FAQ

In the findependent app under pillar 3a, click on «Pay in». There you can create your personal transfer order with just a few clicks to transfer your 3a assets to findependent. 

All you have to do then is print out the prepared transfer order, sign it, and send it by mail to your previous retirement savings foundation. We’ll handle the rest in the background for you.

As soon as you’ve downloaded our app and completed the opening process, your personal dashboard will be right there waiting for you. 

Simply click on the «Pay in» button for your desired pillar 3a portfolio to display your payment details and your personal QR deposit slip. This allows you to transfer money conveniently to your pillar 3a from any Swiss bank. 

Our tip: Set up a monthly standing order. This way, your money flows regularly into your 3a investment solution, and we invest it for you fully automatically in the background. By making regular deposits, you benefit from the so-called cost-average effect. Market fluctuations are smoothed out effortlessly for you over time. Retirement planning couldn’t be easier. 

First things first: As long as you turn 18 in the current year, nothing stands in the way of your pillar 3a with findependent. To be able to deposit new money, you need an income subject to OASI. As an employee, this applies from as little as 2'500 Swiss francs a year. 

Currently don't have a fixed income? No problem. You can transfer your existing 3a assets to us at any time and benefit from our fair conditions.

Every Swiss franc you invest flows directly into the independent findependent 3a retirement savings foundation. It manages your 3a assets and is legally strictly separated from Findependent AG. 

Should push come to shove and findependent, the account-holding Hypothekarbank Lenzburg, or the custodian bank ZKB run into trouble, several protection mechanisms exist depending on who goes bankrupt: Your cash balance at Hypothekarbank Lenzburg is treated preferentially up to 100’000 francs via the bankruptcy privilege. Important: Only 1% of your invested sum is held as cash balance. And your index funds at ZKB? They count as special assets. That means: They belong solely to you and remain completely untouched even in the event of bank insolvency. If Findependent AG gets into financial difficulty, your pillar 3a assets are not affected at all thanks to the legal separation between Findependent AG and the findependent 3a retirement savings foundation. 

So you enjoy the full freedom of a modern investment with the same strong protection as with any traditional Swiss bank. 

Deposits are always free of charge. 

Ordinary payouts such as drawing your 3a assets at retirement age or transferring to another 3a provider also cost you absolutely nothing. This includes the payout of assets to beneficiaries in the event of death. 

Extraordinary withdrawals, such as payouts for self-employment, owner-occupied property, or emigration, are charged according to the fee regulations. 

Your deposits into pillar 3a are completely voluntary. Unlike rigid insurance models, you stay fully flexible with our investment solutions. 

You pay in exactly when and as much as it suits your life and your budget right now. And if you ever want to skip a year or pause, it won't cost you a thing.

If you haven't made any deposits into the portfolio yet, you can delete it with a click on the «Close» button. If there is money in the portfolio, you cannot delete it directly. You would first have to withdraw or transfer the balance using the «Pay out» button. As soon as the portfolio is empty, it will be deleted automatically and you will subsequently find a closing report under Profile > Documents.

You can easily cancel your findependent pillar 3a directly in the app: 

1. Withdraw your entire 3a assets or have them transferred to another provider. You can do this with the «Pay out» button. 

2. Click on «Profile» in the app and then on «Your findependent account». 

3. Select the product «Pillar 3a» at the top, scroll down, and click on «Cancel Pillar 3a». 

Despite canceling the «Pillar 3a» investment solution, your findependent account will remain active and you can continue to use the "Invest" investment product if needed. 

Would you like to close your complete findependent account? Here's how: 

1. First cancel the investment solution(s) «Invest» and/or «Pillar 3a».  

2. In the app, tap on «Profile» and then on «Your findependent account».  

3. Tap on «Your findependent account» at the bottom and then on «Cancel findependent account». After that, you can specify a reason for cancellation (optional) and confirm the cancellation.

You now no longer have access to the findependent products and data. 

Your saved money goes to your loved ones. This is regulated by the so-called beneficiary order. 

This sequence is strictly defined by law. A widespread misconception is that you can arrange this completely in your will. Unfortunately, that's not quite true. You can only deviate from the statutory standard rule to a very limited extent. 

The law provides that your money goes first and in full to these people: 

1. Your spouse or your registered partner 

If this person is not or no longer in your life, your retirement funds are distributed equally to the second group: 

2. Your direct descendants (children, grandchildren), people you supported financially to a significant extent, or your life partner if you lived together continuously for at least five years before your death or if you have joint children. 

If nobody can be found in this second group either, the next people in line are: 

3. Your parents 

4. Your (half-)siblings 

5. Your remaining heirs (the state gets nothing here) 

Here you can have a say: 

Even though the law strictly dictates the order, there are a few adjustments you can make to customize the distribution of your 3a assets for retirement: 

• Fine-tune Group 2: You can determine who from the second group (children, life partner, etc.) should receive how much. The only important thing is that the shares add up to exactly 100 percent in the end. 

• Change the order: You can adjust the priorities of groups 3 to 5 (parents, siblings, remaining heirs) according to your wishes. 

An important tip: If there is absolutely no one from groups 1 to 5, your savings cannot be paid out and are forfeited. This can easily be prevented: Designate a charitable organization close to your heart under «remaining heirs». This way, your savings will still do good in the end. 

Would you like to make changes to the beneficiary order or the shares? Get the form with all details on how to proceed directly in the app under Profile > Documents. If you have any questions, simply contact our support team by phone, email, or chat. We're happy to help you out.

You can request a pillar 3a withdrawal directly in the app: 

Click on the desired portfolio and then on the «Pay out» button. Select the reason for withdrawing your 3a assets. There are special cases where you will be asked for proof or documents. After checking your documents, we will of course take care of selling your investments and paying out your assets. 

Please note that withdrawal is only possible in legally regulated cases. We therefore check your details in the background before the payout is processed further. 

There are a few milestones in life where you can withdraw your 3a assets early: 

• Retirement is calling: When you reach reference age (or up to five years before). 

