In general, it will be the case, yes. You could have some exception.
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Important to add: You are free to choose the 2nd pillar as long as the pension fund accepts your company. For example: Profond has an interest rate of 8% in 2024, but does not accept small companies.
And there are also other things to consider:
- Insurance benefits (loss of earnings, death benefit, partner pension)
- Is your pension capital inheritable or not?
- Is the pension fund in a good position in the long term? (funding ratio)
If you speak German I recommend this postcast episode.
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Thanks. I asked them and they said we have to have a minimum of 10 employees 
I don’t speak German well enough to follow such a conversation, so I asked chatgpt to make a summary of the video and this is what it spit out. Maybe it will help someone else or maybe somebody will even fact check this summary:
Top Swiss 2nd Pillar (BVG) Pension Funds for Small Companies
- Schweizer KMU Pensionskasse (approx. 05:00)
Interest on retirement capital: 1.25% (2024)
Performance: approx. 4.4% as of May 2025
This collective foundation is specifically designed for SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises) and offers both minimum and standard BVG plans.
Their strategy focuses on Swiss equities and small/mid-cap companies, delivering above-average returns.
Ideal for small businesses, as it’s open to firms with only a few employees.
- ASGA Collective Foundation (Swisscanto) (approx. 08:30)
Interest rate: 1.75% (2023), 3-year average approx. 2.55%
A large, widely accessible collective foundation that serves all industries and company sizes.
Open to small firms as well.
Offers diversified portfolios and stable long-term results with low costs.
The above-average interest rate shows a solid and conservative investment strategy.
- ascaro Pension Foundation (approx. 10:00)
Interest rate: 2.00% (2023), average approx. 4.17%
Sector-specific fund aimed at IT and tech companies, many of which are SMEs.
Strong focus on equities, leading to higher than average returns.
Open to small firms in the IT sector — particularly attractive for startups or younger companies looking for high growth on pension assets.
- AXA “Top Invest” Supplemental Pension (approx. 12:00)
Interest rate: 1.25% (2023), average return approx. 3.93%
This is an over-obligatory solution (executive pension) from AXA, primarily aimed at management, but available to any company wanting to insure above the BVG minimum.
The separation of mandatory and extra-mandatory assets allows stronger investment returns.
Ideal for small companies wanting to offer flexible or premium pension options to key employees.
2019–2024 average return: 3.78%
- INVOR – Industrial Pension Fund (approx. 14:00)
Interest rate: 4.00% (2023), average approx. 3.40%
Designed for industrial and craft businesses (including small manufacturers).
High equity allocation led to top-tier performance in 2023.
Very attractive to small industrial firms looking for better returns on pension assets.
- Spida Personal Pension (approx. 16:00)
Interest rate: 1.50% (2023), average approx. 2.65%
Sector-focused foundation for service industries (hospitality, retail, etc.).
Open to small businesses in these sectors.
Offers better-than-average returns compared to large insurers — a practical choice for small shops, cafés, or guesthouses.
- Other Notable Mentions
PTV (technical sector): 1.25%
Medpension VSAO (health sector): 2.50%
Sulzer Pension Fund: 5.00% in 2023 — not available to the public, only to Sulzer employees, so not relevant for SMEs.
Top Recommendations for Small Businesses
Schweizer KMU Pensionskasse and ASGA stand out as the best all-round options for small companies.
Both are explicitly open to SMEs and offered above-average interest rates in recent years.
ascaro is ideal for small IT firms with aggressive growth strategies.
AXA Top Invest is a great fit for small businesses wanting to offer executive-level or custom pension plans with high returns.
These providers combine transparency, strong performance, and low entry barriers, making them excellent options for small Swiss firms wanting to make the most of their 2nd pillar assets.
Sorry, I think your AI summary is bad.
- The podcast discussed what to consider when choosing a pension fund. And general rules/topics. I don’t remember individual pension funds being discussed in such detail.
- I can’t find any of the pension funds you (btw the AI) mentioned in the YouTube transcript.
- If pension funds were mentioned, then as an example.
I only posted the podcast episode because I heard it by chance a few weeks ago and found it very informative. And I thought if you speak German, it would help you too. If you don’t speak German, it’s probably better to just ignore it instead of letting an AI hallucinate something.
The podcast episode does not provide specific pension fund recommendations.
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Wow, that’s wild. That’s exactly what I was hoping, that someone will take time and fact check this AI summary, thank you so much!
I don’t know if you know Cunningham’s Law:
The best way to get the right answer on the Internet is not to ask a question, it’s to post the wrong answer.
AI makes this even worse …
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