finpension Sustainable 100

99% stocks in Responsible funds for 0.39%, about a quarter of what UBS charges for its sustainable equivalent.

finpension Sustainable 100 ranks #16 among 122 3a investment funds in our comparison, the most equity-heavy of finpension's sustainable strategies. It holds 99% stocks and 1% cash, all in Swisscanto's Responsible index funds. It's for long-horizon investors who want an all-equity, sustainable 3a and can live with big swings.

Does Sustainable Cost More Here?

No. You pay a flat 0.39% a year, all-in, exactly like Global 100. UBS Vitainvest World 100 Sustainable U costs 1.62%. On CHF 50,000, that's CHF 195 at finpension versus CHF 810 at UBS, a CHF 615 gap every year. frankly Extreme 95 Responsible costs 0.45% (CHF 225), and the 0.77% average of other 3a funds in our comparison works out to CHF 385.

Net of fees, Sustainable 100 is up 18.08% over one year, 48.80% over three and 36.59% over five. finpension Global 100 did 18.58%, 50.30% and 36.99%. UBS Vitainvest World 100 Sustainable U shows 14.25%, 45.93% and 31.42%. The higher fee is part of that gap.

What Actually Stands Out

This is finpension's purest sustainable strategy. With no bonds and no real estate, everything except the 1% cash sits in Responsible funds: Swiss stocks (39%), world ex-Switzerland (40%, half of it CHF-hedged), small caps (10%) and emerging markets (10%). At 20 to 80, some bond and real estate funds aren't Responsible versions. Here that caveat disappears.

The funds are institutional Swisscanto index funds reserved for pension money, so they reclaim a large part of the foreign withholding tax on dividends, a quiet boost on a 99% equity portfolio. There's no stamp duty on purchases and sales, and no custody, transaction or FX fees on top. Swisscanto by Zürcher Kantonalbank is the custodian.

What Most Reviews Miss

frankly Extreme 95 Responsible (0.45%) is the closest rival. finpension is ahead over one year (18.08% vs 16.75%) but behind over three (48.80% vs 49.03%) and clearly over five (36.59% vs 41.35%). frankly's slightly higher fee hasn't held it back in this period. Our VIAC vs finpension vs frankly comparison covers the providers in detail.

Notice the five-year figure is lower than the three-year one, which means the two earlier years lost money overall. With no bond cushion, you need to be fine watching your 3a balance shrink for a while. The Swiss home bias stays too: about 40% of the equity part, 39% of the portfolio, is Swiss stocks.

The Bottom Line

finpension Sustainable 100 is one of the cheapest ways to hold an all-equity, sustainable 3a in Switzerland. Global 100 has returned a bit more and frankly Extreme 95 Responsible has the stronger five-year record, so it isn't the top pick on numbers alone. Our sustainable 3a funds guide lines up the alternatives. New clients can use code RTEQJB for a CHF 25 fee credit after paying in CHF 1,000 within 12 months (enter it at sign-up or within 24 hours).

Verdict: A low-cost, fully Responsible equity 3a for long-horizon investors, and a clear upgrade from sustainable bank funds charging 1.2% to 1.6%.