• Your own four walls: When you need money for home ownership, renovations, or (partial) mortgage repayment. Important: It must be a owner-occupied property. Holiday homes or investment properties do not count. Details on drawing money for renovations can be found in our  blog post.

• Your own business: When you take up self-employment, i.e. active in a sole proprietorship or partnership. The (co-)founding of a GmbH or AG is excluded. 

• Emigrating: If you leave Switzerland permanently.

• 2nd pillar buy-in: For targeted buy-ins into the pension fund. 

• Hardship cases: In the event of disability or death.

Good to know: If you simply want to switch to another provider, a transfer of your account balance to another retirement savings foundation is of course possible at any time. 

Basically, as soon as you reach regular reference age, the withdrawal of your 3a money is due. 

However, there is one exception: If you work beyond the reference age and continue to have an income subject to OASI, you can defer the payout a little longer. However, only up to five years at the latest after reaching your regular reference age. After that, the money will definitely be paid out. 

Regular reference age is currently defined as follows: 

• Men: Reference age = 65 years. 

• Women: A bit more special due to the AHV reform: 

  • Born in 1961 = Reference age 64 years and 3 months. 

  • Born in 1962 = Reference age 64 years and 6 months. 

  • Born in 1963 = Reference age 64 years and 9 months.

  • Born in 1964 and later = Reference age 65 years.

While merging multiple portfolios would theoretically be allowed, it’s not advisable. Having multiple portfolios lets you make staggered withdrawals when you retire to optimize your taxes. Find out more here and in our blog post!

No, that’s neither possible nor legally allowed. However, you can open a new portfolio and only pay into that one moving forward.  

Yes, absolutely! With us, you can manage up to five different portfolios at the same time. You can add another portfolio directly in the app within just a few seconds. 

This is specifically clever for your future: When you retire, you can withdraw your portfolios in stages rather than all at once. Staggered withdrawals actually make a lot of sense, as you can potentially save a lot on taxes by taking tax progression stages into account. Read more about it here.

Fortunately, you don't have to pay tax on your 3a assets until retirement, as there are no income, wealth, or withholding taxes. This is the great leverage of pillar 3a, because you can even deduct your annual contributions from your taxes! 

You will receive a tax certificate from us via app at the beginning of the year, which you can simply upload when filing your tax return. You can find the tax certificate under your profile in the "Documents" section, where you can easily download it. You then enter the amount you paid in under "Deductions" in your tax return. The deduction is made directly from your taxable income. So, for example, if you report a net income of 60'000 Swiss francs, your net income will be reduced by the amount you paid into your pillar 3a. 

The state only knocks right at the very end when you have your assets paid out. You then benefit from a reduced tax rate. 

No, and that is very important to us. We act for our clients and not for other financial institutions. 

We therefore do not receive any kickbacks, commissions, or retrocessions.

The Management fees of only 0.29% per year are calculated at the end of each quarter and relate to the average value of your 3a assets. These also include the Custody fees of the custodian bank. From our perspective, you pay a very fair price for the management of your 3a assets. Nationwide, our pillar 3a is one of the most affordable. 

The fees apply to each portfolio individually. But don't worry, having multiple portfolios isn't more expensive. The fees are calculated as a percentage of your invested sum and, as you've already read, amount to 0.29% per year (and thus 0.0725% per quarter). 

Example: If you have a portfolio with 60’000 francs, this will cost you 43.50 francs per quarter. If you have two portfolios with 30’000 francs each, they will cost you 21.75 francs each, adding up to 43.50 francs as well.

You pay your money into the findependent 3a retirement savings foundation. This is a foundation under Swiss law, legally separate from Findependent AG, which is supervised by the BVG and Foundation Supervisory Authority of the Canton of Aargau (BVSA). The cash is parked in the retirement savings foundation's collective account at Hypothekarbank Lenzburg, while Zürcher Kantonalbank (ZKB) acts as a reliable custodian bank for your securities in the background. In short: Your money is stored completely safely in Switzerland. 

It is important to us to be able to stand behind the investments made. To take social and ecological values into account, we use Swisscanto index funds from the «Responsible» series wherever possible. 

These are based on traditional standard benchmark indices, but use defined exclusion criteria and a targeted CO2e reduction. This is reflected in the Swisscanto Sustainability Rating, which ranges from «A» (high) to «G» (low). The rating classifies companies as «A» if they operate in an exemplary manner based on four fundamental pillars (stewardship, controversies, ESG, and climate). On the other hand, companies are classified as «G» if they show major deficiencies in the sustainability analysis. There are five additional rating levels in between. This rating is more comprehensive than pure ESG ratings. In our blog post Sustainable investing with findependent we are happy to explain the details to you. 

We also supplement this with our own sustainability screening. You can find more about this in our list of all index funds used. 

When it comes to the investment focus, you can choose between «Standard», «Switzerland», and «Global». We recommend the «Standard» focus to keep investment costs as low as possible and to spread investment risks as broadly as possible. 

In order for you to have a say in the regional focus within your equities, we additionally offer the «Switzerland» and «Global» investment focus options.  

With the «Switzerland» investment focus, the share of Swiss stocks is 80%. The «Global» focus means that the share of Swiss stocks is reduced to 10%. 

Overview (stocks):
Switzerland = 80% Switzerland, 20% Global
Standard = 40% Switzerland, 60% Global
Global = 10% Switzerland, 90% Global

We exclusively use physically replicated index funds. This means that the fund actually buys and owns the stocks or bonds it tracks. This offers you the highest possible level of security. 

We consciously avoid synthetic index funds that work with derivatives and thereby carry additional risks.  

We select the building blocks for your investment solutions with the greatest care. Our investment committee regularly scours the market for you and relies on two clear promises when selecting index funds: 

First-class quality for your money 

• Only the best: We work exclusively with proven index funds from the leading and established provider Swisscanto. 

• Real values: The assets within the index funds are held directly and physically. This guarantees you maximum security. 

