Property & personal insurance

Property and personal insurance in Switzerland: compared independently

Whether it is about protecting your belongings or your financial security in the event of illness and accident – the Swiss insurance market is complex. Premiums and benefits often differ between companies by several hundred francs a year.

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Transparency note for policyholders in Switzerland: As an advisory service independent of any insurer, we analyse and compare the offers of all leading Swiss insurance companies (including AXA, Allianz, Helvetia, Mobiliar, Zurich, Generali, Vaudoise, Baloise and others). We are not tied to any company and find the best value for money for your individual situation.

Part 1

Property insurance – protection for your belongings

Property insurance protects you against the financial consequences of damage to your own belongings and against liability claims from third parties.

1. Household contents and private liability insurance

The most important basic combination for every household in Switzerland. Household contents insurance covers damage to your furniture and electronic devices (e.g. from fire, water or theft). Private liability insurance protects you against potentially ruinous costs if you unintentionally cause damage to another person or their property.

Market overview: Large providers such as Mobiliar, AXA or Allianz offer comprehensive all-risks cover, while digital insurers often attract customers with low entry-level premiums.
Important pitfalls: Take great care to avoid underinsurance. If your household contents are actually worth CHF 100’000.– but you only insure CHF 50’000.–, the insurer will cut every payout in half in the event of a claim! We calculate your correct sum insured precisely.

What to look out for when comparing

1.Private liability insurance: the key benefit clauses

Private liability insurance protects you against the financial consequences if you cause damage to third parties. The standard sum insured is usually 5 or 10 million francs – the real differences lie here:

Waiver of reduction for gross negligence
By far the most important benefit feature. If you overlook a stop sign or forget a burning candle, that counts as gross negligence. Good tariffs waive the statutory right to reduce the payment entirely.
Third-party driver cover (add-on module)
Important if you occasionally borrow a car from friends, neighbours or your parents. Check whether damage to the borrowed vehicle and any loss of the owner’s no-claims bonus on their comprehensive (Kasko) insurance are covered.
Damage to rented property & moving out
Damage to a rented flat (e.g. scratches in the parquet floor, a crack in the washbasin) is standard. High-performance tariffs, however, also cover the notorious «gradual damage» (e.g. moisture damage caused by a leaking aquarium over several months) or offer protection when you officially hand over the flat.
Operating drones, e-bikes and boats
- Standard e-bikes (pedal assistance up to 25 km/h): Are usually covered by standard liability insurance.
- Fast e-bikes (up to 45 km/h) & drones from 250 g: Depending on the insurer, require special additional cover or must be insured separately.

2.Household contents insurance: the key benefit clauses

Household contents insurance covers everything that would fall out of your flat if you turned it upside down – against fire, water, theft and natural hazards. This is where the wheat is separated from the chaff:

Simple theft away from home
If your smartphone is stolen while you are out, your jacket in a restaurant or your unlocked bicycle at the station. Point of comparison: how high is the limit? (The standard is often CHF 2’000.–, better tariffs offer CHF 5’000.– or more.)
Household all-risks cover (add-on module)
Standard household contents insurance only pays if someone else damages or steals your property. If you drop your expensive tablet on the tiled floor yourself, only all-risks cover will pay.
Luggage insurance
Read the product sheet carefully: is theft or loss of luggage while travelling covered worldwide without limit, or only up to a small amount (e.g. CHF 2’000.–)?
Theft of cash & credit cards
How much cash is insured in the event of a burglary at home? (Good insurers cover up to CHF 3’000.– or CHF 5’000.–, low-cost ones often only CHF 1’000.–.)

3.Focus on benefits: individuals vs. families

Depending on your personal situation, you should look out for the following specific clauses when comparing policy documents:

For individuals (single tariff)

Second home / weekly resident
If, as a single person, you live in a separate flat during the week (e.g. for work or studies): are the contents of this second home automatically insured, and at what percentage of the main sum insured?
Subletting / shared flats
If you sublet a room or live in a shared flat, many family or standard policies refuse to cover damage between flatmates. The product sheet must state explicitly how flatmates are insured.

