Our Review of the VIAC Pillar 3a Account in 2025

A Swiss, transparent, and low-cost 3a investment solution? Our experience shows whether this promise holds up. Result: with reduced fees, flexible strategies, and 100% equity options, VIAC continues to establish itself as a benchmark in Switzerland. But who is this solution for?

VIAC is a Swiss 3a provider, launched in 2018, fully digital and focused on index investing. The account is opened with the Terzo pension foundation, hosted at WIR Bank in Basel.

VIAC stands out from traditional banking offers, which are often rigid (predefined strategies with no room for adjustment), opaque (little information on fees or allocations), and lightly invested in equities (often less than 30%, even in “dynamic” profiles).

With VIAC, You Can:

• Invest up to 99% in equities, depending on the risk profile
• Build a custom strategy, or choose from 5 standard profiles
• Track your performance and allocations at any time
• Distribute your assets across up to 5 3a accounts
• Benefit from an optimized tax framework thanks to a rigorous selection of index funds

VIAC, like other 3a solutions not linked to insurance, does not offer any additional protection in case of: death, disability, or loss of earning capacity

In other words: If you can no longer work or if you pass away, the 3a capital with VIAC is simply transferred, but no additional annuity is paid out as a Pillar 3a linked to life insurance would.

Funds are managed by the Terzo Pension Foundation.

• Securities (ETFs, index funds) are deposited with WIR Bank, a Swiss bank supervised by FINMA.
• Liquidity (cash component) is covered up to CHF 100,000 by the Swiss deposit guarantee (esissuisse).
  

In Case of Bankruptcy?

• Securities are held off-balance sheet → they remain your property.

Even in the event of bankruptcy of VIAC or the custodian bank, assets are protected.

Everything is done via smartphone or computer. Registration takes 10 to 15 minutes.

What you need:

• Be domiciled in Switzerland or affiliated with OASI
• Have a valid OASI number
• Provide an ID document
• No minimum deposit

The interface is simple, with strategy suggestions, a tax calculator, and a clear portfolio visualization.

5 Ready-To-Use Risk Profiles

VIAC offers 5 standard profiles:

• 0% equities (Safe)
• 20%, 40%, 60%, up to 99% equities (Global 20 → Global 100)
  

Portfolios use index funds from UBS and Swisscanto (ZKB – Zurich Cantonal Bank), chosen for their liquidity, low fees, and compatibility with the Swiss tax framework.

Custom Strategy

You can also create your own strategy, using a highly visual simulation engine.

VIAC automatically helps comply with 3a legal constraints, such as:

• Maximum 50% exposure to foreign securities not listed in CHF
• Max equity exposure: 99%
• Limitation of funds not compliant with the tax ordinance on tax deductions for pension contributions (OPP 3)
  

Swiss restrictions are complex, but VIAC automatically applies them in custom portfolios to avoid any errors.

This is one of VIAC’s strengths. 0.44% p.a. max, including:

• Management fees
• Product fees (Fund TER)
• No retrocessions
• No entry, exit, or strategy change fees
  

In practice, the riskiest profiles often amount to approximately 0.35%/year. This is one of the lowest rates in the Swiss market.

We appreciate: an integrated simulator allows you to see the exact impact of fees over 10, 20, or 30 years.

VIAC offers a mobile app available on iOS and Android, and a web interface. The user experience is polished, fluid, clear.

You Can:

• Change your strategy at any time (and for free)
• Track the performance of the 3a account
• Schedule recurring or one-time payments
• View every detail of the portfolio: stock percentage, countries, currency, fees, etc.
• Simulate the tax impact

No phone number displayed, but responsive support via email or in-app form.

Our Experience and User Feedback Confirm:

• Quick responses, often within a few hours
• Professional tone, without automated scripts
• Team based in Switzerland, competent in technical aspects

No direct phone support, but this has never proven to be a hindrance.

VIAC follows standard Swiss rules:

Exit is Possible in the Following Cases:

• 5 years before the legal OASI age
• Purchase of primary residence
• Permanent departure from Switzerland
• Start of self-employment

We Recommend VIAC if:

✔ You are looking for a 3a pillar focused on performance
✔ You are comfortable with passive investing
✔ You want to manage your strategy yourself
✔ You are looking to minimize fees

VIAC is not Ideal if:

✘ You want a physical contact person or detailed human advice
✘ You want no exposure to market risk

📌 VIAC is an excellent compromise between simplicity, personalization, and efficiency. Finpension remains more technical, Frankly is more accessible.

VIAC offers a coherent, transparent, and high-performing 3a solution. The app allows you to manage your strategy freely, without modification fees. The choice between standard portfolios and total customization provides real room for adjustment, even without financial expertise. It’s not the most guided solution on the market, but it’s one of the most effective for those who want to invest their 3a intelligently, without hidden fees or limiting restrictions.

Also read

• Review and Test of the Zak 3a 3rd Pillar
• Finpension 3a 3rd Pillar Review and Test
• Review and test of the 3rd pillar Frankly 3a
• The Best 3rd Pillar (3a) Accounts in Switzerland

• The App. Did VIAC make account opening easy?
• What feature would you like to improve at VIAC?
• Is VIAC 3a pillar sufficiently optimized for you?

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