• Traded weekly: We trade for you once a week, so your investments can be bought and sold effortlessly for you. 

Uncompromisingly low costs 

• Radically affordable: We select only index funds that have no product costs (TER), so that more of your return stays with you. (Only exception: the Swiss real estate fund.) 

• Absolute independence: We do not accept any kickbacks (retrocessions) from index fund providers. 

• Smarter trading: All index funds convince with flawless liquidity and tight trading spreads, so your money works efficiently for you.

No, we deliberately do not rely on single stocks. Instead, we invest broadly in global markets via index funds. This way, you reduce your risk and benefit from the development of around 1500 companies at the same time. 

You can choose: 

• Ready-to-go solutions: Our five 3a investment solutions with up to eleven index funds – simple, broadly diversified, and effort-free. 

• Custom solution: Put together your personal 3a index fund portfolio from 33 pre-selected index funds. 

Are you missing a specific index fund? Just write to us at service@findependent.ch. 

We rely exclusively on reinvesting index funds. These directly reinvest your returns, which is cost-effective and makes the most of the compound interest effect.

When you start, you define your personal investment solution. This determines how your money is divided among the various asset classes and markets or regions. 

To ensure your investment solutions always stay on course, we check the weighting automatically in the background and rebalance it whenever necessary: 

• Deposit or transfer: As soon as additional money or a transfer reaches us, we get started on the next weekly trading day, which is normally Tuesday. Even amounts starting from 1 Swiss franc are invested directly.  

• Adjustment of your investment solution: When you change your investment solution, we implement it directly on the next weekly trading day. 

• Weekly automatic review: Our system checks every week whether the weighting of your main asset classes (e.g. equities or bonds) is still correct. If it deviates too much from the plan, we automatically rebalance it. 

The investment solution «Brave Standard», for example, invests 80% in equity index funds, which in turn are divided into individual markets according to the strategy. Because prices on the stock markets change daily, these shares shift over time all by themselves. If the equity markets perform great, this share grows. As soon as the limit of 85% is reached, a rebalancing is triggered. In this case, equities in the amount of 5% are sold and reallocated to the other asset classes in line with the investment solution. Which index funds are sold and in what amount is calculated automatically. This is how we ensure that your investment solution is always optimally set up for you. 

Yes, that is possible.

Simply select your personal 3a investment solution from our roughly 33 pre-selected index funds. You benefit from our expertise and still have the freedom to set your own focus points.

Note: The weight of your asset classes may deviate by a maximum of 10 percentage points from your personal risk tolerance. An example: You selected «Bold», we foresee an 80% equity share. Your own investment solution may feature a minimum of 70 and a maximum of 90% equities.

You can adjust your investment solution at any time directly in the app. To do so, first click on the desired portfolio. Then scroll down and click on «Details» under Investment Solution, and on the next screen, click on «Change investment solution». By the way, making changes won't cost you a thing. 

A tip from us: Your investment solution should fit your long-term strategy. We advise against changing it in response to short-term market fluctuations. There is a high risk of always being one step too late. It's better to choose a strategy that lets you sleep peacefully even in turbulent times. 

Instead of buying individual stocks or bonds, we use index funds for pillar 3a. That is clever, broadly supported, and radically simple for you. 

You are starting from just one Swiss franc and you are automatically invested in over 1’500 companies, because every index fund covers an entire market. 

Our investment committee cleared the fund jungle of 285 index funds for you: We picked the right funds for you and put together five ready-to-go investment solutions, each with three investment focuses.

In pillar 3a, index funds have a few small but subtle advantages over ETFs. They have a positive impact on your net return. 

• No Stock exchange fees & stamp duties.

• With the specialized pension index funds we use, we can reclaim foreign withholding taxes on dividends and interest. With classic ETFs, this unfortunately doesn't work in private pensions or only to a very limited extent. 

• Minimal management costs: The investment products of the so-called «Zero-Fee Class» in the standard strategies have effective ETF costs (TER) of 0.0 % (only exception: the Swiss real estate fund). Together with the management fees of 0.29 %, findependent is thus among the most affordable providers in Switzerland. 

• No currency conversion fees: With the index funds used, there are no fees for exchanging foreign currencies. 

Yes, the app transparently shows you how many Swiss francs you have already paid in this year and how much you are still allowed to pay in until the legal maximum amount is reached. 

If you accidentally pay in too much, we will notice it. We will automatically send the difference exceeding the annual maximum back to you. 

But heads up: If you’ve already made deposits with other retirement savings foundations in the same year, the app obviously won’t know about them. Simply add those amounts yourself so you don’t accidentally shoot past the maximum at the end. 

An important note for the end of the year: Please make your deposits for the current year by December 28th at the latest. This allows us to guarantee that the deposit is credited in the current year and that you can deduct it from your taxes as usual. 

Since 2026, you can also make retroactive contributions into pillar 3a! So if you paid in less over the last few years (from 2025), whether due to further education, a parental leave, or simply because money was tight, you can now close these gaps with ease. This is your chance to do even more for your future while lowering your tax bill at the same time. 

When a retroactive contribution into pillar 3a makes sense for you and how this contribution works can be read in detail in this blog post. 

In short: 

1. Calculate the amount of your retroactive contribution.

2. Register the retroactive contribution directly in the app and confirm that you meet all the requirements for it.

3. Make the deposit (as a reminder: only one retroactive contribution per year is possible!).

4. Don't forget to enclose the tax certificate with your next tax return and list the «normal» 3a deposit together with the retroactive contribution under deductions.

Even if you are currently taking a career break: As long as you are receiving unemployment benefits from the RAV and reside in Switzerland, you are allowed to pay the full maximum amount of 7'258 Swiss francs into your pillar 3a and diligently save on taxes.

If this is not the case, your already saved money will still remain active for you in your investment solution.

If you are employed and affiliated with a pension fund, your limit is 7'258 Swiss francs (2026). The same limit applies to self-employed individuals who are affiliated with a pension fund. 