For families (family tariff)

Group of insured persons
Who counts as «family»? Good tariffs automatically insure everyone living in the same household (spouse, cohabiting partner, children).
Children in higher education / training
Check the age limit. Up to what age are children who move to another city for their studies (e.g. into a shared flat) still covered by the family liability insurance and their parents’ household contents insurance? (The limit is often 25 or 26, provided they do not yet have their own income.)
Children not legally liable for their actions
In Switzerland, children under 7 are generally not considered legally liable for their actions. If your 5-year-old causes damage at the neighbours’, you are often not legally obliged to pay – the neighbour is left with the loss, which can lead to serious disputes. Good family liability policies pay for such damage anyway as a goodwill gesture («cover for children not liable in tort»).

Would you like a Household & Liability quote? Our request form captures all the necessary details right away.

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2. Motor vehicle insurance (liability, partial and comprehensive cover)

Motor vehicle liability insurance is compulsory in Switzerland; partial cover (Teilkasko) and comprehensive cover (Vollkasko) additionally protect your own vehicle. For the same premium, insurers’ benefits sometimes differ considerably – the details in the general terms and conditions (AVB) are what count.

What to look out for when comparing

1.Motor liability insurance (statutory minimum)

Liability insurance covers damage you cause to others with your car. The sum insured is set extremely high by law – the real benefit features are:

Waiver of reduction for gross negligence
Again the most important criterion. If you overlook a red light or are briefly distracted at the wheel and cause an accident, good tariffs waive the right to reduce the benefit or take recourse against you (waiver of recourse). Note: alcohol, drugs and extreme speeding offences are always excluded from the waiver by law.
Accident abroad cover (add-on module)
If you have an accident abroad that is not your fault and the other party’s local insurer does not settle the claim at all, or only slowly and according to foreign (often lower) standards. A good Swiss insurer then takes over the claims handling and pays according to Swiss standards.

2.Partial cover (Teilkasko – damage to your own car through no fault of your own)

Partial cover pays for damage caused by natural events, animals or theft. Look out for these details:

Marten and animal damage
Low-cost tariffs only pay for the direct damage (e.g. the chewed cable). High-performance tariffs also cover consequential damage (e.g. if the chewed cable causes the engine to overheat, resulting in a write-off).
Collision with animals
Standard cover often only includes accidents with «wild animals» (deer, wild boar). Better tariffs cover collisions with animals of any kind (including a cow, a cat or a dog).
Extended glass breakage
Basic cover usually only pays for the windscreen, rear and side windows. Check whether headlights (LED/xenon), mirror glass and panoramic roofs are included. Replacing a modern LED headlight can easily cost 2’000 to 4’000 francs.
Accessories included
Navigation systems, expensive rims or a retrofitted tow bar: what percentage of the vehicle value is automatically covered for accessories at no extra cost? (The standard is often 10 %, less with low-cost tariffs.)

3.Comprehensive cover (Vollkasko – incl. collision cover for damage you cause yourself)

Comprehensive cover additionally pays for collision damage to your own car – whether you caused it yourself or it was caused by unknown third parties. The following determines the quality:

Current value supplement (compensation for a write-off)
If your car is written off, the insurer pays the car’s current value. As new cars lose value extremely quickly, good tariffs offer a current value supplement in the first few years. You then receive, for example, 100 % of the new price in the 1st and 2nd year, and still considerably more than the actual residual value in the 4th or 5th year. Compare the exact percentage tables in the general terms and conditions (AVB)!
Parking damage cover (add-on module)
Someone hits your parked car in the supermarket car park and drives off. Point of comparison: how many such claims are covered per calendar year (e.g. 1 or 2 per year), and is there a maximum amount (e.g. up to CHF 1’000.– or unlimited)?

4.Important add-on modules in the benefit comparison

You can usually add or remove these options individually. Check the conditions carefully:

Assistance (breakdown service)
Is the breakdown service valid only in Switzerland or worldwide/throughout Europe? If you break down abroad, are the repatriation of the vehicle and an overnight hotel stay for all occupants paid without question?
Workshop clause for headlight damage
Some insurers require you to use a partner workshop (e.g. Carglass) in the event of a claim. If you would rather take your car straight to the brand dealer (e.g. BMW, VW), look for a free choice of garage.
Occupant accident insurance
Usually unnecessary in Switzerland for people who work here (as they are insured against accidents through their employer under the Accident Insurance Act, UVG). Exception: you often have foreign guests or children in the car and, in an emergency, want an immediate lump-sum payment without a long wait for the liability to be clarified.

