Unemployment, maternity, sabbatical, long-term illness: your LPP does not stop but is not fed either. Here is how each period is treated and the risks to anticipate.

May 14, 2026→

fondamentaux

8 min

Reading your pension certificate, line by line.

The annual certificate sent by your pension fund contains all essential information about your 2nd pillar. You just need to know where to look.

May 6, 2026→

fondamentaux

7 min

LPP mandatory and extra-mandatory: the difference everyone confuses.

On your certificate, your LPP assets are split in two. The mandatory and extra-mandatory parts do not follow the same rules — especially when leaving Switzerland.

May 6, 2026→

fondamentaux

6 min

Pension funds, foundations, Central 2nd-Pillar Office: who does what.

Three types of institutions manage Swiss occupational pensions. They do not play the same role — and the confusion is what makes assets disappear.

May 6, 2026→

fondamentaux

7 min

Vested benefits account or policy: choosing between the two.

When your LPP assets land in a vested benefits foundation, you have two options: bank account or insurance policy. The right choice depends on your age, horizon, and risk-coverage needs.

May 6, 2026→

fondamentaux

9 min

Vested benefits: the complete guide to leaving nothing asleep.

Everything you need to know about vested benefits foundations: what they are for, how they work, what to do with them.

Apr 22, 2026→

Cross-border & expats

Specific cases of returning to or leaving Switzerland.

Voir tout

frontaliers

8 min

Tax on an LPP withdrawal abroad: what really applies.

Bilateral treaties, source taxation, tax credit: the taxation mechanism for an LPP withdrawal on the foreign side, no fluff.

May 2, 2026→

frontaliers

10 min

Leaving Switzerland: what to do with your 2nd pillar on the way home.

Withdrawal, lock-up, taxation, bilateral treaties: what an expat or cross-border worker must know before or after leaving Switzerland.

Apr 28, 2026→

Cantonal guides & comparatives

Funds, foundations, taxation by canton.

Voir tout

guides

9 min

LPP withdrawal tax by canton: the gap map.

The canton that taxes your LPP withdrawal is the foundation's, not yours. The gap between cantons goes from one to three. Here is the scales map and the optimization strategy.

May 14, 2026→

guides

8 min

Withdrawing your LPP to go self-employed: conditions and procedure.

Starting a self-employed activity in Switzerland lets you withdraw your full 2nd pillar — under strict conditions. Here are the rules, the procedure, and what to check beforehand.

May 14, 2026→

guides

10 min

Leaving Switzerland: withdrawing your 2nd pillar by destination country.

Withdrawing LPP on departure from Switzerland depends on where you settle. EU/EFTA and outside-EU are two very different regimes. The details, case by case.

May 14, 2026→

guides

9 min

LPP buy-backs: when it is worth it, when it is a trap.

The LPP buy-back is one of the rare tax optimizations accessible to employees in Switzerland. You still need to understand the mechanics, the deadlines, and the capital withdrawal trap.

May 14, 2026→

guides

9 min

EPL: withdrawing your 2nd pillar to buy your main residence.

Home Ownership Promotion (EPL/WEF) lets you unlock your LPP to buy, build, or repay. Here are the rules, age-based ceilings, taxation, and pitfalls.

May 14, 2026→

guides

10 min

Annuity or lump sum at retirement: how to choose.

At retirement, your 2nd pillar can be paid as a life annuity, lump sum, or a mix of both. Here are the arbitration factors: longevity, taxation, security, inheritance.

May 14, 2026→

Research & discoveries

Investigations, real cases, hard numbers on forgotten LPP assets.

Voir tout

recherche

6 min

How some Swiss residents discover over CHF 100,000 in forgotten LPP.

Five real LPP discovery cases between CHF 70,000 and CHF 245,000. Why these amounts are possible, who is most concerned, and how to check your own situation.

May 12, 2026→

Understand Swiss pension — without the jargon.

Four approach angles

LPP fundamentals

Cross-border & expats

Regulatory news

Cantonal guides & comparatives

Research & discoveries

Featured article

The 2nd pillar explained simply, without jargon.

All articles

LPP fundamentals

Periods without employment: what happens to your 2nd pillar.

Reading your pension certificate, line by line.

LPP mandatory and extra-mandatory: the difference everyone confuses.

Pension funds, foundations, Central 2nd-Pillar Office: who does what.

Vested benefits account or policy: choosing between the two.

Vested benefits: the complete guide to leaving nothing asleep.

Cross-border & expats

Tax on an LPP withdrawal abroad: what really applies.

Leaving Switzerland: what to do with your 2nd pillar on the way home.

Cantonal guides & comparatives

LPP withdrawal tax by canton: the gap map.

Withdrawing your LPP to go self-employed: conditions and procedure.

Leaving Switzerland: withdrawing your 2nd pillar by destination country.

LPP buy-backs: when it is worth it, when it is a trap.

EPL: withdrawing your 2nd pillar to buy your main residence.

Annuity or lump sum at retirement: how to choose.

Research & discoveries

How some Swiss residents discover over CHF 100,000 in forgotten LPP.