If you don't have a pension fund because you are self-employed or work part-time, the following margin applies: You can pay in up to 20% of your earned income, with an absolute upper limit of 36'288 Swiss francs (This corresponds to an earned income of 181'440 Swiss francs). 

Good news: You can now also make retroactive contributions into pillar 3a if you cannot or could not always pay in the maximum contribution. More information on that here. 

We process your deposits, transfers, and requested changes to your 3a investment solution once a week, every Tuesday. 

If a Tuesday happens to fall on a public holiday, investing for you simply takes place on the next possible trading day. 

There is one small exception around the turn of the year: Between Christmas and New Year, we cannot invest your money for you due to limited market availability. We will then do this directly in the new year on the next possible trading day. 

With us, there is no obligation to pay in: You can open your portfolio at any time starting from 1 Swiss franc, and your money will be invested directly for you.

No. After opening, you decide completely independently when the right moment is for you. Your pillar 3a only starts once your first Swiss franc is paid in – and before that, findependent doesn't cost you anything. 

Even after that, you can cancel at any time and transfer your balance to another 3a provider. To do so, click on «Withdraw» in the app and then select »Transfer». We will sell your investments on the following weekly trading day. 

The money will arrive with your new 3a provider a maximum of 10 business days after receiving your transfer order – usually even faster. We don't charge you anything for this transfer.  

Pillar 3a is your ultimate classic if you want to save tax cleverly and treat your future self at the same time. 

It is quite possible that the normal pension from OASI and pension fund will not be enough for us in old age. With pillar 3a, you take your private pension provision into your own hands. Because this money is tied and therefore firmly reserved for your future, you won't even be tempted to spend it spontaneously today. 

Plus, if you are saving long-term and specifically to purchase owner-occupied property, Pillar 3a can make a lot of sense. 

You can find even more information on why it makes sense to pay into your pillar 3a in our blog post. 

Our investment committee selects the ETFs for the five ready-to-go findependent investment solutions as well as for customizing an own investment solution according to the following criteria. 

Basic requirements

SIX Listing:
We only buy ETFs that are tradable on the Swiss Stock Exchange (SIX). Transactions on foreign exchanges often entail additional costs for Swiss investors.

Offering for private clients in Switzerland:
For regulatory reasons, our customers are classified as such during the registration process and receive the corresponding legal rights. Consequently, certain products are not accessible to them.

Established providers:
We prefer UBS, BlackRock (iShares), and Vanguard. Running ETFs is a classic volume business, i.e. the more capital a provider manages, the lower its average costs and the lower the prices and better the performance it can offer. Therefore, there are few providers.

Fund domicile:
For ETFs with Swiss investments, we require the fund domicile to be Switzerland; for international investments, Ireland and Luxembourg. The jurisdiction in which an ETF holds its investments is particularly relevant for the tax treatment of distributions (dividend and coupon payments). Swiss investors pay income tax on these, and depending on the country, for example, all or part of the withholding tax cannot be reclaimed.

Replication method:
We exclusively use ETFs that actually hold the investments whose performance they track. We prefer ETFs that hold all the investments of the underlying index. This is known as "full physical" replication. The use of an "optimized method" is also possible. Conversely, we exclude the use of ETFs that replicate the underlying index using complex financial instruments ("synthetic" replication). These carry financial risks if their provider goes bankrupt.

Exotic features:
We do not buy ETFs that exhibit exotic features. On the one hand, these include currency hedging, short sales, and leverage for short-term speculation. Such products often have high hidden costs. We also distance ourselves from ETFs that implement an opaque quantitative strategy, such as multi-factor products or minimum-variance approaches. They are complex and often lack a robust track record.

Retrocessions:
We do not select any ETFs for which findependent receives compensation from the provider, but choose the ETFs independently.

Important selection criteria

TER:
We generally use ETFs with product costs (TER) that do not exceed 0.5% per year. The lower, the better, as lower product costs mean higher returns for investors. This is an important key figure.

Spread:
We only select ETFs that demonstrably have a lower average spread between the purchase ("ask") and sale price ("bid") than 0.5%. The narrower, the better, as wide bid-ask spreads mean excessively high purchase prices or excessively low sale prices, which directly results in lower returns for investors.

Size:
We prefer ETFs that manage more than CHF 100 million. A "small" ETF has similar costs to a "large" one, but generates less revenue, tends to have low trading volumes, and high spreads. This means higher costs for investors and carries the risk that the ETF will be closed if it lacks commercial success.

Age:
We prefer ETFs with a track record of at least three years. A "young" ETF often has low assets initially, low trading volumes, and high spreads. Once again, this carries the risk that the ETF will be closed if it lacks commercial success.

Tracking quality:
We preferably select ETFs whose performance continuously loses less than 0.5% per year against the underlying index. The lower the difference, the better, as underperformance means a lower return for investors. This is an important key figure.

In summary:

• We only use established ETFs from leading providers.

• There are no opaque financial structures hidden behind the ETFs used; instead, the assets are held directly.

• All ETFs used have high trading volumes and can be bought or sold for you at any time.

• We only use ETFs with low product costs (TER).

• All ETFs used have high trading volumes and thus low trading spreads.

• Passive investing with ETFs minimises transaction costs.

Our investment committee reviews the ETFs regularly and makes adjustments if better ones enter the market. By acting independently and keeping costs low, more stays in your pocket in the end.

The right investment solution is as individual as your life! Which is why there is no single solution that fits everyone.

The good news: With findependent, everyone can find the right investment solution. And so you don't have to rack your brain over it for hours, we make it as easy as possible for you:

• The app helps you choose: When opening your account, we ask you a few short questions in the app about your goals and risk tolerance. Based on your answers, the app automatically suggests the investment solution that best fits your profile.

• Customize even further: Already have investing experience and want to tailor your investment solution even more? You can do that with us. With your own custom investment solution (from CHF 5,000), you can assemble your portfolio from around 40 preselected ETFs according to your own wishes and priorities.

