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.
Every year, your pension fund sends you a document summarizing your situation: the pension certificate (also called benefits statement). It is two to four pages long, contains about ten figures, and most insured persons file it away without reading. A shame: it is the source of information on your 2nd pillar.
The 8 sections of a typical certificate
Each fund has its own layout, but the content is standardized. Here are the sections you will certainly find.
1. Your personal data
Name, first name, date of birth, AVS number (the 756.xxxx.xxxx.xx), date of entry into the fund, employment rate. Check above all the AVS number — an error here can split your assets into two parallel files, and is the most common source of "lost" assets.
2. Reported salary
Three usual lines: AVS salary (your gross salary as reported to AVS), coordination deduction (CHF 26,460 in 2025), and coordinated salary (the difference, capped). This coordinated salary is the basis for calculating contributions.
3. Contributions
Your annual contributions are broken down:
- Retirement credits ("Sparbeiträge"), feeding your retirement assets. The percentage depends on your age, set by law.
- Risk contributions (death and disability). Often 1 to 2% of the coordinated salary.
- Administration fees. Variable by fund, generally 0.3 to 0.8% of the assets.
- Possible special contributions: participation in a guarantee fund, special measures, staggered buy-backs.
| Age bracket | Annual credit (% of coordinated salary) |
|---|---|
| 25 – 34 | 7% |
| 35 – 44 | 10% |
| 45 – 54 | 15% |
| 55 – 65 | 18% |
These rates are minimums. Many funds, especially in framework agreements, offer higher ones (e.g., 11% from 25, 18% from 45). One of the elements that distinguish a good fund from an average one.
4. Old-age assets at 31 December
The central figure. This is what you have accumulated in your LPP account at the end of the past year. Often broken down into:
- Old-age assets per LPP (the mandatory part — see our article mandatory vs extra-mandatory)
- Extra-mandatory assets (the rest)
- Total assets (sum of both)
This breakdown is not optional: it is essential if one day you leave Switzerland, divorce, or plan a withdrawal. If it does not appear, ask for it.
5. Vested benefits
Also called "exit benefit". This is the amount that will leave if you quit your employer tomorrow morning — to a new fund, a vested benefits foundation, or as a cash payment if you are entitled.
In general, vested benefits = old-age assets at 31 December + accrued interest up to the exit date. In defined-benefit funds (rare today), a more complex calculation applies.
6. Retirement benefits
A projection. Often at several ages (60, 62, 64, 65), often in two versions: annuity and lump sum.
- Projected pension at 65 = projected old-age assets × conversion rate. The legal conversion rate is 6.8%, being reduced to 6.0% as part of the LPP 21 reform (gradual entry into force).
- Projected capital at 65 = projected old-age assets at that age.
The projection assumes a constant salary until retirement and a projection interest rate (often the LPP minimum). A future promotion is not in the calculation.
7. Death and disability benefits
What your relatives would receive in case of death, or you in case of total or partial disability. Worth looking at especially if:
- You have an unmarried partner (cohabiting partner) — check whether the fund covers a partner pension.
- You have children — there is often an orphan pension, capped.
- You are the sole financial support of a non-working spouse.
8. Buy-back possibilities
If your career started late, or if you had interruptions, you may have a pension gap. The certificate shows the maximum possible buy-back amount. An important figure: any buy-back is fully deductible from the taxable income of the year of payment.
Three checks no one does (and should)
1. Is the AVS number correct?
The AVS number (756.xxxx.xxxx.xx) is the universal identifier. A typo at hiring can mean a former employer transferred your assets to the wrong number. The result: a vested benefits account exists in your name but is not attached to anyone. To check yours, look at your tax return or contact your AVS office.
2. Is the date of entry into the fund correct?
If you started a job on 1 February and the fund notes 1 March, you lose a month of contributions. Over 30 years, that represents a few thousand francs.
3. Does the reported salary reflect your current situation?
Especially after a promotion, a percentage change, a bonus considered or not. The reported salary on the certificate must match your situation as of 1 January of the year.
- 01The certificate is an annual legal right (LPP art. 86b). Ask for it if you have not received it.
- 02Check first: AVS number, reported salary, entry date, and mandatory/extra-mandatory breakdown.
- 03Vested benefits is the real figure to look at if you change employer or leave Switzerland.
- 04The projected pension is an estimate at constant salary — not a promise.
To understand the difference between the two types of accounts your vested benefits can take, read our comparison account vs vested benefits policy. And if you suspect old assets never transferred, the vested benefits guide details the options.