I had the Helvetia 3a pillar “Guarantee Plan” for 6 years. The result is even worse than what you’d expect.

I thought my little experience story might save some of you from choosing an insurance solution for parts of your 3a pillar and losing a lot of money with it.
In 2019 I let myself getting talked into a 3a insurance solution by Helvetia. Since then I’ve paid CHF 320.- every month. Minus the CHF ~400.- yearly insurance premium, I paid around 3’440.- into my 3a pillar at Helvetia every year.

At the end, after almost exactly six years, the payout was just short of CHF 7’830.-

Here’s the yearly share credit balance (Anteilguthaben) as per Helevtia’s yearly portfolio excerpt (every October, all values very slightly rounded):

Basically, I paid CHF 20’000 over six years and my 3a pillar with Helvetia ended up with less than CHF 8’000. Losing more than half the money who knows where, in a solution that’s supposed to generate 3.45% – 5.80% interest, according to Helvetia’s documents.
Mind you, the payout was not within the first two years, where they would have taken an extra fee on top.

If I had paid the CHF 320.- per month into a saving plans that invests into shares and gotten yearly returns of 6%, I would now have CHF 27’000. 20’000 more than what I’ve gotten. Good thing I’m in good standing financially, for other people notn having 20’000 would be catastrophic.

Conclusion: Never choose an insurance solution for your 3a pillar, don’t let yourself get talked into it. Avoid at all cost.
And don’t be lazy like me and postpone cancelling the contract because Helvetia hides it really well how to do so. I needed another website telling me how it can be done. Comparis has a template and your new provider will have a document saying where to transfer the money to. https://www.comparis.ch/altersvorsorge/saeule3a/kuendigen

Edit: Added, the CHF 400.- yearly insurance would’ve gotten me exactly 1’000 francs per month and the insurance would continue paying every month into the 3a pillar.