Would you like a Motor Vehicle quote? Our request form captures all the necessary details right away.

Go to the Motor Vehicle form

3. Legal protection insurance (private and traffic legal protection)

A legal dispute with your landlord, your employer or after a car accident can become extremely expensive in Switzerland. Legal protection insurance covers the costs of lawyers, expert witnesses and court fees.

Scope of benefits compared: Specialist legal protection insurers (such as CAP, Protekta, Assista or Dextra) often offer very high sums insured of up to CHF 500’000.– or more per case, as well as worldwide cover.
Our tip: Combine private and traffic legal protection in one policy to benefit from considerable combination discounts.

What to look out for when comparing

1.The sums insured (money for lawyers & courts)

What matters is how much money is available in an emergency – and from what amount the insurer helps at all:

Cost guarantee worldwide / Europe
What is the maximum amount the insurer provides per legal case? In Switzerland, sums of CHF 250’000.– to CHF 500’000.– are standard (which is usually enough). More important: how high is the sum abroad? Good tariffs also offer at least CHF 100’000.– to CHF 200’000.– worldwide for emergencies on holiday.
Minimum amount in dispute
From what amount does the insurance apply at all? Some low-cost tariffs only help if the amount in dispute exceeds, for example, CHF 300.–. Top tariffs waive a minimum amount in dispute entirely in many core areas.

2.Private legal protection: the critical areas of law (who pays for what?)

Many standard policies cover contracts (e.g. a dispute with an online shop) and claims for damages. The real differences in quality lie in the «difficult» areas of law:

Employment law
Disputes with your employer over dismissal or a poor reference. Point of comparison: is the cover unlimited or is there a lower cost limit?
Tenancy law
Disputes with your landlord over rent increases or defects. Check whether disputes with neighbours (e.g. over noise) are also covered.
Patients’ rights
Medical errors by doctors or hospitals. These often involve extremely expensive expert reports – a high cost guarantee is essential here.
Internet / cyber law (add-on or exclusive module)
Protection against online identity theft, credit card fraud when shopping online or cyberbullying.
Inheritance law and family law
The biggest benefit trap. Divorce, maintenance disputes or inheritance disputes are excluded as standard by almost all insurers. Better tariffs at least offer an initial consultation with a lawyer (e.g. up to CHF 500.–). Only a very few premium products allow you to include this area as a module at a high extra cost.

3.Traffic legal protection: indispensable for mobility

If you are out and about a lot (whether by car, bicycle, e-bike or on foot), you should check the following clauses:

Vehicle contract law
Disputes with the garage after a faulty repair or when buying a car (e.g. accident damage that was concealed when buying a used car).
Licence withdrawal (administrative proceedings)
If the authorities want to withdraw your driving licence after a traffic offence. Good traffic legal protection covers the costs of challenging the authorities’ decision.
Summary penalty order / negligent injury
If, after an accident, you are accused of negligently injuring another road user. (Intentional offences are, of course, always excluded.)

4.General quality features & the «small print»

These points are often only found in the general terms and conditions (AVB) – check them before signing:

Waiting periods
After taking out a policy, you usually cannot go to a lawyer straight away. The standard waiting period is 3 months for most areas of law. Pure claims for damages (e.g. you are hit by a car as a pedestrian) generally have no waiting period.
Free choice of lawyer
If it comes to court or administrative proceedings, you are entitled by law to choose a lawyer you trust. Before that, many insurers reserve the right to handle the case with their own legal staff or to assign you a lawyer, and some cap the fees of a lawyer you choose yourself. Look for clauses that guarantee you a free choice of lawyer without financial disadvantages.
Legal advice cover / telephone hotline
Does the insurer offer a straightforward legal hotline for all legal questions, even if there is no actual dispute? Very useful for having contracts checked quickly before you sign them.

Would you like a Legal Protection quote? Our request form captures all the necessary details right away.

Go to the Legal Protection form

Part 2

Personal insurance – protection for your ability to work

Personal insurance protects you and your family against the financial consequences of loss of earnings, accident, illness or death.

1. Daily sickness and accident allowance insurance

If, as an employee or self-employed person, you are unable to work for months because of a serious illness or an accident, you face massive gaps in income. Statutory continued pay often ends surprisingly quickly.

