Frequently asked questions

Please fill in the entry form for new members.

For any salary adjustments, please fill in the changes in the salary notification form. Each December, you will receive a salary notification list in which you can enter all salary changes as of 1 January.

Please notify us of any changes in the marital status of your employees using the change of circumstances form.

Please notify us of any member’s incapacity for work as soon as possible after the illness or accident has occurred.

Please use the incapacity for work form in all cases and enclose the daily allowance accounts provided by the accident or health insurance.

Please complete the first section of the departure notification form when members leave the benefits unit.

The second section must be completed by the departing member and returned either via the employer or directly to GEMINI.

Please notify us of a member’s death using the notification of death form.

The employer is responsible for completing the entry form for new members.

If you have been insured under an employee benefits scheme with a previous employer, you are entitled to a termination benefit. Your previous pension fund will transfer the amount directly to GEMINI where it will be credited to your individual savings account. If you have not been a member of a Swiss employee benefits unit before, you have the option of increasing your benefits through voluntary buy-ins. Special provisions apply to UK nationals.

Please notify the pension fund of any cohabiting or registered partners.

Please notify your employer of any changes in your marital status. Your employer will forward this information to GEMINI.

Members may designate their life partners (different or same sex) or further individuals as beneficiaries. Beneficiaries must be registered before the member’s death using the respective form. The conditions are set out in the Framework Regulations, in the pension plan and on our website under “Designation of beneficiaries during member’s lifetime”.

• Entitlement to a partner’s pension (optional)

• Lump-sum death benefit – designation of beneficiaries

• Lump-sum death benefit – change of order

Members may take advantage of the government’s promotion of home ownership (WEF) scheme and either make advance withdrawals of their savings capital or pledge the capital:

• Construction of residential property as principal

• Construction of residential property under a service contract

• Acquisition of residential property

• Amortisation of a current mortgage

• Acquisition of share certificates in a housing cooperative

• Investments leading to an increase in property value

Main conditions applying to advance withdrawals and pledging:

• Members must occupy the property themselves.

• The minimum advance withdrawal is CHF 20,000.

• Advance withdrawals cannot be made more than once every five years.

Any advance withdrawal or pledging reduces your savings capital and affects the amount of your benefits. Voluntary buy-ins cannot be made until the withdrawal has been fully repaid.

Difference between advance withdrawal and pledging:

• Advance withdrawal: The withdrawal provides you with equity capital that serves as an additional financing base and reduces your interest expenses. Withdrawing savings capital reduces your retirement benefits.

• Pledging: The pledging of retirement assets results in lower interest rates for a second mortgage. Alternatively, you can defer the obligation to redeem the mortgage. Your savings capital remains unaffected.

Further information is provided in the application for an advance withdrawal form and the application for pledging form.

If you have any questions regarding taxes, financing or estate planning in connection with your property, please feel free to contact our financial planning specialists at Dörig & Partner for independent and comprehensive advice. Make an appointment by phone on +41 62 836 90 20 or by mail at info@doerig-partner.ch.

You have the option of making voluntary buy-ins to increase your savings capital. The buy-in potential available to you is specified on your insurance certificate.

Voluntary buy-ins increase your retirement savings and the associated benefits. In the event of your death, the savings are paid to your surviving dependents in addition to the lump-sum death benefit.

Tax savings: As a rule, voluntary buy-ins can be deducted from income in the year they are made. If you make a lump-sum withdrawal upon retirement, you will benefit from a reduced tax rate. Please contact your tax authority to enquire about the regulations applying to your specific case.

If you have made an advance withdrawal under the promotion of home ownership (WEF) scheme, you may not effect any buy-ins until the withdrawal has been fully repaid. Benefits arising from voluntary buy-ins may not be drawn as a lump sum in the first three years following the buy-in.

For further information, please consult the buy-in form.

If you have any questions regarding taxes, retirement or investments, please feel free to contact our financial planning specialists at Dörig & Partner for independent and comprehensive advice. Make an appointment by phone on +41 62 836 90 20 or by mail at info@doerig-partner.ch.

The employer is responsible for completing the first section of the departure notification form and forwarding it to the departing member. The member is responsible for filling out the second section and returning the form to GEMINI.

What happens to the termination benefit?

• In the event of your departure, any accrued savings capital is payable in the form of a termination benefit. Should you change to a new employer, GEMINI will transfer your termination benefit to the new employee benefits unit.

• Should you not join a new pension fund after your departure, you have various options for continuing your pension provision: a vested benefits account with a bank, a vested benefit policy with an insurance company or transfer to the Substitute Occupational Benefit Institution www.aeis.ch.

• Cash payments are possible in the following cases: You no longer live and work in Switzerland, you are starting your own business or your termination benefit is lower than your annual pension fund contribution. Special regulations apply to the transfer of pension assets to the UK (see fact sheet).

The detailed regulations are set out in the departure notification form.

The year of retirement is specified in the Framework Regulations applicable at the GEMINI Collective Foundation and in the pension plans of the individual employee benefits units.

Depending on the pension plan, you can either draw your savings capital as a pension or as a lump sum. Combinations are also possible. Benefits arising from voluntary buy-ins may not be drawn as a lump sum in the first three years following the buy-in.

Please use the notification of retirement form to notify GEMINI of your preferred form of retirement benefit in due time.

The annual pension is calculated by means of the conversion rate. The conversion rate depends on the retirement age and equals a percentage of the accrued capital.

Tax optimisation

If you have any questions regarding taxes or investments in connection with your retirement, please feel free to contact our financial planning specialists at Dörig & Partner for independent and comprehensive advice. Make an appointment by phone on +41 62 836 90 20 or by mail at info@doerig-partner.ch.