Retirement and pension planningUnderstanding the Swiss pension system

Pension key figures 2022: What will change in the AHV pension amount, BVG, Pillar 3a?

Vorsorge-Kennzahlen-2022-Rentenhöhe-Schweiz-2021-AHV-Maximalrente
Lesedauer 4 Minuten

The amount of the pension depends on how much you get from the AHV and the second pillar as well as from private savings. The 2022 pension key figures for AHV and occupational pensions determine how much you pay out 1st and 2nd pillar. Do you want to know how the changes to the January 1st in the pension key figures 2022 affect the amount of pension?

In the 1st pillar, the AHV pension amount remains unchanged

Every two years, the Federal Council examines an adjustment of the AHV and IV pension amounts based on the development of inflation. The pension amount was last adjusted to January 2021; there will be no adjustments as of January 1, 2022. A possible pension increase will only be checked again for 2023.

The minimum old-age pension from January 1, 2021 therefore remains unchanged at CHF 1,195 per month. The AHV maximum pension 2022 for the full contribution period will not change either. It amounts to CHF 2,390 per month. The maximum AHV spouse’s pension from January 1, 2022 is CHF 3,585 (= CHF 2,390 * 1.5) due to the ceiling.

You can soon look up how the contributions will develop in the leaflet with the changes as of January 1, 2022.

In the 2nd pillar, the minimum interest rate remains unchanged at 1%

The maximum AHV pension amount is the central variable of the pension key figures 2022. Other variables in occupational pensions are linked to them. Because there is nothing new with the AHV pension, the BVG pensions or BVG key figures remain unchanged . What is new, however, is the adjustment of survivors’ and IV pensions to the price development on January 1, 2022. Pensions in payment since 2018 will be increased by 0.3%, pensions in payment since 2012 by 0.1%.

The minimum interest rate for BVG credits also remains at 1%. The rate of 1 percent has been in effect since 2017. Maybe you already know that the minimum interest rate only applies to credit balances in the mandatory plan. In the extra-mandatory plan , your pension fund can decide for itself how much interest to pay on the pension assets.

For you, 1% interest means that your retirement assets only grow very slowly. So your pension will not be very high. A private provision is all the more important for you, the more you receive a pension from the mandatory BVG. You can see the dramatic effect of low interest rates on your pension in another article .

In addition to the AHV, the second pillar is also in need of reform. The plan for this is called Reform BVG 21, Business 20.089 ). Because the Federal Council decided to get the AHV revision in place first, the BVG revision will probably not be tackled until 2023.

From what salary do I have to pay contributions for occupational pensions in 2022?

This regulates the BVG entry threshold, also known as the minimum annual wage. As of January 1, 2022, this will remain unchanged at CHF 21,510 per year. So if you earn less than the entry threshold, you will not later receive a pension from the second pillar because you have not built up any retirement assets there. This can happen if you work part-time or if you have two light-duty jobs, each earning less than the entry threshold.

How much income is insured in the occupational pension plan?

The “insured salary”, which is also known as the coordinated salary, is insured in occupational pensions. On these you pay contributions from which your pension is formed. The upper limit and the coordination deduction determine how high the insured salary is. You can find the details on this in this article .

From January 1, 2022, the upper limit will be CHF 86,040. The coordination deduction remains unchanged at CHF 25,095. In order to determine the amount of the insured salary, the pension fund deducts the coordination deduction from your annual gross salary. If your annual salary is between CHF 21,510 and CHF 28,680 (as of 2022), the pension fund will insure you with the BVG minimum salary of CHF 3,585. So you can simply remember: Annual salary minus coordination deduction equals insured salary.

How much of my income is insured under the AHV and how much under the BVG?

You have to pay OASI contributions on your entire income, so your entire salary counts as a pension. In occupational pensions, only a small part of your income is pension-forming. Namely, in the mandatory BVG, your salary up to the upper limit minus the coordination deduction. You can imagine it like this: for the first CHF 25,000 of your salary (=coordination deduction) you are only insured under the OASI. On the salary that exceeds this, you save for your future pension both in the AHV and in the pension fund. On the income portion that exceeds the upper limit ( extra-mandatory ), you save in the occupational pension scheme in accordance with the regulations of your pension fund.

In Pillar 3a, the maximum amount for 2022 remains unchanged at CHF 6,883

Other pension key figures for 2022, such as the small and large maximum amount for pillar 3a, are derived from the simple AHV pension. Because the simple AHV maximum pension will not change as of January 1, 2022, the pillar 3a maximum amount will also remain unchanged:

  • small maximum amount pillar 3a 2022 for employees with a pension fund: CHF 6,833
  • Large maximum amount pillar 3a 2022 for the self-employed or part-time employees without a pension fund: 20% of the net earned income, maximum CHF 34,416

You can use the small maximum pillar 3a amount if you are insured with a pension fund through your employer. You can use the large pillar 3a maximum amount if you are self-employed or work part-time and do not belong to a pension fund. In this way, you can reduce your pension gap yourself because you will not receive a pension from your occupational pension scheme.

Make the most of these opportunities and avoid common mistakes in pillar 3a.

Summary of key pension figures for 2022

Nothing will change in the contribution rates and limit values for 2022. Because with the maximum AHV pension amount, the key pension figure for 2022 will remain unchanged. Nothing will happen for future pensioners in the 2nd pillar either. Here the minimum interest rate remains low at 1%. And in pillar 3a, too, the maximum tax deduction remains unchanged at CHF 6,833. However, it will be exciting with the passed AHV reform 2021 , which will be voted on in autumn 2020. It brings about the equalization of the retirement age for men and women. In view of these unattractive prospects, you should definitely take care of your private provision.

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Last update: 10.04.2022 13:09

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Thomas verfügt über mehr als 30 Jahre Expertise als Privatanleger in fast allen Anlageklassen und zwei Vorsorgesystemen. Er gestaltet seit vielen Jahren einfache Kunden- und Serviceerlebnisse, bewegt Menschen und Organisationen und hat ein tiefes Verständnis für die Herausforderungen von Menschen bei Finanzthemen gewonnen. Thomas bringt mit seinem Background als Doktor in Wirtschaftswissenschaften Themen einfach und pragmatisch auf den Punkt.

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