Good to know:

• Hold multiple investment solutions at the same time: You don't have to choose a single strategy for all your money! You can simply create multiple investment goals in the app – for example, a long-term goal "Retirement" with the "Risk-seeking" solution, and at the same time a "New car" goal with the "Cautious" solution or for your (god)child.

• Nothing is set in stone: If your plans change, you can adjust your investment solution in the app at any time. And if you're ever unsure about your choice, you can book a free online consultation with our team at any time – we're happy to help!

It is important to us to be able to stand behind the investments we make. In order to take social and environmental values into account, we use Screened ETFs for equity investments outside Switzerland in all our findependent investment solutions.

The principle

ESG stands for “Environmental”, “Social” and “Governance”. Companies from certain controversial sectors are excluded from an Screened Index. These companies are therefore not included in the Screened ETFs used by our investment solutions, which track these indices. In total, around 10% of companies are excluded by the screening process.

In the area of the environment, these are, for example, those from the nuclear power sector or, in the area of society, the tobacco industry. And in terms of corporate governance, all companies in the Screened ETFs must adhere to the UN Global Compact. This pact was concluded to make globalisation more social and ecological.

• Learn more about MSCI’s Screened Indices

• Learn more about our Screened ETFs from BlackRock

• Learn more about the UN Global Compact

The criteria

Whether or not a company from a controversial sector is excluded from an Screened Index or ETF is determined on the basis of clearly defined and measurable criteria.

For the tobacco industry, for example:

• All companies that are classified as “producers”.

• All companies that generate 5% or more of their total turnover from the production, distribution, retail and supply of tobacco products.

> Read all the exact criteria here

The main difference in one sentence: With a broker, you have to do everything yourself; with us, you get an all-inclusive, hassle-free package.

A broker (e.g., Swissquote or Saxo Bank): For the DIY investor:

You choose, buy, and sell all securities (stocks, crypto, etc.) entirely on your own. This gives you maximum freedom but also requires a lot of time, knowledge, and research. Ideal if you want to trade actively and bet on individual stocks.

findependent: The all-inclusive package:

You simply deposit money, and we take care of the rest. We create a professional, broadly diversified investment solution for you and monitor it. Ideal for long-term wealth accumulation without having to constantly worry about the markets.

The best of both worlds: Your custom findependent solution:

Want more say? Then build your own personal investment solution from our selection of around 40 pre-selected, high-quality ETFs. You benefit from our expertise while still having the freedom to set your own priorities.

You can find more information about the differences on our information page.

Yes, starting mid-October 2026, you can hold your pillar 3a with us.

The fees are 0.29%, making us one of the absolute cheapest providers. Let's get started from as little as 1 franc.

The transfer between targets with the same investment solution is free of charge.

However, if you mix investment solutions, some ETF shares will be sold and others newly acquired, which means that the fees (stock exchange duty and stamp duty) for you increase somewhat.

Of course! As soon as you've made the first deposit (even 1 franc is enough) from your personal bank account, godparents or grandparents can also deposit directly into the child's savings goal.

Important: Until the official gift or transfer, the money legally still belongs to the person who opened the account.

Want to personalize your savings goals? It's very easy.

Click on the goal and then on the name of the goal. On the right, you can click on the pencil icon to choose a new image from our selection and then edit the name right after.

Uploading your own photos is currently not supported.

Don't worry, it's very quick and for a good reason. Each of your savings goals can have a different purpose or time horizon. To ensure we can recommend the most suitable investment solution for your new goal, we briefly ask about the investment duration and your risk tolerance specifically for that goal. 

Your general information regarding financial knowledge and experience is already saved and does not need to be entered again.

Your first deposit: For regulatory reasons, we need to briefly check this manually. It's a one-time security check. It usually takes one business day for the money to appear in the app. We will notify you by email immediately afterwards.

All subsequent deposits: You will typically see these in the app on the same business day.

You can find the list of all currently available withdrawal accounts at any time in the app under «Withdraw» for your desired goal. There, you can simply select your account for each withdrawal.

For security reasons, you can only withdraw money to a bank account that is in your name and from which you have previously made a deposit to your findependent account (CHF 1 is sufficient). 

We don't do this to make your life difficult - for us, security comes first. This method ensures that withdrawals from your findependent investment solution always go to an account that belongs to you and not to someone else. 

You can easily find your IBAN at any time in the app. For the desired goal, click on «Deposit». You will see all the necessary information there. The most convenient way is to use the QR code: simply scan it with your banking app, enter the amount, and you're done. The reference number for the correct goal is automatically included. 

Important: Each goal has its own unique reference number. Without this number, we unfortunately have to return the deposit. Using the QR code ensures you're always on the safe side.

You can find more tips on depositing money on our information page.

Simply put:

• Your profit is the total difference between the current value of your investments and the total amount you have deposited. It changes daily with the market prices.

• Your income refers to specific cash inflows like dividends or interest, generated by your ETFs. These are credited to your account, appear as individual transactions in your app, and are then automatically reinvested for you.

You can change your investment solution at any time directly in the app. To do so, click on the goal, then hit Details under the investment solution at the bottom and then select «Change investment solution». 

Important: Since changing your solution requires selling some ETF shares and buying new ones, the usual transaction costs (e.g. stamp duty) will apply. 

A tip from us: Your investment solution should match your long-term strategy. We advise against changing it in reaction to short-term market fluctuations. There's a high risk of always being one step behind. It's better to choose a strategy that lets you sleep well, even in turbulent times.

We do not charge our own fees for deposits or withdrawals. The small transaction costs (e.g. stamp duties) incurred when buying ETFs are mostly percentage-based. This means that it makes little to no difference whether you deposit small amounts frequently or large amounts infrequently. 

Our tip for effortless wealth accumulation: Set up a monthly standing order. This way, you invest regularly, benefit from the cost-averaging effect, and don't have to think about it anymore.

You can find more tips on depositing money on our information page.

