Swiss edition
Swiss questions, official sources only
This edition contains no Swiss rule, limit, contribution amount, benefit level or tax effect. Those change, and reproducing them here would go stale. Each card states the topic, the questions worth asking, who it generally applies to, whether it is federal or cantonal, which professional may be needed, and links to the official source.
Check current rules. Swiss federal and cantonal rules, thresholds and amounts change, and individual entitlement is always assessed case by case.
Every card below has been source-checked against the official source shown. No figures, limits or amounts are reproduced here on purpose — read them from the source at the time you use them.
18–29 · Foundations and launch
AHV/OASI contribution history
Swiss old-age and survivors' insurance builds an individual contribution record. Missing contribution years can reduce a later pension, and the rules on what counts and what can be corrected are federal.
Questions worth asking
- From when does your contribution record run, and have you ever requested a statement?
- Are there years abroad, in study or without paid work that may appear as gaps?
- Which compensation office holds your record?
- Generally applies to:
- People insured under Swiss OASI, including many students and people working part-time.
- Scope:
- Federal (Switzerland)
- Professional who may be needed:
- Your AHV compensation office (Ausgleichskasse) for the record; a pension adviser for planning.
- Last reviewed:
- 30 August 2026
- Source-checked:
- Yes
Check current rules. Swiss federal and cantonal rules, thresholds and amounts change, and individual entitlement is always assessed case by case.
Health insurance: model and cost-sharing
Basic health insurance is compulsory for residents. Premiums, insurance models and the annual deductible you choose determine what you pay directly before insurance contributes.
Questions worth asking
- Which model and deductible do you currently have, and why?
- Could you cover your chosen deductible from savings if you needed care tomorrow?
- Do you qualify for a cantonal premium reduction?
- Generally applies to:
- People resident in Switzerland with compulsory basic insurance.
- Scope:
- Federal (Switzerland)
- Professional who may be needed:
- Your insurer, and the cantonal office responsible for premium reductions.
- Last reviewed:
- 30 August 2026
- Source-checked:
- Yes
Check current rules. Swiss federal and cantonal rules, thresholds and amounts change, and individual entitlement is always assessed case by case.
30–39 · Accumulation and commitments
Occupational pension (Pillar 2) with part-time work or a career break
Occupational pension building depends on employment, salary and each scheme's regulations. Part-time work, multiple employers and career breaks can all affect how much is built up.
Questions worth asking
- What do your current pension certificate and scheme regulations say?
- How is a reduction in hours or a break reflected in future benefits?
- How is the pension effect of unpaid care shared between partners?
- Generally applies to:
- Employees insured in a Swiss pension fund; conditions differ by scheme and salary.
- Scope:
- Federal (Switzerland)
- Professional who may be needed:
- Your pension fund, and a licensed pension adviser for projections.
- Last reviewed:
- 30 August 2026
- Source-checked:
- Yes
Check current rules. Swiss federal and cantonal rules, thresholds and amounts change, and individual entitlement is always assessed case by case.
Pillar 3a: eligibility and purpose
Pillar 3a is tied-up private pension saving with tax-privileged treatment, available to people with income subject to Swiss OASI contributions. Eligibility, maximum contributions and withdrawal conditions are set by federal rules.
Questions worth asking
- Are you eligible, and does having a pension fund change the applicable maximum?
- What are the conditions for early withdrawal, and what are the consequences?
- Does locking money away fit your situation for the next decades?
- Generally applies to:
- People with income subject to Swiss OASI contributions.
- Scope:
- Federal (Switzerland)
- Professional who may be needed:
- A licensed financial adviser or your bank/insurer; the tax authority for tax treatment.
- Last reviewed:
- 30 August 2026
- Source-checked:
- Yes
Check current rules. Swiss federal and cantonal rules, thresholds and amounts change, and individual entitlement is always assessed case by case.
Disability and income protection
Swiss invalidity insurance (IV) and, where applicable, occupational and private cover can provide income if you cannot work. Entitlement is assessed individually, and there are notification and cooperation duties.
Questions worth asking
- What income would you have after several months of illness?
- What does your employer and pension fund provide, and from when?
- What would the household need in that situation?
- Generally applies to:
- People insured in Switzerland; conditions and waiting periods vary by contract and scheme.
- Scope:
- Federal (Switzerland)
- Professional who may be needed:
- Your cantonal IV office, your pension fund, and an insurance specialist.
- Last reviewed:
- 30 August 2026
- Source-checked:
- Yes
Check current rules. Swiss federal and cantonal rules, thresholds and amounts change, and individual entitlement is always assessed case by case.
