Our Take on Descartes Index 60
A balanced 60/40 index 3a with a private bank custodian and a phone line to a human advisor.
Descartes Index 60 ranks #25 among 82 3a investment funds in Switzerland. It's a passive Swisscanto index strategy at 60% equity, 40% money market, held in a personal securities account at Lienhardt & Partner Privatbank Zürich. A reasonable middle-ground allocation, priced at 0.65% all-in because of the hybrid digital-plus-human advisor model.
How Index 60 Stacks Up Against Cheaper Balanced Funds
All-in cost is 0.65% (0.25% weighted TER plus 0.40% flat fee). On CHF 50,000 that's CHF 325 per year. Pure-digital 60% equity 3a strategies sit at roughly 0.40-0.45% all-in. So you're paying about CHF 100-125 more annually than the cheapest passive 60/40 alternatives.
What you get for that extra cost is on-demand human advisor access plus a personal securities account at a Zurich private bank rather than units in a collective foundation. Whether that's worth the premium depends entirely on whether you'll use the advisor. If you'll call them once a year to talk through a strategy switch, probably yes. If not, no.
What Actually Stands Out
The portfolio holds Swisscanto Responsible index funds at 60% total (World ex CH, Switzerland Total, MSCI World ex CH FTH1, Emerging Markets) balanced by 40% in Swisscanto Money Market Fund CHF FT. ESG screening is at the underlying level.
Lienhardt & Partner Privatbank Zürich runs custody in your own depot, with weekly trading in the 3a domain. The Descartes app handles contributions, statements and strategy switches, but the advisor line is the real differentiator. Per Handelszeitung's coverage, that hybrid model hasn't translated into worse net performance versus the pure digital providers.
What Most Reviews Miss
The 40% defensive sleeve is money market, not bonds. That means short-duration cash exposure. You don't get the interest-rate kicker a true bond fund would give in a falling-rate environment. If you specifically want duration in your 3a, Descartes Index 60 isn't structured for that.
The 5-year return of +15.50% lags pure-equity strategies meaningfully and lags some bond-included 60/40 funds too. Part of that is the cash drag in the defensive bucket. Part is the all-in cost differential. The 10-year +72.80% is more competitive and reflects a longer compounding window.
The Bottom Line
Descartes Index 60 works if you want a balanced 60/40 with a personal depot at a private bank and the option to call a human advisor. If you don't need either, cheaper pure-digital balanced strategies save you about CHF 100 per year per CHF 50,000. See the full landscape in our guide to the best 3a investment funds in Switzerland.
Verdict: A solid balanced 3a for cost-tolerant investors who actively use the human advisor channel.
Pros
- Good 3-year performance (+25.5%)
- No custody fee
Cons
- High flat fee (0.40%)
- No swing pricing protection
Product Details
At a Glance
- 60% stocks allocation
- TER: 0.25%
- Passive/Index strategy
- No custody fee
Fund Details & Allocation
Fund Details & Allocation
Asset Allocation
Stocks
60%
Bonds
0%
Other
40%
Investment Strategy
Passively-managed fund
Depositary Bank
Lienhardt & Partner Privatbank Zürich AG
Swing Pricing
No
Fees & Costs
Fees & Costs
Synthetic TER
0.25%
Flat Fee
0.40%
Custody Fee
Free
Performance Over Time
Historical performance of this investment fund. Past performance is not indicative of future results.
1 Year
+2.3%
3 Years
+25.5%
5 Years
+15.5%
10 Years
+72.8%
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
- Is the 40% defensive bucket of Descartes Index 60 bonds or cash?
- It's cash-equivalent, specifically the Swisscanto Money Market Fund CHF FT. Bond percent on the strategy is 0%. That's important when comparing to other 60/40 3a funds: you don't get bond duration in the defensive sleeve, just short-duration money market exposure.
- Where is the custody held for Descartes Index 60?
- At Lienhardt & Partner Privatbank Zürich AG, in a personal securities account in your own name. That's structurally different from collective 3a foundations. Lienhardt handles weekly trading in the 3a domain and acts as your account-holding bank for the strategy.
- What underlying funds power Descartes Index 60?
- Five underlyings: four Swisscanto Index Equity funds (World ex CH Responsible, Switzerland Total Responsible, MSCI World ex CH FTH1 CHF, Emerging Markets Responsible) totalling 60%, plus Swisscanto Money Market Fund CHF FT at 40%. The equity sleeve is split between developed-world, Swiss, and emerging markets.
- Are there any transaction or custody fees beyond the all-in cost?
- No. Custody fee CHF 0, issuing fee 0%, sales fee 0%. The 0.65% all-in covers monthly contributions, strategy switches, NAV trading and Lienhardt custody. There's no per-transaction fee that eats into smaller monthly investments.
How We Rated This Product
Descartes Index 60 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.
Ready to Open?
Open the Descartes Index 60 today and start enjoying its benefits.