The stamp duty is a federal tax that is levied on every purchase and sale of securities like ETFs. It is settled automatically for you and is already included in the transaction costs. This way, you don't have to worry about anything. 

The amount is low, at 0.075% for Swiss securities and 0.15% for foreign securities.

Provided your deposit is large enough (initially at least 500 francs, subsequent deposits at least 50 francs), we typically invest it within 1-2 days. We do this automatically according to your chosen investment solution and without speculating on the "right" moment.

No, for regulatory reasons, we can only accept deposits from a Swiss bank account that is in your name. 

There is one exception for children's savings goals: After you have made the first deposit from your account, close relatives like godparents or grandparents can also deposit directly into this goal from their own accounts.

You can easily cancel your «Invest» investment solution directly in the app: 

1. Withdraw the total amount of your investments. 

2. In the app, tap on «Profile» and then on «Your findependent account». 

3. Select the «Invest» product at the top, scroll down, and tap on «Cancel Invest». After that, you can specify a reason for cancellation (optional) and confirm the cancellation.

Despite cancelling the «Invest» investment solution, your findependent account will remain active.

Would you like to close your complete findependent account? Here’s how:

1. First cancel the investment solution(s) «Invest» and/or «Pillar 3a». 

2. In the app, tap on «Profile» and then on «Your findependent account». 

3. Tap on «Your findependent account» at the bottom and then on «Cancel findependent account». After that, you can specify a reason for cancellation (optional) and confirm the cancellation.

You now no longer have access to the findependent products and data.

Our alternative: Pause your account for free. With us, you only pay fees when you have money in your account. You can simply let your account rest with a zero balance at no cost. This way, you keep your personal fee-free allowance and can start investing again at any time.

Sure, that's no problem at all. You can keep your account with a zero balance for free and simply pause it. 

This way, you remain flexible, keep your personal fee-free allowance, and can make deposits again whenever it suits you. We are convinced that long-term investing is the best strategy, but ultimately, you decide what's right for your life situation.

Stay calm, even if it's difficult. Short-term losses are a part of investing - they usually even out in the long run.

• All past crises have been overcome – and a recovery has always followed.

• Broad diversification protects you: Your money is spread across over 3,000 securities worldwide.

• Market timing rarely works: Those who wait for "the right moment" usually fall behind.

• Seize opportunities: Lower prices mean you get more for your money. 

So, stick to your plan - patience pays off in the long term. 

And if you're still unsure, feel free to contact us at any time. We're here to help.

No, we deliberately avoid investing in individual stocks. Instead, we invest broadly in global markets via ETFs – this lowers your risk and allows you to benefit from the performance of thousands of companies at the same time. 

You can choose:

• Ready-made solutions: Our five investment solutions with up to 11 ETFs -  simple, broadly diversified, and effortless.

• Custom solution: Starting from CHF 5’000, you can build your personal investment strategy from a selection of around 40 curated ETFs. 

Is there a specific ETF you're missing? Just let us know - we are constantly expanding our selection.

Yes, we make sure your earnings (like dividends) are automatically put back to work for you. Wherever possible, we use reinvesting (accumulating) ETFs. These reinvest earnings directly, which is cost-effective and makes the most of the compound interest effect.

For a few ETFs, a suitable accumulating version is not yet available. In these cases, the earnings are credited to your account and then reinvested for you along with your next deposit. In both cases, you don't have to worry about anything.

We always keep an eye on your investment solution, so you don't have to.

• Weekly & Automatic: Every week, our system checks if the weighting of your asset classes (e.g. stocks or bonds) is still on track. If it deviates too much from the plan, we automatically rebalance it. This ensures that your risk level always matches your profile.

• Bi-annually & Personal: Our investment committee of investment experts reviews all ETFs used twice a year and recommends replacing them if there are better or cheaper alternatives on the market. 

This is how we ensure your investment solution is always optimally configured for you.

Yes, this is possible under certain conditions:

• With your custom investment solution (from CHF 5’000): Here you have the flexibility to invest up to 10% of your investment amount in Bitcoin. This is done via a proven investment product (WisdomTree Physical Bitcoin ETP).

• In our ready-made investment solutions (from CHF 500): We deliberately exclude cryptocurrencies from these. We are convinced that the mix of stocks, bonds, real estate, and precious metals already provides a sufficiently broad and solid foundation for your long-term wealth building.

This can happen with smaller investment amounts (under 2’000 francs) and is for purely technical reasons. Since we can only buy whole ETF shares and some shares cost over 100 francs, the percentage allocation can initially deviate slightly from the target value. 

Don't worry, this is completely normal. The more money you invest, the more closely the allocation will match your chosen target. Our system automatically optimizes this for you with every deposit.

We exclusively use physically replicated ETFs. This means that the ETF actually buys and holds the stocks or bonds it is designed to track. This offers you the highest possible level of security. 

We deliberately avoid synthetic ETFs, which use derivatives and thus carry additional risks.

Currency hedging often leads to high costs for investors. Besides direct costs like higher product fees (often called Total Expense Ratio or TER), there are also "hidden” costs. The fund uses derivatives purchased from banks for hedging, and both these derivatives and the transactions cost money.

However, the largest portion of the cost is economic. Investors pay the interest rate differential between their "home currency" and the currency they are hedging against. For example, if a Swiss franc investor wants to hedge against the US-Dollar, this currently costs 3-4% per year (US interest rate: 4.5%, Switzerland: 0%). For a US-Dollar hedge to be "worthwhile", the US-Dollar would therefore have to lose about 4% against the Swiss franc annually.

A returned deposit usually occurs for one of two simple reasons:

1. Your first deposit serves as an identity check
   Your very first deposit acts as our final security check to confirm your account. We are legally required to perform this verification.
   For this to work, the name and address of the bank account the money is sent from must match the name and address you used to register with us.
   If there is a discrepancy, we are required to return the money for security reasons.

