portfolio could be changed, so you cannot neglect security either.
Both accounts are very similarly protected. First, all the connections are encrypted. Then, they both use second-factor authentication (2FA) on your phone. They will send you an SMS code to confirm your identity. But they are doing it differently:
- Finpension will always ask for your second factor when you log in. Also, Finpension supports proper authenticators instead of only SMS, which can be spoofed.
- VIAC will only request your second factor when you do a major action like modifying your information or portfolio.
Both approaches have pros and cons. However, I prefer writing my second factor every single time. That way, my personal information is protected from someone having my password.
So, Finpension’s security is better than VIAC’s. But this is a slight difference. Both companies have sound security for your money.
Summary – VIAC vs Finpension Vested Benefits
Here is a summary of the main points of VIAC vs Finpension Vested Benefits:
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Best vested benefits account
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5.0
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4.5
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Cons:
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Security:
Good
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Security:
Good
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- Invest 99% in stocks
- Very good investment strategy
- High investment in foreign currency
- Very low management fees
- Great customization
- Best fund domicile for withdrawing abroad
- Cannot invest directly in cash
- Invest 99% in stocks
- Very good investment strategy
- Good for sustainable investing
- Limited to 60% foreign currencies
- Limited customization
- Suboptimal for withdrawing abroad
In most cases, Finpension Vested Benefits offers a better vested benefits account:
- Finpension Vested Benefits lets you invest more in stocks.
- VIAC has slightly lower management fees.
- Finpension Vested Benefits lets you invest more in foreign currency instruments.
- Finpension has two foundations, so you can have two accounts.
- VIAC has low fees for special operations like pledging.
- Finpension Vested Benefits is better if you withdraw money outside Switzerland.
- VIAC is slightly better for sustainable investing.
Finpension Vested Benefits will be a better fit for most people.
Conclusion
Finpension Vested Benefits is the best account in Switzerland.
Use the FEYKV5 code to get 25 CHF in your account!
- Invest 99% in stocks
So, we conclude this comparison of VIAC vs Finpension Vested Benefits. Finpension Vested Benefits is the best vested benefits account available in Switzerland in 2026. They have several advantages over VIAC:
- Finpension Vested Benefits lets you invest more in stocks and foreign stocks, which is great for diversification.
- They have two foundations.
- They have a better tax domicile (if you withdraw from abroad).
VIAC is still a great vested benefits account compared to other alternatives. But compared to Finpension Vested Benefits, it falls short!
If you would like to learn more about Finpension, you can read my interview with finpension’s CEO, Beat Buhlmann. They also offer the best third pillar in Switzerland.
So, that concludes our comparison of VIAC vs Finpension Vested Benefits. If you have any experience with one of them, I would love to hear about it!
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Hi, always such a joy to read your articles. I’m moving abroad (to a non-EU country) soon and there is possibility that I may come back to CH but also a future in which I will keep moving between countries as a global expat. I’m not a Swiss citizen (B permit) but is recommended to transfer my 2nd pillar to finpension instead of cash it all out now when I leave. If I go with finpension and later on decide/would not come back to Switzerland, do you think I can withdraw in that future moment? They mention on their website that capital can be withdrawn when emigrating but still quite unclear.
Hi Zin
If you are moving abroad, it’s indeed a good idea to move it to Finpension 3a since you can then withdraw from abroad with a good tax location.
Now, as to whether it’s better to fully cash it now or cash it later, I can’t answer that question for you. It depends on many factors. If you are going to spend all that money, I would keep it instead in Finpension 3a, if you are going to invest that money and know you will not come back to Switzerland, then why not take it out and invest it yourself.
Personally, I would move to Finpension 3a and let it rest until retirement where you can withdraw it even from abroad.
hi Baptiste, thank you for your very helpful comment. I’m a bit confused now, I thought I should move my 2nd pillar pension to a vested benefits account (I think the name is valuepension for finpension), but you are talking about Pillar 3a? I’m having both 3a and 3b with Swisslife but was told that my 3a will be ceased and transferred to my 3b until I move back to Switzerland again… I don’t want to withdraw and self-invest because I may come back and want to transfer that money back to the 2nd pillar…
Hi Zin,
Sorry, I misread your original question for 3rd pillar :(
Yes, you should indeed convert 2nd pillar to a vested benefits account and finpension is great for that.
I don’t think you have to convert 3a to 3b. And I would recommend moving the 3a to finpension 3a, Swisslife does not have great conditions.
I am working 15years in Zurich with I am sure (due to only 15years and decent salary) a 2nd pillar shortfall. I want to make a top-up and save some tax. I am already max invested in 3a. My company 2nd pillar provider is (Allianz) fixed insurance based model with poor cost structure. Can I open a second, second pillar with vested benefits model (~100% stocks) for extra contributions?
Hi Georgina
If you are still working, you can’t open a second second pillar unfortunately, you have to make due with the one from your employer.