The market situation: Health insurers (such as Swica, Helsana or CSS) and traditional personal insurers offer daily allowance solutions that cover up to 80% of lost salary for a maximum of 730 days.
For the self-employed: For business owners and freelancers, this cover is vital, as unlike employees they are not automatically insured under the Accident Insurance Act (UVG).

What to look out for when comparing

Insurance against loss of earnings – daily sickness allowance insurance (Krankentaggeld, KTG) and disability pension (Erwerbsunfähigkeitsrente) – is about securing your livelihood. Here, the differences in the small print are crucial, because they decide whether you can maintain your standard of living during a long illness or after an accident. There are two basic pillars, which are often combined:

Pillar 1·Daily sickness allowance (KTG)

Bridges the period immediately after the onset of illness (usually for a maximum of 730 days).

Pillar 2·Disability pension (EU-Rente / pillar 3)

Pays a monthly pension if you are permanently unable to work (often until retirement).

Here is your checklist for comparing benefits regardless of premium:

1.Daily sickness allowance (KTG): the key clauses

With daily sickness allowance, a few clauses decide how long and from when money is paid:

Benefit period
The absolute standard is 730 days (2 years). Check in the product sheet that these 730 days do not apply per «case of illness», but are added together flexibly if you are off work several times due to the same illness (e.g. recurring depression or cancer).
Waiting period (deferral period)
From which day of sick leave is money paid? Possible options are from the 14th, 30th, 60th or 90th day. The longer your employer continues to pay your salary (statutory continued pay), the longer the waiting period can be. Point of comparison: is there a «linking clause»? If you fall ill again with the same condition after a short return to work, the waiting period should not start again from scratch.
Right of transfer when changing jobs (portability)
If you are covered by your employer’s collective daily sickness allowance insurance and you lose or quit your job, you have the right to transfer to the provider’s individual insurance within a set period (usually 30 days, longer under some contracts). Benefit feature: a good insurer completely waives a new health check for this transfer.

2.Disability pension: the real differences in quality

If an illness becomes permanent, the state disability insurance (IV) and the pension fund (pillar 2) step in after about two years. As these often cover only around 60% of your last income, the private disability pension closes the remaining gap. Look out for these hard criteria:

Definition of disability (occupational disability vs. incapacity for any work)
The biggest benefit trap.
- Low-cost tariffs: Only pay if you can no longer do any work at all on the entire labour market (abstract referral). If a surgeon can no longer operate because of trembling hands but could theoretically still work as a porter, the insurer often pays nothing.
- Top tariffs: Often labelled «occupational disability» – they pay if you can no longer practise your specific, most recent occupation.
Benefit scale (payout threshold)
From what degree of disability does the insurer pay the full pension? The standard in Switzerland is the IV system (full pension only from 70% disability). Better private insurers pay the full agreed pension from a degree of disability of 66⅔%, or pay partial pensions on a sliding scale from 25% or 50%.
Premium waiver in case of disability
An extremely important benefit feature. If you become unable to work, you no longer have to pay any premiums for this insurance from that point on, but still receive the agreed pension.

3.Clauses that apply to both types of insurance

These points apply equally to daily sickness allowance and disability pension:

Waiver of the right to cancel after a claim
Under the Swiss Insurance Contract Act (VVG), an insurer may cancel the contract after a claim has been reported. Good daily sickness allowance policies explicitly waive this right to cancel after a claim in the contract. If they do not, you may suddenly find yourself without cover after your first long illness.
Mental illness (burnout / depression)
Mental illness is now the main reason for long-term loss of earnings. Some tariffs severely restrict benefits for purely mental illnesses (e.g. limiting the benefit period to 12 months). Be sure to check whether mental illnesses are treated on an equal footing with physical illnesses.
Territorial scope (worldwide cover)
Will the insurer keep paying the pension if you decide to move abroad (e.g. to live with relatives) because of your chronic illness or to recover?

Would you like a Daily Allowance quote? Our request form captures all the necessary details right away.

Go to the Daily Allowance form

2. Private pension provision (pillar 3a & life insurance)

The state old-age pension (AHV) and the pension fund (pillars 1 and 2) usually cover only around 60% of your usual income in retirement or in the event of disability. With pillar 3a, you close this pension gap and save a substantial amount of tax year after year.

