The pension certificate provides you with information about your occupational pension cover (pension fund). It includes details of the contributions that you and your employer make to the pension fund every year. You can see how much you have already saved and roughly what payments you can expect to receive in old age. The pension fund sends you a current pension certificate to your private address on a regular basis. When it comes to the exact calculation of the benefits due to you, the Pension Regulations together with the Fund Regulations are authoritative and legally binding – you will receive both from your employer.

You can access your documents at any time via our customer portal. The portal also allows you to make a number of individual calculations to help you plan your pension yourself. Register for the portal free of charge on myBaloise.

You can find it here: Occupational pension documents -> Legal documents

As an insured person, you are obliged by law to pay all available funds into your current pension fund. This is in your interest, because it is the only way to ensure that all the amounts you have paid in are taken into account in the event of a benefit case or upon your retirement. As a rule, you will be asked by your former employer’s pension fund to provide details of your new pension fund. The pension assets you have saved will then be transferred directly. Please remember that this also applies to assets that you have deposited with a portable benefits institution (portable benefits account at a bank or portable benefits policy at an insurance company).

Spouses or life partners as well as children are insured through your pension fund contributions, even after your death. The exact provisions can be found in the Pension and Fund Regulations. You can obtain these from your employer or contact our Customer Service. You can find your contact person on your pension certificate. If applicable, please remember to notify us of a life partnership in writing.

• Notification of your life partnership 

You are also insured through your pension fund contributions in the event of disability. In conjunction with the AHV/IV, the aim is to enable you to maintain a reasonable standard of living even if you can no longer earn income from employment. The exact provisions can be found in the Pension and Fund Regulations. You can obtain these from your employer or contact our Customer Service. You can find your contact person on your pension certificate.

The insurance in the pension fund is suspended for the duration of your unpaid leave or other unpaid absence, as you are not receiving a salary. To ensure comprehensive cover, you can continue your insurance in Pillar 2 in consultation with your employer, either only for the risk aspects or in full, including contributions to your retirement assets.

You can withdraw or pledge all or part of the capital you have saved so far to purchase residential property. The minimum amount for this sort of advance withdrawal is CHF 20,000.00; if you are over 50, there are also certain restrictions on the amount. If applicable, your spouse or life partner must give their written consent. Detailed tips and advice can be found in the following document:

Important: Please remember that any payout from Pillar 2 affects your future benefits (in the event of retirement, disability and death). Check how you can provide financial security for your family, for example by taking out a pure life insurance policy. 

In Pillar 3, you can insure additional benefits to optimise your pension situation to suit your individual needs. We offer you various options for this, also with different effects on your tax situation.

Do you have capital available that you would like to use to improve your pension situation in the pension fund? Your pension certificate will show your maximum purchase amount under the heading Additional information. You can pay your own money into your pension fund up to this amount. Please note that the resulting benefits must not be withdrawn in the form of a lump-sum capital payment for a period of three years after the purchase.

Normally, your pension starts at the end of the month in which you reach retirement age (65/64), and your employment relationship then ends automatically. We will contact you in advance and you will then receive the corresponding payments from us. The approximate amount of the monthly pension is shown on your current pension certificate; our Customer Service will be happy to provide you with an exact calculation.

You can, however, also retire earlier or later subject to your employer’s consent. This changes the amount of the pension: the earlier, the lower – the later, the higher. This is why precise planning based on your needs and wishes is recommended, also taking other pension assets (AHV / Pillar 3) and tax aspects into account. We will be happy to advise you individually.

Instead of a pension, you can also withdraw the assets you have saved as a one-off lump-sum payment. This means you are free to dispose of your money, but on the other hand you are not guaranteed a lifelong pension payment. You must register a lump-sum withdrawal with us at least one month before you retire. Please feel free to contact us for pension planning and to obtain an overall view of your pension situation.

When your employment relationship is terminated, your insurance in our occupational pension scheme also ends. We will transfer your withdrawal benefit (i.e. all savings contributions you have already made) to the pension fund of your new employer. If you do not take up employment immediately afterwards, you must take out a portable benefits policy or open a portable benefits account with an insurance company or bank of your choice. When you leave, you will automatically receive a form from us that you can use to provide us with the relevant transfer details.

Both types of contract allow you to park your retirement assets tax-free for the period during which you are between jobs. You can cancel both immediately as soon as you start a new job. With a portable benefits account, your assets earn interest at the applicable rate and are protected by law; there are no other benefits.

In the case of a portable benefits policy, lump-sum benefits are also insured for survival and death. This means that you can also contribute to the financial security of your surviving dependants in the event of death.

• Forms

Have you had compulsory occupational pension insurance with us through your employer until now and has your employment relationship been terminated by your employer? If you have reached the age of 58, you have the option of maintaining your insurance in our pension fund at your own expense. Contact us. We would be happy to discuss your current situation in person.