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Why you should plan for your future

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Lesson time
4 min.

In this lesson you will learn 💸

  • How our life expectancy is changing
     
  • What you can expect financially in your old age

Let's start with a quick quiz 🎯

What percentage of people in Switzerland are aged 65 or older today?

🤨 Not quite!

According to Statista, the proportion of people aged 65+ was around 18.8% (2020).

👏 Correct!

According to Statista, the proportion of people aged 65+ was around 18.8% (2020).

🤨 That's not correct

According to Statista, the proportion of people aged 65+ was around 18.8% (2020).

Until old age

Women have a longer life expectancy than men - the average remaining lifespan for 65-year-old women is currently around 22 years and for men around 19 years (Swiss Statistical Office 2020).

So many of us, especially women, live quite a long time after reaching retirement age. Not all pension plans are designed for this!

Women and men exercising with number 5

How much will I need for my retirement?

Your retirement plan might not automatically keep pace with our increased life expectancy. Therefore it's essential to check whether your pension is sufficient to finance your desired lifestyle 22 or more years.

Meet Marta 🙎‍♀️

Marta is a graphic designer and earns approx. CHF 55'000 per year. How much does Marta need when she wants to retire at age 65?

CHF 1'200'000

Approx. 22 years x CHF 55'000

What money will I have in retirement?

Your income in retirement is usually made up of social security, an employer pension and your own savings and investments. In Switzerland, this corresponds to the three pillars:

  1. Pillar: AHV
     
  2. Pillar: Employer pension (Pensionskasse / BVG)
     
  3. Pillar: private pension, most commonly known as the pillar 3a (and 3b) 
     

We'll take a closer look at all of these later 🙂

Planning for your future is essential

How much money you'll have when you retire depends on various factors:

  • When you started to put money aside 
     
  • How much of it you gave the chance to grow through investing
     
  • Your work path and any time out of work or part-time work 
     
  • Whether you are married, divorced or in a partnership
     
  • Your health and lifestyle

How much money do I need in retirement?

This largely depends on what standard of living you want to have in old age. Your expenses are changing: your mortgage has probably been paid off, you no longer have to raise children and you no longer have any professional expenses, but you may have higher care costs or other hobbies.

Studies show, that the estimated retirement income of the baby boomer generation usually does not correspond to the desired income.

How do pension gaps arise?

The gender pay gap and different life paths are also reflected in pensions: in 2020, the average pension (BFS, 2020) from the AHV was CHF 1,899 for men and CHF 1,727 for women.

The difference is even bigger when it comes to employer pensions (BVG): here the average new pension for men was CHF 2,600 and for women CHF 1,543, almost 40% less.

These staggering gaps are mostly due to the gender pay gap and the fact that many women work part-time and/or assume caring responsibilities. 

You still pay taxes when you get old

Your pension income will be taxed, similar to your regular income, but you can deduct a lump sum.

How much tax you have to pay depends on your total annual income.

Inflation can lower your income significantly

Prices rise over time - but your income in old age should still be sufficient to finance your desired lifestyle. 

State pensions (hopefully) will adjust for inflation, but perhaps not all other incomes that promise fixed payouts.

The good news is that we are living longer and healthier lives. Conversely, this also means that your pension provision must last longer, even though your pensions are taxed and inflation can eat into them.

The good news is that with a few simple things you can avoid pension gaps. Planning for your future in old age now, will help you to secure a comfortable lifestyle in retirement.

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