Bank vs. insurance compared: A pure bank solution offers maximum flexibility. An insurance solution (e.g. with Zurich or Helvetia) also combines saving with protection for your family in the event of death or disability (premium waiver).

What to look out for when comparing

With pension insurance (restricted pillar 3a or flexible pillar 3b), you combine saving for retirement with insurance cover (e.g. in the event of death or loss of earnings). As you are signing contracts that often run for 20, 30 or 40 years, the contractual clauses and the flexibility in the benefit sheet are even more decisive than with any other insurance. A wrong product can only be corrected later at a considerable financial loss (the so-called surrender value).

Here is your checklist of what to pay particular attention to in the terms when comparing benefits:

1.The savings model: risk vs. security

The biggest decision in the benefit catalogue concerns the way your money is invested:

Traditional vs. unit-linked pension plans
- Traditional: The insurer guarantees you a fixed maturity benefit and a minimum interest rate. Point of comparison: how high is the guaranteed interest rate compared with the administrative costs?
- Unit-linked: The money is invested in equity or investment funds. Point of comparison: can you switch funds free of charge during the term (switching)? Does the insurer offer automatic expiry management? With this, the money is gradually shifted from volatile equities into safe bonds over the last 5–10 years before retirement to secure gains.

2.The flexibility clauses (the most important benefit feature)

Life changes, but a pension contract runs on rigidly. Good products stand out through built-in flexibility:

Premium holiday / suspension
What happens if you become unemployed, take further training or go on a trip around the world? Benefit feature: does the contract allow a temporary suspension of premium payments (e.g. for 6 or 12 months) without the contract being terminated straight away or the insurance cover being cancelled completely?
Premium indexation
Many contracts offer automatic adjustment of the premium to inflation or to the maximum statutory pillar 3a deductions. Point of comparison: can you object to this increase each year easily and without a new health check?
Additional payments and reductions
Can you adjust your annual savings amount flexibly if you earn more or less in a given year? This is standard with pure pillar 3a bank solutions, but often strictly regulated with insurance solutions.

3.The risk benefits (death & loss of earnings)

As this is insurance, you are buying biometric cover. Compare the following points:

Premium waiver in case of disability
The main reason for taking out pillar 3 with an insurer rather than a bank. If you become disabled in the long term due to illness or accident, the insurer takes over the contributions for you. Your retirement savings goal is therefore reached exactly as if you had continued paying in yourself. Point of comparison: from what degree of disability (e.g. from 66⅔% or on a sliding scale from 25%) does this waiver apply? Is there a waiting period (usually 3 to 6 months)?
Death benefit (constant or decreasing)
If you die before retirement, money is paid out to your surviving dependants (partner, children).
- Constant capital: The sum remains the same throughout the entire term.
- Decreasing capital: The sum decreases year by year – ideal, for example, for covering a mortgage that also becomes smaller over the years through amortisation.

4.Transparency of costs and surrender values

Especially with long terms, the costs decide how much of your savings is left:

The surrender value (surrender value table)
If you have to terminate the insurance early (e.g. because you leave Switzerland permanently or withdraw the money to buy your own home), you receive the so-called surrender value. It must be shown with complete transparency in the contract. Compare how high the losses are in the first 5 to 10 years. With poor tariffs, the money paid in during the first 3 years is used up entirely by the insurer’s acquisition costs.
Effective cost ratio (TER / reduction in yield)
How much do the internal administrative and risk costs reduce the return on your savings? Look in the product sheet for the percentage the insurer deducts from the assets each year.

Strategic tip: insurance vs. bank solution

Before comparing benefits, always ask yourself the fundamental question: do you want to combine saving and insurance?

Bank solution or pension app

If you want maximum flexibility (paying premiums some years, pausing them in others, complete freedom in choosing funds), a pure pillar 3a account with a bank or a digital pension app provider (e.g. VIAC, finpension, Frankly) is often considerably better and cheaper.

Insurance solution

An insurance solution is worthwhile primarily if you want the premium waiver in case of disability built in as a completely fixed safety net for your retirement provision, or if you need to protect a family with a death benefit.

Would you like a Pension quote? Our request form captures all the necessary details right away.

Go to the Pension form

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