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.
When we talk about forgotten LPP assets, many imagine modest sums: a few thousand francs at most. Reality is more nuanced. At the Swiss level, the Auffangeinrichtung BVG manages ~CHF 6 billion spread across ~950,000 contactless accounts. And every year, some people discover they have more than CHF 100,000 sleeping in their name — sometimes for more than 15 years.
Five documented real cases
| Profile | Context | Amount recovered |
|---|---|---|
| IT executive, 52, GE | Real-estate project, LPP statement requested by the bank | CHF 118,000 |
| Physician, 48, VD | 5 years in cantonal hospital, then private practice | CHF 245,000 |
| Engineer, 55, BS | 4 employers over 18 years, moved to Zug | CHF 167,400 |
| Finance executive, 49, ZH | 2014–2015 sabbatical, vested benefits foundation forgotten | CHF 93,700 |
| Heir (deceased father) | Father worked in CH 1985–2002, never withdrew | CHF 89,500 |
Why these amounts can be large
The 2nd pillar accumulates three flows:
- Employee contributions (deducted from the net salary).
- Employer contributions (paid on top of the salary).
- Interest credited annually by the institution (LPP minimum rate: 1.25% in 2024, but often higher on the extra-mandatory).
For a CHF 95,000 salary, cumulative annual contributions (employee + employer) reach ~CHF 11,000 to 17,000 depending on age (LPP credit rates art. 16). Over 5 years of employment, the accumulated capital can therefore exceed CHF 70,000. With 15 additional years of capitalization without withdrawal, it easily approaches CHF 130,000.
Left a Geneva executive position in 2009 (salary CHF 110,000) after 5 years of seniority. LPP assets transferred to a vested benefits foundation, never claimed. Initial capital on exit: CHF 78,000.
- LPP capital at exit (2009)
- CHF 78,000
- Average return over 15 years
- ~1.75%
- Annual management fees (foundation)
- ~0.4%
- Effective capital end of 2024
- CHF 99,800
- Gross growth
- +CHF 21,800
- If discovered at 65 (15 more years)
- CHF 127,500
Which profiles are most concerned
| Profile | Why |
|---|---|
| Executives with ≥ 5 years at a well-paid employer then change | High accumulated capital, dispersion on change of job |
| Physicians / professionals who worked in a cantonal hospital | Public cantonal funds with favorable returns |
| Heirs of a person who worked in CH > 10 years | Deceased's LPP account never withdrawn, transmissible to heirs |
| Expats returned to their home country after 8+ years in CH | High capital, EU/EFTA transfer not completed (FZG art. 25f) |
| Cross-border commuters who changed canton or employer ≥ 3 times | Series of incomplete transfers across the cross-border career |
| Executives on a long sabbatical then return to another canton | Assets transferred to a foundation, forgotten on return |
Why it stays invisible for so long
Four silent mechanisms by which an LPP account can sleep 10, 20, even 30 years:
- No proactive notification. Institutions send an annual statement to the last known address. If you moved without reporting, these letters get lost. No procedure reminds you by default.
- Mergers and name changes. Foundations merge regularly. Your account at "XYZ Vested Benefits" is now at "ABC Pension". The mental link gets lost.
- Accounts transferred to Auffangeinrichtung. After a certain period without contact, foundations transfer assets to Auffangeinrichtung BVG. You must know to claim there.
- A single visible fund. Many believe that the annual statement of the current fund reflects all their pension. False: it only reflects transferred assets, not accounts left in the past.
How to check — the method
Three contacts to query for the complete picture:
- The Central 2nd-Pillar Office (Supplementary Institution LPP Foundation) — free request, covers contactless accounts.
- The ~340 private vested benefits foundations — one by one, or via a pooled power of attorney.
- The ~1,380 active pension funds — to check any "stuck" assets not transferred by former employers.
On your own, count 4 to 8 months of individual letters. Via Pillarum, a single power of attorney queries the 3 sources in parallel: consolidated result in 4 to 6 weeks.
If you find a forgotten account — what next
Once LPP assets have been recovered, several options:
- Leave them in place in the vested benefits foundation, monitoring fees (see our fee comparison).
- Transfer them to your active pension fund (if it accepts voluntary buy-backs).
- Consolidate them in a better-paying or more strategic foundation (see account or policy).
- Withdraw them if your situation allows (departure from Switzerland, self-employment, EPL home purchase).
- 01LPP discoveries > CHF 100,000 are regular, especially among executives, physicians, expats, heirs.
- 02The invisibility of these accounts comes from the fact that institutions do not actively alert — traceability depends on your initiative.
- 03Checking means querying 3 sources: Central 2nd-Pillar Office + vested benefits foundations + active funds.
- 04On your own: 4 to 8 months. Via a pooled power of attorney: 4 to 6 weeks.
To understand how dispersion happens, read our article on professional mobility. For the full vested benefits guide, our reference. To learn who does what between funds, foundations, and the Central Office, our dedicated article.