Pension funds strengthen their reserves in 2017
17.12.2018 – The pension funds can look back on a positive investment year: The net result from investments doubled in 2017. Thus, the reserves could be strengthened and any shortfalls could be reduced. This is evident from the definitive results of the Pension Fund Statistics 2017 of the Federal Statistical Office (FSO).
Net investment income increased to 64.1 billion Swiss francs (+ 104.1%) and thus reflected the good economic situation in the completed 2017 survey year. Thus, 27.6 billion Swiss francs (+ 553.4%) flowed into the value fluctuation reserves. 4 billion Swiss francs (+ 179.4%) technical provisions were created and 22.6 billion Swiss francs (+ 3.0%) old-age pensions were paid out. The number of pension plans with regulated benefits and active insured continued to fall to 1,643 institutions (2016: 1,713 institutions, -4.1%).
Balance sheet: underfunding continues to fall
The value fluctuation reserves grew to 84.8 billion Swiss francs (+ 47.6%). The deficit was reduced to 32.3 billion Swiss francs (-5.4%). 31.9 billion Swiss francs (-2.3%) was the underfunding of public pension funds. Of the 372 million Swiss francs (-74.7%), the underfunding of private-sector pension funds still showed. The total assets of the pension funds amounted to CHF 894.3 billion (+ 8.5%).
Active insured and recipients of retirement benefits
At the end of 2017, the pension fund statistics included 4.2 million active members (+ 2.1%), while 773 299 retired persons (+ 3.8%) received a pension.38 688 persons (+ 8.6%) demanded a total of 7.3 billion CHF (+ 7.2%) as a capital or partial capital payment on retirement. The average value of the lump-sum payment amounted to 188,842 francs (2016: 191,422 francs, -1.4%).
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