Switzerland: Pensions and Investment News and Analysis
The country’s direct democracy has a lot to say about pensions in what is Europe’s third-largest pension market. A March 2024 referendum backed a higher state pension – the only issue is financing the hike, a problem the government is currently grappling with. A referendum on 22 September 2024 centres on a proposal to boost workplace pensions by maintaining benefits and protecting lower paid and part-time workers. It will lower pension accrual and increase contributions. The central motion has been backed by government, parliament, employers and the pension association ASIP, but not by unions.
Pension Funds in Switzerland - Country Report
Switzerland country report 2024: The trouble with Swiss second-pillar pension reform
Attempts to reform occupational pensions continue to fail, risking undermining public trust. But pension funds have already been making their own pragmatic changes
TOP SWISS PENSION FUNDS 2024
Pension fund/entity | Assets (€’000)
- Compenswiss/Swiss Federal Social Security Funds | 45,603,811
- PUBLICA | 43,640,320
- Kanton Zürich (BVK) | 42,843,506
- UBS Pensionskasse | 30,635,160
- Migros (MPK) | 30,597,045
©IPE Research; View the Top 1000 European Pensions Funds 2024 for a comprehensive market overview
Swiss pension funds’ funding ratios reach highest level in 10 years
Fully funded public pension schemes in particular reached a funding ratio of 114%, exceeding the highest level of 112.9% recorded in 2021
Swiss pension fund association calls for change to 1e plans proposal
The government wants to tweak the law regulating vested benefits
Ethos excludes Tesla shares from own funds raising governance issues
‘Musk is now part of an administration that wants to somehow fight Tesla’s own product, it is a contradiction,’ Ethos CEO Vincent Kaufmann says
Swiss schemes nudged to cut fixed income amid low interest rates
From 2014 to 2022, Swiss pension schemes’ allocation to fixed income investments fell from 39.2% to 31.7%
Swiss schemes’ investment strategies have margin for higher returns – study
WTW’s research concluded that 25% of pension funds can increase their expected returns by an average of 0.84% per year
TOP MANAGERS: SWISS INSTITUTIONAL ASSETS
Company | Assets (€m)
- Zürcher Kantonalbank | 259,829*
- UBS Asset Management | 257,813[1]
- Swiss Life Asset Management | 131,028
- Pictet Asset Management | 72,132*
- AXA Investment Managers | 66,904
- BlackRock | 55,609
- Record Currency Mangement | 53,436***
- Vontobel | 51,459*
- Mesirow Currency Management | 47,619**
- Baloise Asset Management | 38,295
As at 30.6.24, *31.8.24, **30.9.24 ***28.6.24
[1] Excludes Credit Suisse Asset Management AUM
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IPE BEST PENSION FUND IN SWITZERLAND AWARD WINNERS
- 2023 - Pensionskasse Manor
- 2022 - CERN Pension Fund
- 2021 - Pensionskasse Bosch Schweiz
- 2020 - Pensionskasse Manor
- 2019 - CPEG, Caisse de prévoyance de l’Etat de Genève
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Swiss pension funds reform second-pillar pensions from the bottom up
September’s referendum on the reform of second-pillar pensions demonstrates that comprehensive proposals engineered from the top down don’t always bring the expected results. The latest proposal was roundly defeated by two thirds of the electorate.
Swiss pension funds’ funding ratios reach highest level in 10 years
Fully funded public pension schemes in particular reached a funding ratio of 114%, exceeding the highest level of 112.9% recorded in 2021
Swiss pension fund association calls for change to 1e plans proposal
The government wants to tweak the law regulating vested benefits
Ethos excludes Tesla shares from own funds raising governance issues
‘Musk is now part of an administration that wants to somehow fight Tesla’s own product, it is a contradiction,’ Ethos CEO Vincent Kaufmann says
Swiss schemes nudged to cut fixed income amid low interest rates
From 2014 to 2022, Swiss pension schemes’ allocation to fixed income investments fell from 39.2% to 31.7%
Swiss schemes’ investment strategies have margin for higher returns – study
WTW’s research concluded that 25% of pension funds can increase their expected returns by an average of 0.84% per year
Precious metals, equities propel Publica’s returns to 5.9%
Precious metals were among the best-performing asset classes in Publica’s portfolio last year, returning 33%
WTW Switzerland takes over pension advisory business of Groupe Mutuel
Occupational pension experts at Groupe Mutuel, Sébastien Brocard and Julien Melly, will join the team at WTW
Swiss corporate schemes under stress while risk of persistent low interest rates returns
Corporate schemes’ assets went up by 1.5%, partially offsetting increasing liabilities, but funding ratios fell to 120.9% in December 2024, from 121.1% in September 2024
IPE DACH Briefing: Germany’s reform zeal to enter unchartered waters
Plus: SPRIN-D calls to deploy capital-funded pensions to support research and development projects; SPD wants to strengthen occupational pensions
Profond’s returns climb to 9.4%, funding ratio to 110% in 2024
Board of trustees decides to apply interest rate of 8% on retirement savings
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