What is a fund savings plan?

Investing can feel intimidating. But it also opens up exciting opportunities. Fund savings plans make it especially easy to get started and allow you to participate in the long-term development of the financial markets and build your wealth step by step.

What is a fund savings plan and how does it work?

A fund savings plan is a flexible and automated way to invest in funds on a regular basis. You decide how much and when you want to invest. These amounts are then automatically invested in the funds you’ve selected beforehand based on your risk profile and the investment strategy derived from it.

With VIAC, finding the right strategy is super easy. Just answer a few questions during onboarding and you’ll get a recommendation from one of our 6 preconfigured strategies. Want full control? You can also build your own.

Compared to a regular savings account, a fund savings plan offers higher returns because you benefit from the value growth of the underlying investments. And when those investments pay dividends or interest, they’re credited to your account and reinvested right away. That means you benefit from compound interest!

If the weightings of the investments change over time, rebalancing kicks in automatically, keeping your portfolio aligned with your chosen strategy.

Good to know

What’s a fund?

A fund is a basket of securities. Depending on the type, a fund may invest in stocks, bonds, or other assets (like precious metals or real estate). Some funds focus on a single asset class (like stock funds), while others mix several (like strategy funds). Funds are considered less risky than direct investments because of diversification: instead of relying on individual securities, your money is spread across many. If one company performs poorly, others in the fund may balance it out.

What’s an index fund?

Index funds aim to mirror the performance of a specific market index (e.g. the SMI). They invest in a broad mix of securities that represent that index. The goal: track the index as closely as possible and match its return.

What’s an ETF?

An ETF (Exchange Traded Fund) is a stock market-listed fund that typically tracks an index like the SMI or S&P 500. ETFs make it easy and cost-effective to invest in a diversified portfolio of stocks, bonds, or other assets.

The benefits of a fund savings plan

1. Simple & digital: Investing via a savings plan is hassle-free. The plan automates your investments. All you do is set your strategy and pay into your plan.
2. From just CHF 1 – 100% flexible: With VIAC Invest, you’re fully flexible: invest how you want, when you want, and as much as you want.
3. Amazingly low-cost: We believe in transparency. That’s why you only pay a flat all-in management fee which covers everything: custody, brokerage, FX, stamp duties, VAT. No base fees, no retrocessions or hidden commissions, no performance fees, no account closing costs. Don’t know what any of that means? Here’ you’ll find out what these fees actually mean. Best part? The fee is just 0.25% (0.00% until the end of 2025)! 😁
4. Payout plan: VIAC Invest comes with a free payout plan. You can set up standing orders to regularly withdraw your invested funds. Ideal for managing your pension fund payout and receiving your own “personal pension” on a monthly basis.
5. Benefit from cost averaging: Regular investing brings another perk: you buy at different price points over time which helps reduce the risk of investing at the wrong moment. This is known as the cost averaging effect.
6. Benefit from compound interest: Dividends and interest are automatically reinvested according to your strategy, allowing your investments to grow exponentially.
7. Your portfolios, your rules: With VIAC, you can create up to 10 separate portfolios. This way, you can invest for different goals. You can even set up dedicated kids’ portfolios because starting early pays off.