40–49 · Midlife pivot
Advance care directive (Patientenverfügung) and Vorsorgeauftrag
Swiss civil law provides for an advance care directive covering medical decisions and a Vorsorgeauftrag (mandate in case of incapacity) covering personal care, asset management and legal representation. Both have formal requirements.
Questions worth asking
- Do both documents exist, and do they meet the formal requirements?
- Does the person named know, agree and have access to the document?
- Are they consistent with each other and with your will?
- Generally applies to:
- Adults with capacity subject to Swiss civil law.
- Scope:
- Federal (Switzerland)
- Professional who may be needed:
- A lawyer or notary; your physician for the medical content.
- Last reviewed:
- 30 August 2026
- Source-checked:
- Yes
Check current rules. Swiss federal and cantonal rules, thresholds and amounts change, and individual entitlement is always assessed case by case.
Will and inheritance planning triggers
Swiss succession law sets out compulsory shares and formal requirements for wills and inheritance agreements. Marriage, partnership, children, property, business ownership and cross-border assets are typical triggers for review.
Questions worth asking
- Has anything changed since the last version — family, property, residence or business?
- Are compulsory-share rules and the marital-property regime accounted for?
- Do cross-border assets or nationalities complicate it?
- Generally applies to:
- People whose estate is subject to Swiss law; cross-border cases need specialist advice.
- Scope:
- Federal (Switzerland)
- Professional who may be needed:
- A notary or lawyer specialising in succession law.
- Last reviewed:
- 30 August 2026
- Source-checked:
- Yes
Check current rules. Swiss federal and cantonal rules, thresholds and amounts change, and individual entitlement is always assessed case by case.
50–59 · Preparation and catch-up
Pension-versus-capital decision triggers
At retirement, occupational pension benefits may be drawable as a pension, as capital, or in a combination, depending on scheme regulations. Notice periods and deadlines are set by the scheme, and elections are typically irreversible.
Questions worth asking
- What options does your scheme's regulation actually allow, and by which deadline?
- What would a surviving partner receive under each option?
- Which parts of the decision cannot be reversed?
- Generally applies to:
- Members of Swiss occupational pension schemes approaching retirement.
- Scope:
- Federal (Switzerland)
- Professional who may be needed:
- Your pension fund, plus a licensed pension adviser and a tax adviser before any election.
- Last reviewed:
- 30 August 2026
- Source-checked:
- Yes
Check current rules. Swiss federal and cantonal rules, thresholds and amounts change, and individual entitlement is always assessed case by case.
AHV/OASI gaps and catch-up questions
Contribution gaps affect the later OASI pension. Which gaps can still be addressed, and how, is governed by federal rules and confirmed by the compensation office.
Questions worth asking
- Have you requested an individual account statement recently?
- Are there years that appear as gaps, and what caused them?
- What does the compensation office say can still be corrected?
- Generally applies to:
- People insured under Swiss OASI.
- Scope:
- Federal (Switzerland)
- Professional who may be needed:
- Your AHV compensation office; a pension adviser for the planning consequences.
- Last reviewed:
- 30 August 2026
- Source-checked:
- Yes
Check current rules. Swiss federal and cantonal rules, thresholds and amounts change, and individual entitlement is always assessed case by case.
Care access and cantonal variation
Home care (Spitex), day structures and residential care are organised locally, and availability, financing and waiting times differ by canton and municipality.
Questions worth asking
- Which providers operate where you live, and what is their current capacity?
- How does your canton assess and finance care needs?
- Would you stay in this canton if care were needed?
- Generally applies to:
- People living in Switzerland; arrangements depend on canton and municipality.
- Scope:
- Cantonal (Switzerland)
- Professional who may be needed:
- Your municipality's or canton's care advisory service; the local Spitex organisation.
- Last reviewed:
- 30 August 2026
- Source-checked:
- Yes
Check current rules. Swiss federal and cantonal rules, thresholds and amounts change, and individual entitlement is always assessed case by case.
60–69 · Transition
Retirement preparation and timing
The official information portal sets out the steps and notifications required around retirement, including registering for the OASI pension and coordinating pillar 2 and 3a decisions.
Questions worth asking
- Which registrations and notifications are needed, and by when?
- How do early or deferred retirement options change your income?
- How do the pillars interact in the year you retire?
- Generally applies to:
- People approaching retirement in Switzerland.
- Scope:
- Federal (Switzerland)
- Professional who may be needed:
- Your AHV compensation office and pension fund; a licensed adviser for the combined picture.
- Last reviewed:
- 30 August 2026
- Source-checked:
- Yes
Check current rules. Swiss federal and cantonal rules, thresholds and amounts change, and individual entitlement is always assessed case by case.
