Three pillars
The Swiss pension system: AHV (state), BVG (occupational) and private savings (3a and 3b).
Each pillar has its own access date, tax rules and risks. Early retirement depends on how much sits in pillars you can reach before 60 to 65.
Related terms
- AHV (old-age and survivors’ insurance)The first pillar of the Swiss pension system, paying a pension from the reference age based on income and contribution years.
- BVG (pension fund)The second pillar, the occupational pension fund that employees and employers pay into, paid out as a pension, a lump sum or both.
- Pillar 3aTax-advantaged private pension savings: contributions are deducted from taxable income, withdrawals are taxed separately at a reduced rate.
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Swiss pensions
The three pillars when you retire early
AHV, pension fund and Pillar 3a: what each one pays, when you can reach it and what that means if you stop working before 65.