Our Take on frankly Strong 75 Index
Same 75% stock allocation as the ESG version. But 2 percentage points more return.
Frankly Strong 75 Index ranks #8 among 82 3a investment funds in Switzerland. It's the passive counterpart to the Strong 75 Responsible, and the numbers make a clear case: +37.29% over three years versus +35.09% for the active ESG version. With CHF 573 million in assets, it's one of the most trusted balanced 3a funds in the country.
How Does the Return Stack Up?
Three-year return: +37.29%. Five-year return: +41.45%. Both beat the actively managed Responsible version. The total cost is 0.44% (0.00% TER plus 0.44% flat fee), identical to the ESG alternative. So you're paying the same but getting more return.
The passive approach tracks Swisscanto's broad indices without stock-picking or ESG filtering. That means lower turnover, which reduces hidden transaction costs. Over 20+ years of contributions, the compounding advantage of even 1-2% extra annually becomes very significant.
What Actually Stands Out
CHF 573 million in assets gives this fund serious scale. Large fund sizes mean better liquidity, tighter spreads on underlying holdings, and greater stability. The index approach from Swisscanto means predictable tracking of established market benchmarks.
The 75% stocks / 13% bonds / 12% other split provides genuine diversification. You're not just in equities; you have fixed income and alternative assets smoothing the ride. For investors who want a set-it-and-forget-it 3a, this allocation is close to the textbook efficient frontier.
What Most Reviews Miss
The bond allocation is 13%, lower than the Responsible version's 20%. That means slightly more volatility during downturns. If you assumed "Strong 75" means identical allocation across both versions, look again. The index version has a different underlying mix despite the same equity percentage.
Passive indexing also means you hold whatever the index holds, including declining industries and controversial companies. If that matters to you, the 2-percentage-point return difference might be a fair price for the ESG version's cleaner portfolio.
The Bottom Line
For pure performance within a balanced allocation, the frankly Strong 75 Index is hard to beat. Lower implicit costs than active management, proven track record, and a massive fund size. See all balanced 3a options in our best Pillar 3a products in Switzerland overview.
Verdict: The best balanced 3a fund for investors who prioritize returns over ESG screening and want hands-off index investing.
Pros
- Low total costs (0.48% p.a.)
- Strong 5-year performance (+41.5%)
- No custody fee
- Large fund size (stable)
Cons
- High flat fee (0.44%)
- No swing pricing protection
- Issuing fee of 0.13%
- Sales/redemption fee of 0.08%
Product Details
At a Glance
- 75% stocks allocation
- TER: 0.04%
- Passive/Index strategy
- No custody fee
Fund Details & Allocation
Fund Details & Allocation
Asset Allocation
Stocks
75%
Bonds
13%
Real Estate
5%
Other
7%
Investment Strategy
Passively-managed fund
Fund Size
CHF 573M
Depositary Bank
Zürcher Kantonalbank (ZKB)
Swing Pricing
No
Fees & Costs
Fees & Costs
Synthetic TER
0.04%
Flat Fee
0.44%
Custody Fee
Free
Issuing Fee
0.13%
Performance Over Time
Historical performance of this investment fund. Past performance is not indicative of future results.
1 Year
+8.2%
3 Years
+37.3%
5 Years
+41.5%
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
- How does 75% stock translate to 5-year performance of +41.45%?
- With 75% stock, 13% bond, and 5% real estate, the fund captured most of the 2020 to 2024 equity rally. The +41.45% five-year cumulative is above the +23.5% segment average. Higher equity exposure also means deeper drawdowns when markets correct, so the path isn't smooth.
- What does total ongoing cost look like?
- Add 0.04% synthetic TER, the 0.44% flat platform fee, and a 0.13% issuing fee on contributions. On a steady CHF 7,258 annual contribution, that's roughly CHF 10 of issuing friction per year plus around 0.48% of running cost on the balance.
- Is this safer than Extreme 95 for a long-horizon saver?
- Marginally. Stock exposure drops from 95% to 75% and bonds add 13% of weight, smoothing drawdowns. Over 5 years, Extreme 95 Index returned +52.75% versus this fund's +41.45%, so you'd give up roughly 11 percentage points of cumulative return for the lower equity tilt.
How We Rated This Product
frankly Strong 75 Index 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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Open the frankly Strong 75 Index today and start enjoying its benefits.