Our Take on BLKB iQ Responsible Equity Switzerland B
100% Swiss stocks in your 3a. Nestle, Roche, Novartis, and beyond.
BLKB iQ Responsible Equity Switzerland B ranks #11 among 82 3a investment funds in Switzerland. It's a pure Swiss equity play: 100% invested in Switzerland's listed companies with ESG screening. If you believe in the Swiss economy and want your retirement savings concentrated in familiar names, this is the most focused way to do it.
How Does the Return Stack Up?
Three-year return: +30.63%. Five-year return: +35.54%. For a Switzerland-only fund, these are respectable numbers, though they trail global funds significantly. BLKB's sister fund (World ex Switzerland) returned +65.87% over five years. The Swiss market simply hasn't kept pace with global growth.
The 0.34% TER is reasonable for a single-country equity fund. No flat fee on top means your total cost is just 0.34%, which is actually cheaper than VIAC or frankly. But lower fees only help if the returns are competitive.
What Actually Stands Out
Zero currency risk. Everything is in Swiss francs. Your retirement savings aren't affected by dollar or euro fluctuations. For risk-averse investors who still want equity growth, this eliminates one entire category of volatility.
CHF 561 million in assets shows serious institutional confidence. The BLKB cantonal bank backing provides state-guaranteed stability. The ESG screening applies Swiss sustainability standards, excluding companies that don't meet environmental, social, and governance criteria while maintaining broad Swiss market coverage.
What Most Reviews Miss
Switzerland's stock market is heavily concentrated. Nestle, Roche, and Novartis alone represent roughly 50% of the Swiss Market Index. Your 3a isn't really diversified across hundreds of companies; it's a bet on three healthcare and food giants with some smaller companies on the side.
If you already work in Switzerland, earn in CHF, own Swiss real estate, and have your second pillar invested domestically, adding a Swiss-only 3a fund concentrates your entire financial life in one country. Global diversification exists precisely to avoid this kind of single-country risk.
The Bottom Line
A solid choice if you deliberately want Swiss market exposure without currency risk. The low TER and cantonal bank backing are genuine advantages. But for most investors, global diversification provides better long-term risk-adjusted returns. See the full comparison in our best 3a investment funds in Switzerland guide.
Verdict: Best for investors who specifically want pure Swiss equity exposure and accept the concentration risk that comes with it.
Pros
- Low total costs (0.34% p.a.)
- Strong 5-year performance (+35.5%)
- No custody fee
- Large fund size (stable)
Cons
- High stock allocation = more volatility
- No swing pricing protection
Product Details
At a Glance
- 100% stocks allocation
- TER: 0.34%
- Passive/Index strategy
- No custody fee
Fund Details & Allocation
Fund Details & Allocation
Asset Allocation
Stocks
100%
Bonds
0%
Investment Strategy
Passively-managed fund
Fund Size
CHF 561M
Depositary Bank
UBS
Swing Pricing
No
Fees & Costs
Fees & Costs
TER
0.34%
Custody Fee
Free
Performance Over Time
Historical performance of this investment fund. Past performance is not indicative of future results.
1 Year
+2.8%
3 Years
+30.6%
5 Years
+35.5%
Retirement Projection
Based on max. contribution of CHF 7'258/year, age 30 to 65 (35 years), starting from CHF 0.
Compare to Similar Products
Frequently Asked Questions
- Why does this fund hold 100% Swiss equities?
- It's a single-market, passively-managed equity fund focused exclusively on Swiss stocks. With 100% stock allocation concentrated on Switzerland, returns mirror the broad Swiss equity universe. If you want global diversification, you'd pair this with the BLKB World ex-Switzerland fund or pick a globally-balanced product instead.
- How does the 0.34% TER compare to the 3a fund segment?
- The 0.34% TER is roughly half the segment average of 0.68%. The passive structure keeps running costs low, which compounds over 30 years of contributions. There are no issuing or sales fees and custody sits at CHF 0, so what you see is what you pay.
- Why did 1-year performance lag at +2.83%?
- The fund returned +2.83% over 12 months while the BLKB iQ Responsible Equity World ex-Switzerland sister fund posted +8.34%. Single-country exposure means you take on Swiss-market risk in full, including currency and concentration. Past performance doesn't predict the future, but a +30.63% three-year return shows the strategy still delivers over longer windows.
- What's the fund size and why does it matter?
- At CHF 561M in assets, the fund is comfortably above the CHF 100M small-fund threshold and well established. Larger funds generally have lower bid/ask costs and operational scale, which helps keep the 0.34% TER sustainable over time.
How We Rated This Product
BLKB iQ Responsible Equity Switzerland B was evaluated as a product using our weighted scoring system.
Ratings are updated monthly based on the latest available data. All products are evaluated using the same methodology.
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