Health-insurance deductible and reserves in retirement
Choosing a deductible is a trade-off between premium and the amount you pay directly. In retirement the assumption that you will use little care may change.
Questions worth asking
- Does your current deductible still fit your expected use of care?
- Do you hold reserves to cover the deductible and retention in a bad year?
- Have you checked cantonal premium reductions and supplementary insurance conditions?
- Generally applies to:
- People resident in Switzerland with compulsory basic insurance.
- Scope:
- Federal (Switzerland)
- Professional who may be needed:
- Your insurer; the cantonal premium-reduction office.
- Last reviewed:
- 30 August 2026
- Source-checked:
- Yes
Check current rules. Swiss federal and cantonal rules, thresholds and amounts change, and individual entitlement is always assessed case by case.
70–79 · Adaptation and protection
Supplementary benefits (EL / PC)
Supplementary benefits can support people receiving an OASI or IV pension whose recognised expenditure exceeds recognised income. Entitlement is assessed individually and implemented with cantonal differences.
Questions worth asking
- Could you or a family member be eligible, and who assesses that?
- Which costs are recognised in the assessment?
- What documentation is needed to apply?
- Generally applies to:
- OASI or IV pension recipients resident in Switzerland.
- Scope:
- Federal (Switzerland)
- Professional who may be needed:
- Your cantonal EL/PC office or compensation office.
- Last reviewed:
- 30 August 2026
- Source-checked:
- Yes
Check current rules. Swiss federal and cantonal rules, thresholds and amounts change, and individual entitlement is always assessed case by case.
Fraud prevention and formally authorised financial access
The national cyber security authority publishes prevention guidance and a reporting channel. Banks offer formal authorisation procedures; passwords and security codes should never be shared.
Questions worth asking
- Which formal authorisation does your bank offer, and is it registered?
- What is your rule for unexpected calls, letters or messages asking for money or codes?
- Who would you call to check something before acting?
- Generally applies to:
- Anyone in Switzerland using banking, payment or online services.
- Scope:
- Federal (Switzerland)
- Professional who may be needed:
- Your bank for authorised access; the NCSC for reporting; the police for suspected fraud.
- Last reviewed:
- 30 August 2026
- Source-checked:
- Yes
Check current rules. Swiss federal and cantonal rules, thresholds and amounts change, and individual entitlement is always assessed case by case.
Housing adaptation and care-access planning
Housing suitability, adaptation options and local care capacity determine how long living at home remains realistic. Support and financing differ by canton, insurer and tenure.
Questions worth asking
- Would the home work with a walking aid or after a fall?
- What adaptation is possible in a rented or owned property, and who pays?
- What home-care capacity exists nearby?
- Generally applies to:
- People living in Switzerland, whether renting or owning.
- Scope:
- Cantonal (Switzerland)
- Professional who may be needed:
- An occupational therapist, your canton's housing or care advisory service, local Spitex.
- Last reviewed:
- 30 August 2026
- Source-checked:
- Yes
Check current rules. Swiss federal and cantonal rules, thresholds and amounts change, and individual entitlement is always assessed case by case.
80+ · Function, simplification and support
Spitex and coordinated support at home
Spitex organisations provide nursing and domestic support at home. Prescription, financing and coordination involve the physician, the insurer and the municipality or canton.
Questions worth asking
- What is currently provided, by whom, and how often?
- Who coordinates between physician, Spitex and family?
- What happens at night, at weekends and when a carer is unavailable?
- Generally applies to:
- People needing care at home in Switzerland.
- Scope:
- Cantonal (Switzerland)
- Professional who may be needed:
- Your physician, the local Spitex organisation, and the municipal care advisory service.
- Last reviewed:
- 30 August 2026
- Source-checked:
- Yes
Check current rules. Swiss federal and cantonal rules, thresholds and amounts change, and individual entitlement is always assessed case by case.
Representation, authority and documents in place
Where capacity is reduced, Swiss civil law determines who may act, on what basis, and when an authority becomes involved. Documents drawn up in advance shape that outcome.
Questions worth asking
- Is the Vorsorgeauftrag deposited, findable and known to the family?
- Does the advance care directive reflect current wishes?
- Who holds authority for financial, health and living decisions respectively?
- Generally applies to:
- Adults subject to Swiss civil law and their families.
- Scope:
- Federal (Switzerland)
- Professional who may be needed:
- A lawyer or notary; the adult protection authority (KESB) where already involved.
- Last reviewed:
- 30 August 2026
- Source-checked:
- Yes
Check current rules. Swiss federal and cantonal rules, thresholds and amounts change, and individual entitlement is always assessed case by case.
See every source, scope and review date in the evidence register