Retirement savings account 3a

Plan your retirement and reduce your tax bill with pillar 3a

With the retirement savings account 3a from PostFinance, you will make multiple savings: for the future and on your tax bill. You’ll also save valuable time – you can open your account in just a few steps.

Get 50 francs

We’ll give you 50 francs if you set up a retirement fund standing order by 31 December 2025. The credit to your retirement savings account 3a will automatically be invested in the retirement fund of your choice via the standing order. The offer applies to investments of at least 600 francs made in the first six months after setting up the standing order.

Conditions of participation

Why it pays off to open a pillar 3a account

Flexible inpayments with no obligation

Pay in whenever you like: monthly, annually or just once. You decide at all times how much is best suited to your life situation.

Every franc saves you taxes

Deduct your inpayments directly from your taxable income – within the legal limit. This way you’ll save money on every tax return.

Ready to pay in immediately

When you open your retirement savings account 3a online, it will be ready in just a few minutes. You decide whether to pay in directly or conveniently with a standing order.

E-finance login

Open in the app now The link will open in a new window

Free account management

Both opening and paying into the retirement savings account 3a is free of charge for you.

Here’s how it works

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You can deduct payments into pillar 3a from your taxable income within the statutory limit. You will benefit during the term from tax-free income from pillar 3a and the assets it contains. Upon withdrawal, the retirement capital is taxed separately from other income at a reduced rate. You can deduct payments into pillar 3a from your taxable income within the statutory limit. You will benefit during the term from tax-free income from pillar 3a and the assets it contains. Upon withdrawal, the retirement capital is taxed separately from other income at a reduced rate.
If you invest all or part of your inpayments in retirement funds, you can participate in developments on the financial markets. The sooner you start, the more time your money will have to benefit from potential returns. If you invest all or part of your inpayments in retirement funds, you can participate in developments on the financial markets. The sooner you start, the more time your money will have to benefit from potential returns.
In e-finance and the PostFinance App, you can see how your assets are performing at any time. Adapt your retirement planning 3a to your needs at any time, for example, by setting up or modifying standing orders or funds saving plans. You will receive an annual statement for your tax return. In e-finance and the PostFinance App, you can see how your assets are performing at any time. Adapt your retirement planning 3a to your needs at any time, for example, by setting up or modifying standing orders or funds saving plans. You will receive an annual statement for your tax return.

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Open a retirement savings account 3a

You are a PostFinance customer

You can open your retirement savings account 3a in e-finance or the PostFinance App with a few simple steps. Decide for yourself how you wish to pay in: make individual inpayments or automate regular inpayments with a standing order.

Useful to know: you can also combine inpayments with investments in our retirement funds. The sooner you start, the more time your money has to tap into potential returns on the financial markets.

Open an account online now

E-finance login

Open in the app now The link will open in a new window

All opening options

Open an additional retirement savings account 3a

Spreading your retirement assets across several pillar 3a retirement solutions may be worthwhile:

With several retirement savings accounts 3a, you can spread the lump sum payment on retirement over several years
You can use it to break progressive taxation and reduce your tax bills
You open an additional retirement savings account in the same way as for a new retirement savings account.

Be sure to pay particular attention to the tax regulations in your canton of residence.

Transfer retirement assets

Do you already have a 3a account with another bank or employee benefits institution and want to manage your accounts with PostFinance? You can easily transfer your assets to PostFinance:

complete the “The link will open in a new window Order for transfer of retirement assets” form and send it to your current retirement savings foundation
Complete the “The link will open in a new window Retirement savings agreement/application to open a retirement savings account 3a” form. Sign it and send it to PostFinance Ltd, Scan Center, 3002 Bern

We will carry out the transfer for you free of charge. Depending on the bank or employee benefits institution, a fee may be charged for account closure.

Preconditions & conditions

Preconditions

You are at least 18 years old
You have an income subject to OASI contributions in Switzerland
Are you working beyond OASI retirement age? If so, you can open and pay into a retirement savings account 3a for up to five years longer.

