Descartes Index 80

An 80/20 index 3a from a provider with real humans on the phone. Pricier than the leaders, with a reason.

Descartes Index 80 ranks #8 among 90 3a investment funds in Switzerland. It's a passive Swisscanto index strategy at 80% equity, 20% Swisscanto money market, held in a personal securities account at Lienhardt & Partner Privatbank Zürich. The classic aggressive-but-not-reckless allocation, with optional on-demand human advice.

What 0.65% Gets You at the 80/20 Tier

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. Comparable pure-digital 80% index strategies sit between 0.40% and 0.50% all-in, so you're paying roughly CHF 75 to CHF 125 more annually.

The gap funds the hybrid model: human advisor access on top of a digital platform. If you'll actually use that advisor, the math works out. If you never call them, you're paying for an option you don't exercise. Be honest with yourself on which one you are.

What Actually Stands Out

The portfolio is built on Swisscanto Responsible index funds (80% total across World ex CH, Switzerland Total, MSCI World ex CH FTH1, Emerging Markets) balanced by 20% Swisscanto Money Market Fund CHF FT. ESG screening is at the underlying level, not bolted on top.

Lienhardt & Partner Privatbank Zürich handles custody in your own personal securities account. Fractional fund shares are supported, so your monthly contributions get fully invested even if the chunk doesn't divide cleanly into a fund unit. Weekly trading in the 3a domain is the standard cadence for this strategy.

What Most Reviews Miss

The 20% money market sleeve isn't a bond allocation. It's cash-equivalent. So when rates dropped in 2024-2025, this sleeve started earning very little. You get the stability benefit, but you miss the duration play a real bond fund would give you in a falling-rate cycle. Worth knowing before assuming '80/20' behaves like a classic balanced fund.

The 5-year return of +24.80% is essentially the same as the 99% equity sibling (+24.70%). That sounds counterintuitive, but it reflects the launch timing of the Descartes platform plus the cash drag during the rate-cut cycle. Longer-running 80/20 index funds at other providers have a more typical equity-vs-balanced gap.

The Bottom Line

Descartes Index 80 is a sensible passive 80/20 if the human advisor access matters to you. If it doesn't, cheaper pure-digital 80% equity strategies will save you roughly CHF 100 per year per CHF 50,000 invested. Compare options head-to-head in our guide to the best 3a investment funds in Switzerland.

Verdict: A good fit for cost-tolerant investors who value advisor access and a personal securities account over absolute lowest fees.