BVG News 2024. How to improve your employees' pension provision.

One goal of the latest BVG reform was to improve the occupational pension provision for people on low incomes and part-time workers. Although the reform failed, employers can still implement some of the targeted improvements themselves. By doing so, they can also position themselves more attractively on the employment market.

• Lower the eligibility threshold: From 1 January 2025, the eligibility threshold for compulsory BVG insurance will be raised from CHF 22,050 to CHF 22,680. This is because AHV retirement pensions are being adjusted in line with price and salary developments and the BVG limits are therefore also being raised. As an employer, however, you can lower the BVG eligibility threshold as far as you want – or even get rid of it entirely – thus giving people on lower incomes access to the pension fund. 
• Adjust the coordination deduction: The coordination deduction for the compulsory BVG portion is also being raised. At present it is CHF 25,725, but it will be increased to CHF 26,460 with effect from 1 January 2025. Here, too, employers have a lot of leeway: they can reduce the coordination deduction, get rid of it completely or tie it to the degree of employment. Incidentally, a lower coordination deduction is an easy way of improving pension fund benefits, especially for those on lower incomes.
• Adjust the retirement credits: When it comes to retirement credits, employers are free to go beyond the compulsory amounts and to structure the retirement credits in as age-neutral a way as possible. In the long term, younger employees in particular benefit financially from higher retirement credits. This measure also makes sense for older employees because it reduces the large discrepancy between the personnel costs for older and younger staff, which in turn increases equality in the recruitment and promotion process.
• Raise awareness among employees: Inform your employees about the annual pension certificate and ensure that they understand it and are familiar with the steps they can take to improve their retirement provision. One way to do this is with a staff information event given by our experts.

Find out more on the individual tips in our guide.

Would you prefer to discuss your employees' occupational pension provision with our financial experts? We will be happy to answer all your questions in a personal consultation.

In the SonntagsZeitung newspaper's Switzerland-wide pension fund comparison, Allianz Suisse has been awarded first place in the full insurance category – for the 13th year in succession:

• First place for the "Highest interest rate over 10 years"

We also came out top this year in the "Mystery shopping" category after being judged to have the most attractive offering.

• First place in mystery shopping

The highly regarded pension fund comparison was published in the Finanz und Wirtschaft specialist magazine on 8 June and in the SonntagsZeitung newspaper on 9 June. For the comparison, the best community and collective foundations are rated and given awards in various categories. The pension fund comparison is an important reference for choosing a pension fund in Switzerland. You can access the full pension fund comparison here.

You can find the conversion rates for 2025 in the "Key BVG figures, interest and conversion rates" document in our download portal.

Our goal is to provide your employees with even better support in all matters related to retirement planning. Our new information page (available in German, French and Italian) offers beneficiaries useful information and guides related to the most important life events that also affect pillar 2.

Our staff information events have proven highly successful. The advisor who looks after your contract visits you at your company and introduces the Swiss pension system to your employees, informs them about your occupational pension plan and answers their questions. This service is free of charge for our customers – and worth its weight in gold for your employees. Your advisor will be happy to help if you are interested in organising a staff information event.

The latest General Terms and Conditions (GTC) of the Allianz collective foundations are available at allianz.ch/bvg-documents.

The BVG limits will be adjusted with effect from 1 January 2025:

The increase in the eligibility threshold may mean that insured persons with low annual salaries fall below this limit and are no longer subject to compulsory insurance. 

Insurance is compulsory for annual salaries that are equal to or higher than the eligibility threshold of CHF 22,680. Please check whether your employees are affected by this.