Maximum inpayments in 2025

With pension fund: max. CHF 7’258.–
Without pension fund: up to 20% of your income from employment but no more than CHF 36’288

Interest rates and prices

Interest rates

Your account balance will earn interest at 0.05%.

Tip for higher potential returns

With our retirement funds, you participate in the performance of the financial markets and have the opportunity to generate higher returns.

Without custody account management fee
No commissions for buying and selling fund units
To ensure you get more for your investment

Find out more now

Prices

The following services are free of charge:

Account opening
Account management
Account closure
Purchase and sale of securitiesf
Pledge for encouragement of home ownership

If you withdraw money from pillar 3a in advance to purchase an owner-occupied home, you pay a one-off fee of CHF 200 per advance withdrawal and pension solution holder.

Partnership and security

Partnership

PostFinance offers the retirement savings account 3a in partnership with UBS Switzerland AG. The joint foundation “PostFinance Retirement Savings Foundation 3a” invests the 3a retirement assets as savings deposits with PostFinance Ltd.

Security

Your money is well protected:

Savings deposits at PostFinance of up to CHF 100,000 per pension solution holder enjoy privileged protection – in the event of PostFinance Ltd going bankrupt
The protection of CHF 100,000 applies regardless of your other deposits at PostFinance
3a assets invested in funds are additionally protected as separate assets (Collective Investment Schemes Act CISA)

Also useful to know

If a pension solution holder simultaneously manages retirement assets and vested benefits assets with various foundations that invest the funds with PostFinance Ltd, the maximum privileged protection of CHF 100,000 applies per product.
If the “PostFinance Retirement Savings Foundation 3a” were to go bankrupt, this would be processed in ordinary bankruptcy proceedings in accordance with the statutory provisions.

Questions and answers

2025 employed persons with an income subject to OASI contributions can pay in the following maximum contributions:

With pension fund: max. CHF 7’258
Without pension fund: up to 20% of your income from employment but no more than CHF 36’288

Yes, depending on your canton of residence, this may be worthwhile for tax purposes as your retirement capital is taxed at a reduced rate on withdrawal. The higher the amount, the higher the tax rate (progression). If you have several accounts, you can spread the withdrawals over different years. This means that each withdrawal remains smaller and is taxed at a lower rate.

Each year, you can deduct payments within the statutory limits into pillar 3a from your taxable income. This means you pay less income tax. In addition, interest and income from pillar 3a are completely tax-free during the investment term. You pay a reduced tax rate on withdrawal. The retirement assets paid out are taxed separately from other income.

Do you pay tax at source? In case of a subsequent statutory assessment, payments into pillar 3a can be taken into account. Find out from a tax expert whether paying into pillar 3a is worthwhile for you.

You can declare the inpayments as a deduction under “Pillar 3a”. For this purpose, you will receive an annual tax certificate from the PostFinance Retirement Savings Foundation 3a or your employee benefits institution.

Yes. You can manage your retirement assets as an interest-bearing savings deposit or invest fully or partially in retirement funds.

You remain flexible: you can adjust the distribution of assets at any time to suit your circumstances and goals.

Savings from benefit plan assets are paid out and taxed at a reduced rate. To save on taxes, it may be worth opening multiple retirement savings accounts 3a and spreading the withdrawals over several years.

Do you have retirement funds? Upon retirement, you can keep the units of the retirement funds held in the retirement savings account 3a and have them transferred commission-free to a fund consulting basic or fund self-service custody account. You can then sell the PF Pension fund units at any time – even well after retirement.

Yes, early withdrawal is possible for financing or amortizing owner-occupied residential property. You can also withdraw the funds if you take up self-employment or leave Switzerland for good.

The assets will go to the entitled persons in accordance with the defined order of beneficiaries.

You can open a pillar 3a account from the age of 18. You must have earned income in Switzerland that is subject to OASI. The earlier you start, the better. Even young adults can also already benefit from long-term asset growth and tax benefits.