It seems finpension has updated theirs fees. Major change to quiting the account (1500 chf) and advise for doing operations abroad. I could not find the fees for viac yet. Could you update the article so it reflects the current situation ?
Thank for letting me know, I will update the article with the new fees when I get some time and energy!
Thanks again for your articles.
In the case where you become independent/freelance or stop working altogether, there is also the possibility to do both VIAC and FinPension. If your former employer’s Foundation agrees, you will benefit from a tax perspective to split the amount in 2, so you need 2 providers for that.
Regarding VIAC domicile in Basel, it is a good point in case you move out of the country. That being said, you can always use a Schwyz base provider such as liberty. They are OK basically receiving the funds, and 2 days later transferring the money out again.
Hi Nick,
That’s correct. You are allowed to split your vested benefits into two when you leave your employer. That way you can withdraw in two different years as well.
That’s a good strategy, but that only applies to people retiring earlier than the official age.
I am with Frankly and Viac. I will probably move everything to Finpension, because there is a great fund, that should outperform all others long term. Guess which fund !! ;-)
Are you talking about Crypto? You are limited to 5% of your assets in crypto ;)
But I would still move to Finpension: )
Hi,
Thanks for the great and detailed comparison.
I recently opened an account at VIAC, and I am happy so far.
What decided me is that rebalancing is every week at VIAC, when monthly at valuepension. I find this very important when you want to change your strategy, as market is going down. Waiting 1 month to change is definitely too long.
Thanks for your blog
Philippe
Hi Philippe,
Thanks for sharing.
However, I would strongly recommend that you do not change your strategy based on the markets. This is a losing game.
For a good month now, we have also been trading weekly for the Vested Benefits Foundation (for the index strategies). In addition, you pay no costs for foreign currency exchange with finpension.
Thanks for the great Article!
Rendita Vested Benefits has an management fee of CHF 10 per quarter i.e. every three months. It appears that it is a fixed fee per year and that there are no other fees…(interest is 0.010%).
How does this compare to the fees of valuepension and VIAC?
Thanks for your support.
Savantes
Hi Savantes,
I took a look at their website and there is very little information on what they invest. So, just this lack of transparency for me would be a big NO!
I would be extremely surprised if there is no other fee, they present it like but if they invest in funds behind, there will be some fees (other than the 10 CHF per quarter which does not matter).
You should ask them for details: how much in stocks? Stocks? ETFs? Mutual Funds? Real fees for securities account?
Without that information (it should be on their website), it’s impossible to compare them.
Thank you for the nice post!
I have the following question: I think there are situations where you have the choice of keeping a vested benefits account, or to transfer it to the traditional pension fund of your employer. For example, if you stop working in Switzerland for a limited time, go abroad and then come back, etc.
What would you advise in such a situation? Should one try to find a good vested benefits account and invest in stocks, or instead have the pension fund manage your entire second pillar?
I understand that this may be a hard question, because the optimal choice may strongly depend on how long you will live. Pension funds will usually pay a monthly pension after the age of 64 or so, and not a lump sum. There may also be pension funds of different quality and benefits. But I would still love to hear your thoughts on this.
Hi Sam,
I do not think there is a choice, unfortunately. I know that there are some people that do that. But legally, you are supposed to transfer all your vested benefits to your new employer once you start working.
If it was possible, I would recommend keeping as much as possible into a good vested benefits account (valuepension probably).
But in that way, I think you will have to transfer everything.
If there are some legal loopholes, I am not aware of them.
Thanks for stopping by!
Hi,
Greta article, thanks for comparing. I think there is also a further benefit with Valuepension for taking the funds out of Switzerland if you leave. As they are located in Schwyz, the Tax will be lower?
Cheers
DZ
Hi Doods,
You are absolutely right. I was supposed to include that and I completely forgot. I have updated this.
Schwyz is the best state for this tax. Compared to Basel (VIAC), this could make a very significant difference for people wanting to retire outside of Switzerland.
Thanks for letting me know!
Thanks for the great Article!
I have a question that might be too basic, but I really want to know how it works since I moved to CH just 5 years ago.
The company I work for opened a second pillar account and they deposit and discount part of my salary to deposit there. (But I could not choose this account).
What you are saying is that I can transfer the money from this account they opened to an account of my option (VIAC or valuepension vested vested account?)
Or the vested account is on top of that, works like a second pillar but is on top of the investments my company does and also I do and its discounted from my salary?
Since I still have 28 years ahead before retiring, it will be interesting to invest more money for my retirement.
BTW, I already have the VIAC 3rd pillar and I am happy so far..
Thanks for your support.
Daniel
Hi Daniel,
Unfortunately, you cannot choose the second pillar provider when you are working. It’s your company choosing.
But when you stop working, you can transfer this to a vested benefits account.
So, unfortunately, for people still actively working, there is nothing we can do :(
Thanks for stopping by!