2. The QR reference number is missing
   To ensure we can allocate your money directly to your personal investment solution, every deposit has a unique QR reference number. This is how we know where your funds should go.
   The easiest and most secure method is to use the corresponding QR code for each deposit directly from your app.

If you are unsure or continue to have issues, please don't hesitate to contact us. We're here for you and happy to support.

What you need: An authenticator app (e.g. Google or Microsoft Authenticator) or the Apple app “Passwords” on your smartphone.

• How to activate 2FA: In your findependent app, go to Profile, Security -> «Two-factor authentication (2FA)» and follow the instructions. In the future, you will need to enter a code from your authenticator app in addition to your password when logging in.

• What if you lose access? Lost your phone? Don't worry. Just contact our support team. We'll help you quickly and easily to regain access to your account.

Yes, this is possible, as long as you reside in Switzerland and are also taxable here.

Due to U.S. regulations, we need to clarify a few additional details for individuals with a U.S. connection. But don't worry, it's a straightforward process. We will simply contact you personally shortly after your registration to handle it together.

You can use all findependent investment solutions at either the Start or Grow level.

With an investment amount between 500 and 2’000 francs, you use our core ETFs (Start level). For cost reasons, it makes sense to begin with only these core ETFs for smaller investment amounts. But don't worry, you are still broadly diversified and invested in the most important stock markets.

If your investment amount is over 2’000 francs, you receive additional ETFs (Grow level). These are continuously added in a cost-optimized way, so that from an investment amount of about 2’500 francs, your solution will consist of the full range of ETFs.

You can see which ETFs we use in an overview here.

Unfortunately, a direct transfer of ETFs from an external account or depot to findependent is not possible. However, transferring cash after a sale is of course possible at any time. 

We would be happy to set up a personal transfer form for you, where you only need to fill in the most important information. You can then send this to your previous provider to get everything underway without any complications. As soon as the amount reaches us, we will automatically invest it for you.

Please feel free to contact us at service@findependent.ch and ask for the transfer form.

Our investment solutions are for anyone who wants to make their money work for them in a simple, long-term way.

• For beginners: You don't need a lot of money or financial knowledge. With us, you can start with as little as 500 francs, and we'll handle all the complex work for you.

• For experienced investors: If you want to define your own strategy, you can create your very own investment solution from a selection of around 40 ETFs, starting from 5’000 francs. 

A key principle: We focus on long-term wealth accumulation, not short-term gambling. Therefore, you should only invest money that you likely won't need for the next three years or longer.

We welcome everyone who wants to invest with us in a straightforward way! However, there are a few formal requirements:

• You must be at least 18 years old.

• You must reside in Switzerland and be exclusively liable for tax here.

• You must have a Swiss mobile phone number and a Swiss bank account.

Unfortunately, we do not currently offer investment solutions for legal entities such as companies, associations or foundations.

Nobody knows - at least not for certain. No one can reliably predict how the financial markets will develop in the future. Consequently, the "perfect" times to get in and out only become clear in hindsight. Speculating on this often backfires, as you usually end up chasing market trends. 

Instead, it's advisable not to wait, but to start investing as early as possible - regardless of how the market seems at the moment. After all, the longer your investment horizon, the significantly lower the risk of loss becomes. Plus, you benefit more from the power of compound interest. 

Furthermore, it's advantageous in the long run to hold onto your investments through all market conditions. This is the strategy findependent follows. It requires perseverance during a crisis but ultimately leads to higher returns and minimized risk. 

The best approach is to automate your deposits with a standing order. That way, you don't have to think about it and won't be tempted to speculate on market timing.

We are not just "a finance app", but a fully regulated Swiss financial institution:

findependent holds a license as an account-keeping securities firm (securities house). This means we are subject to direct supervision by the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA) – just like major Swiss banks. We must meet extremely strict requirements regarding capital, liquidity, cybersecurity, and risk management.

What does this mean for you? You enjoy the same security as with a bank, while simultaneously benefiting from the simplicity, the new technology, and the lower fees of a modern provider.

We make a difference by making investing radically simple, fair, and accessible. Our focus is on you, not on some complicated financial products.

• Effortless Start: With us, you can start investing with as little as 500 francs - simply, digitally, and in just a few minutes.

• Convenient and Easy: We take care of everything - from creating the optimal investment mix and automatic rebalancing to providing a free electronic tax statement. You can sit back and relax.

• Fair Fees: We are significantly cheaper than traditional banks. With us, there are no hidden fees. Your tax statement? Free. Closing your account? Free.

• Full Transparency & Flexibility: Our app shows you everything important at any time. You decide when and how much you deposit or withdraw.

• Independence: We are not a bank. We work exclusively for you and do not accept commissions from product providers.

• By Investors, for Investors: A large part of our company is owned by our community. This means we always develop findependent with your best interests at heart.

Yes, you can. With findependent, you can have as many investment solutions as you like to invest separately for different goals or purposes, such as for a child. 

To do so, simply create a new goal in the app (using the green plus icon next to your existing goal), choose one of our five ready-made investment solutions (or create your own) - and you're all set!

We update the data in your app once a day in the evening. It always shows you the closing prices of the last completed trading day. Since the stock markets are closed on weekends, you will see the Friday values until Monday evening.

We have deliberately decided against real-time updates. Your investment solution is geared towards a long-term goal. Tracking constant market fluctuations minute by minute adds no value and only makes you unnecessarily nervous. 

Our tip: Sit back, relax, and only check the app every now and then. Use your time for the truly beautiful things in life – we'll take care of the rest.

Yes, absolutely! In fact, that's often a good idea. You can create as many investment goals as you like and choose a different investment solution for each one. For example, you could take on more risk for a long-term goal than for a medium-term one.

Just remember that a minimum of 500 francs per investment goal is required for us to invest your money. For a custom-built investment solution, the minimum amount is 5’000 francs per goal.

In the app, findependent calculates the return as a time-weighted return (TWR). While this calculation method is the standard in the financial industry, it can sometimes feel like the return and the profit don't align. 

