Find out how your pension is doing in 3 simple steps (and how to optimize it)

Do you want to know how your pension is doing but aren’t sure where or how to start?
In this article, we’ll show you how to check the status of your OASI, pension plan, and Pillar 3a, and how to address any gaps you may have.

Why your pension is important

Switzerland is aging, and financial security in retirement is becoming increasingly important. The average pension from OASI and the pension plan is only 3’674 CHF per month. Often too little for a worry-free retirement. According to the Swiss Federal Statistical Office (BfS), around 15% of retirees are affected by old-age poverty. If you don’t want to be part of this 15%, it’s important to start planning for your retirement early.

Source: Handelszeitung (04.05.2024)

1. Identify OASI contribution gaps

Your OASI contributions determine how much you’ll receive later in retirement. Have you ever taken a break from work, worked in another country, completed a degree, or gone through a divorce? In all these cases, contribution gaps can arise, which can negatively affect your OASI pension.

To find out which compensation offices hold an account in your name, you can use this form on the OASI/DI information office website. You’ll simply need to provide your birth date and OASI number, and you’ll receive a list of all the compensation offices that manage your account, along with their contact details.

To check if and where you have gaps, you can easily order a free OASI account statement. It doesn’t matter which specific compensation office issues the statement (as long as they manage an account in your name); you’ll get a total statement. You can request the account statement directly from the Information Centre OASI/DI: Order a statement of individual account.

When do I need to pay OASI contributions?

The contribution obligation begins for employed individuals on January 1st following their 17th birthday, and for non-employed individuals, on January 1st following their 20th birthday. The contribution obligation ends when you reach the reference age (men: 65 years, women: 64 years, with the age for women gradually increasing by 3 months to 65 starting in 2025).

How do I read the OASI statement? How do I recognize if I have gaps?

What the individual figures on the statement mean, can be found in this video from the Information Centre OASI/DI.

• As an employee, you contribute 10.6% (as of 2025) of your gross income, with half of that paid by your employer.
• As a self-employed person, you contribute 10% (as of 2025).

Missing OASI contribution years can be paid retroactively under specific conditions. Generally, gaps can be filled within five years of their occurrence, provided you were previously insured under OASI If you continue working after reaching the reference age, you may also be able to fill gaps and improve your pension. It’s best to contact the responsible compensation office directly if you have gaps to find out how to proceed.

How much is the OASI pension? Why is it important not to have gaps?

The maximum monthly pension in 2025 is 2’520 CHF for a single person and 3’780 CHF for a couple.

For each year you haven’t made OASI contributions, your pension will be reduced by 1/44. This means a reduction of about 2.3% per year.

For example: If you are missing 5 years of contributions, your monthly pension would decrease by around 11.5%. With the maximum single pension of 2’520 CHF, that’s about 290 CHF less per month.

2. Check if pension funds have been forgotten!

Have you ever changed jobs? If so, it’s possible that some pension funds may have been left behind during your employer change. The responsibility for transferring funds from the second pillar lies with the employee, meaning you need to inform the pension fund where the money should be transferred. However, if the pension fund doesn’t receive the necessary information, the balance will be transferred to a vested benefits account at the LOB Guarantee Fund after two years at the latest.

With the following form from the LOB Guarantee Fund, you can find out where your pension funds are: Inquiry about occupational benefit credit balances. If something is found, you will need to claim your rights directly with the relevant pension provider.

Did you know that there are over 800,000 pension accounts whose owners are unaware of them? These accounts hold a total of about 5.6 billion CHF, with the average amount being around 4’000 CHF.

Source: Handelszeitung (23.01.2024)

3. Pillar 3a: Contribute the maximum amount annually (if possible)

The first two pillars may not be enough to maintain your standard of living after retirement. According to Handelszeitung (04.05.2024), the average pension from the 1st and 2nd pillars is only 3’674 CHF per month, which is often insufficient for a worry-free retirement.

That’s why you should also save privately. With Pillar 3a, you not only secure your pension but also save taxes today.

Gaps in Pillar 3a?

If you already have a 3a account, you can easily check for gaps by logging into your pension provider and reviewing your annual contributions. Specifically, if you didn’t contribute the maximum amount in a year when you were employed (more precisely, earning OASI-contributable income, which is 2’500 CHF or more per year, as of 2025), then you have a gap. Alternatively, you can also check your tax declaration to see how much you’ve contributed to your Pillar 3a each year. Be sure to check what the maximum amount was for each year.

From 2026 onward, you can close gaps in Pillar 3a under certain conditions (i.e., gaps that were created in 2025 or later). For more information on closing gaps in the third pillar, see this article in the VIAC Academy.

If you don’t yet have a Pillar 3a, you should definitely set one up. Don’t delay it any further, take care of your future now!