Collective foundation and joint institution: what are the differences? 

Growing numbers of Swiss companies are joining collective foundations or joint institutions. According to current figures, 73% of the approximately 4.5 million active insured employees are members of one of these two management structures. What distinguishes the two formats? 

Pros and cons 

According to a recent Credit Suisse survey on occupational pension provision, collective foundations and joint institutions are perceived as relieving pressure on those responsible for pension provision on both the employer and the employee side. A further advantage of the two structures is the high level of professionalism and know-how among the providers. 

One point of criticism, on the other hand, is the reduced freedom of action in terms of investment strategy compared to autonomous pension funds. This aspect, which is widely criticised in many collective foundations and joint institutions, is a major advantage at the GEMINI Collective Foundation, which has been offering flexible pension solutions for over 45 years. 

GEMINI – a collective foundation offering flexible pension solutions 

The GEMINI Collective Foundation offers companies tailor-made employee benefits solutions. Clients are free to determine the key parameters for their pension fund, from financing to benefits and investments. 

The GEMINI Collective Foundation has the following advantages over joint institutions: 

• You determine the key parameters for your employee benefits unit based on your pension needs. 

• You can choose between four investment pools. If your investment volume exceeds CHF 10 million, you are free to determine the investment strategy yourself. 

• Within the four investment pools, you can change your investment strategy twice a year free of charge. 

• GEMINI manages each individual pension fund on the basis of its own annual accounts and its own coverage ratio. 

• You will always be up to date thanks to regular reports and information. 

• Above a certain size of the affiliation, pensioners can be managed in a separate employee benefits unit. 

If you would like to find out more about the services offered by the GEMINI Collective Foundation, or if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Alain Grand, Head of Sales, by phone or e-mail.