The reason is that the TWR calculation ignores all deposits and withdrawals. This means the return shown is the return that would have been achieved if the same amount of money had been invested from the very beginning. This allows for a fair comparison between different investment solutions and strategies. 

The main disadvantage of this method is that the return percentage doesn't match your intuition (profit or loss divided by the total value of the investment) as soon as you've made more than one deposit. 

That's why findependent also displays the money-weighted return (MWR) in your overview. This metric takes your personal deposit and withdrawal timings into account, which often results in a return figure that aligns well with your actual profit or loss, making it easier to understand.

You can find more information on returns and how to compare returns in our blog article.

We have very few restrictions. Here’s the most important information at a glance:

• To open your account: To activate your account, an initial deposit of just 1 franc within the first 3 months is all that's needed.

• For your first investment: As soon as a total of 500 francs has been accumulated in one of your investment goals, we will automatically invest the money for you. You can deposit this amount all at once or in smaller installments.

• For top-up deposits: For us to invest your money directly, further deposits should be at least 50 francs. We simply collect smaller amounts in your account until the total is sufficient for an investment.

• For your custom investment solution: If you have created your own ETF solution, we'll start investing once you've reached 5’000 francs for this goal.

There is no maximum amount. For larger sums, we recommend depositing them over a longer time period. This makes you less exposed to short-term market fluctuations. However, regular deposits are of course voluntary.

You can find more tips on depositing money on our information page.

It's simple: Each of your goals has its own QR code with a unique reference number. You can find it in the app by selecting your desired goal and tapping on "Pay in". Either scan this QR code with your banking app or enter the QR reference number manually. This ensures your money automatically goes to the right place.

A quick note: Once your money is invested in a goal, it cannot be moved to another goal. It would have to be sold and then reinvested in the other goal.

You can withdraw money from your investment solution at any time - as often and as much as you like. We do not have any notice periods or minimum investment terms. To do so, simply tap on “Pay out” under the respective goal in the app.

For your investment solution to perform optimally for you, a minimum balance of 500 francs is required. If a withdrawal causes the value of your investment to drop below this threshold, we will sell the remaining invested amount on your behalf. Of course, as soon as your balance reaches 500 francs again, we will immediately reinvest the money.

Typically, it takes 2-3 business days for us to sell your investments and for the money to arrive in your bank account.

That's very simple to do directly in the app. For your desired goal, tap on "Withdraw", select your bank account and the amount – that's it. We'll handle the sale of the necessary assets.

It usually takes 2-3 business days for the money to arrive in your account.

The management and custody fees are calculated quarterly on a pro-rata basis. The calculation is based on the average market value of your total investment amount (including cash balance) on the 25th day of the three months within the quarter. The total fee is then charged directly to your account at the end of the quarter.

The fees apply to each investment goal individually. But don't worry, having multiple goals isn't more expensive. Broadly speaking, it's not the number of investment goals that matters for the fee calculation, but the total value of all your investment solutions combined.

Your fee-free allowance, on which you don't pay management and custody fees, applies to your entire investment amount with us. We automatically distribute it proportionally across your different goals.

We also make doing your taxes as easy as possible. 

You can find your electronic tax statement every year in February directly in the app, in your profile under «Documents». We'll notify you by email as soon as it's available. 

The best part: You can import the data into your online tax return with just a few clicks - no tedious typing required. And of course, this service is free of charge for you. 

At many traditional banks, you often pay high additional fees for this service. This is one of the many small but significant differences that help you save money with us.

You always have the option to further increase your fee-free allowance / amount by referring findependent to others. If the person you invite also invests with us, both your and their fee-free allowance will increase. 

Here’s how it works:
Share your personal referral code with your friends and family. You can find it in the profile section of the app under «Invite friends / increase fee-free allowance».

You can find more information on our information page.

The transfer process after they come of age is very simple:

1. Your (god)child opens their own account with us.
   An initial deposit of 1 franc is enough to activate it.

2. You initiate the transfer in your app.
   Click on the name of the relevant investment goal, then click on «More» and «Transfer». Select «Other account», enter their client number, their full name and your relationship (e.g. grandchild, child, godchild). We'll take care of the rest.

You can easily combine two investment goals yourself in the app. To do so, click on the goal, then click on «More» and «Transfer». Select the desired destination goal.

It doesn't matter whether you use the same investment solution for both goals or not. We don't charge a fee for this. However, please note that when combining different investment solutions (e.g., «Risky» and «Careful»), some assets will need to be sold to align with the target investment solution.

What is not possible is a partial transfer of your goal. For example, you cannot move half of the 10’000 francs from your goal A, i.e. 5’000 francs, to goal B.

You can easily delete your investment goal in the app. Tap on the desired goal. Then, click on «More» and select «Delete portfolio». 

But be aware: Before you can delete a goal, all the money must either be transferred to another goal or the entire amount must be withdrawn. You cannot delete the goal if its balance is not CHF 0.00.

That's an important question. The short and reassuring answer is: Your investments and your cash are safe.

The reason for this is simple: 

• Your investments (ETFs): These legally belong to you. As segregated assets, they remain your property, are untouched in the event of a bankruptcy, and do not become part of the company's bankruptcy estate.

• Your cash (liquidity): Your cash portion (1% of your total investment) is also protected. As with any Swiss bank account, the statutory depositor protection of up to 100,000 francs applies here.

Investing always involves risks and market fluctuations. The value of your investments can decline, especially in the short term. 

The good news is: in the long run, financial markets tend to rise. The longer your investment horizon, the lower the risk of a loss. That's why it's crucial to hold on to your investments even during crises and to not sell in a panic.

We don't rely on speculative bets but on a proven long-term strategy. Your money is widely spread across thousands of companies, industries, and regions. With such broad diversification, a total loss is virtually impossible. And so far, the markets have recovered from every crisis.

No, that is not possible. Even if someone gained unauthorized access to your app, your money can only be transferred to one of your registered bank accounts that are in your name. A transfer to a third-party account is impossible.