Overall no change to my strategies in 2023: accelerate savings rate on 1 ETF for FIRE, max 3a Finpension also on 1 index-fund (99% actions), 2ieme considered Bonds (still heaviest portion of portfolio next to real estate). I am gaining more and more comfort in my decisions/results and understandings through this forum …whether for FIRE or estate planning overall - thx again to all!
However, I would love help with a decision about when (not if) I should move the majority of my 3a investments (and those of my wife that has a smaller amount by the same funds:same situation).
Context:
- I am historical present at my cantonal bank, starting my 3a in a very short list of funds, which at the time were still maxed at 45% actions (so I took 2 Swisscanto funds: SWC BVG3 P45, SWC BVG3 StP45)
- my situation evolved with a purchase of an apartment, through family which had its mortgage at the same cantonal bank, where the “family price” was considered as the rest of the downpayment. Long story short, my mortgage wasn’t negotiated as well as it could have been but purchase was a steal.
- Moving forward, in Jan 2022: within my indirect gage, I asked to sell my existing 3a funds (45% actions) to reinvest them to the newer funds at 95% actions, but I got delayed by my bank telling me that I wouldn’t be able to reinvest at all since their policies had changed for 3a in “gage” (insult to injury: Jan’22 would have been perfect timing to realise 42k CHF gains on the 134k CHF overall value)
- After really insisting, I was later told that I’d be able to “exceptionally” invest again but I’d need to take an even shorter list of funds (only ones from the bank). This obviously lead to me saying FU and triggered the following thread Mortgage Negotiation with 3a Indirect to Free Up for Investments, where I had my apt re-evaluated to know what I’d need to pay down to free up my gage and invest whats left as I wanted
- In the end, I was able to free up the “gage” even without selling any invested 3a funds, hitting the magic 66% only on the evaluation the value for my mortgage, but by then Russia had invaded Ukraine and I am down 18k CHF today
- I now have portfolios with Finpension where my future strategy is clear and all new 3a amounts go
Questions:
- I’ve been telling myself "now you need to wait before selling to get back your unrealised gains" but I am now wondering if this is not too conservative?
- I could still realise 24k CHF profit even today, and as they are only 45% actions with high TER and crazy “droit de garde” (>600 CHF / year), would I not be better off to sell them now, sacrificing the 18k chf of unrealised gains to reinvest them at 99% actions and lower expenses before the markets go back up?
- I am still hesitant since I “see/feel” the paper loss but with much lower potential returns at my bank, I’m realising that I am likely missing higher potential for future gains in addition to lower expenses in the meantime at Finpension.
So as much as it bothers me that my bank literally cost me 18k by not letting me realise those gains*, I would’ve perhaps not been provoked to free up my gage as quickly either, so may not be as bad as it feels…I don’t want to be stubborn and miss another opportunity - so all comments are welcome!
THX in advance for any advice/opinions guys and gals!
*best scenario, would likely have been to have sold 3a funds in Jan’22, sat on the cash, reevaluated apt, reduced my mortgage to 66% as needed at the next mortgage negotiation, transferred cash remaining to Finpension for reinvestment…but Feb’s events happened faster than me thinking that through 