5
Outstanding - 1st place
Rating
Saxo is the best choice for cost-conscious investors - CHF 0 purchase fees & free custody account management
Short review:
Saxo Bank offers the best ETF savings plan in Switzerland. No purchase fees, a broad selection of ETFs and free custody account management make the provider unbeatably favourable. Saxo Bank Switzerland is a FINMA-regulated bank with a Swiss banking licence and is part of the Danish Saxo Bank Group. The offices of Saxo Bank Switzerland are located in the ‘Circle’ at Zurich Airport.
✅ Advantages:
- Free ETF savings plan
- No custody account fees
- Wide selection of ETFs
❌ Disadvantages:
- None
3
Unsatisfactory - 5th place
Rating
So far the only ETF savings plan from a cantonal bank - but with a small selection of ETFs and high fees
Brief review:
Zuger Kantonalbank's e-fund savings plan enables customers to save automatically in a selection of funds and ETFs. On the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of each month, the balance in the e-fund savings plan account is invested in the selected products.
✅ Advantages:
- Simple handling directly in e-banking
- Tax statement included
❌ Disadvantages:
- High purchase fees (1.5 %)
- Custody fees in the amount of 0.22%
Savings plan offering
Number of ETF savings plans
103 ETFs available
Number of ETF savings plans
5 ETFs available
Number of free ETF plans
All 103 ETFs free of charge
Number of free ETF plans
No free ETF savings plans
Global ETFs and Swiss ETFs
🌎 World and 🇨🇭 Swiss ETFs available (all free of charge)
Global ETFs and Swiss ETFs
🌎 World and 🇨🇭 Swiss ETFs available
Costs
Purchase fees for ETFs (savings plan)
Free of charge
Purchase fees for ETFs (savings plan)
1.5%
Sale fees for ETFs
0.08% (min. CHF 3)
Sale fees for ETFs
1.5%
Custody fee per year
Free of charge
Custody fee per year
0.22%
E-tax statement
Chargeable (CHF 108.10) - an optional additional service that simplifies the tax return, but is not mandatory.
E-tax statement
Chargeable (CHF 108.10 per portfolio) - an optional additional service that makes tax returns easier but is not mandatory.
Fee schedule
Fee schedule
Features
Execution
On the 5th day of the month
Execution
On the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of each month
Max. number of simultaneous plans
No limitation
Max. number of simultaneous plans
No limitation
Fractional trading
Only whole ETF shares can be purchased
Fractional trading
Only whole ETF shares can be purchased
Available savings plan options
ETFs
Available savings plan options
ETFs, ZugerKB funds
Transfer of custody
(ETFs to a new provider)
Custody account transfer of savings plan securities not possible (other securities: CHF 50 per security)
Transfer of custody
(ETFs to a new provider)
Custody account transfer possible (CHF 100 per security)
Provider
Provider
Saxo Bank Switzerland offers a platform for investors who want to trade cost-effectively worldwide.
Provider
Zuger Kantonalbank offers financial services in the areas of payments, investments, pensions and financing for private and business customers.
Services
Online trading (shares, ETFs, bonds, options, foreign exchange, etc.)
Services
Bank accounts, payment services, trading (shares, funds, ETFs, etc.), mortgages, pensions
Regulation
Regulated in Switzerland (FINMA) 🇨🇭
Regulation
Regulated in Switzerland (FINMA) 🇨🇭
Deposit protection on cash
Swiss deposit protection of CHF 100,000
Deposit protection on cash
Swiss deposit protection of CHF 100,000
Protection of securities (stocks, bonds, funds, ETFs) in case of provider insolvency
Investments such as stocks and ETFs remain protected in the event of a bank insolvency, as they are not part of the bankruptcy estate and must be fully returned to clients (Art. 37d BankG).
Protection of securities (stocks, bonds, funds, ETFs) in case of provider insolvency
Investments such as stocks and ETFs remain protected in the event of a bank insolvency, as they are not part of the bankruptcy estate and must be fully returned to clients (Art. 37d BankG)
Platform
App + Web
Platform
App + Web
How to compare ETF savings plans
How to compare ETF savings plans with our side-by-side comparison tool
With our comparison tool, you can easily compare the ETF savings plans available in Switzerland and compare them directly side-by-side. This allows you to compare the product features of an ETF savings plan directly with the features of other ETF savings plans.
ETF savings plan offer
While ETF savings plans have long been established in many countries, there are only a few ETF savings plans in Switzerland. ETF savings plans are an exciting way to invest cost-effectively and automatically. You should opt for an ETF savings plan that invests as broadly diversified as possible. The number of ETFs available varies among the providers tested, but is usually between 30 and 120 ETFs that can be saved in a savings plan.
If you would like to save in a particular ETF, you must check in advance which provider offers this ETF. Although all providers offer ETFs for global markets such as the USA, Europe, Asia-Pacific or emerging markets, ETFs from different fund houses (e.g. Invesco, DWS/Xtrackers, etc.) are used.
Costs
The fees incurred are a fundamental aspect when selecting a suitable ETF savings plan. In principle, ETFs are very low-cost investment products, but costs can still be incurred on several levels:
TER of the ETF: The so-called TER (Total Expense Ratio or total cost ratio) is the annual costs incurred as a percentage of the investment amount for managing the ETF. The exact fee is stated either in the product overview or directly in the ETF factsheet.
Custody fees: Custody fees may be incurred for the safekeeping of ETFs by a broker or bank.
Trading costs: Transaction costs such as trading fees and currency exchange fees may be incurred when buying and selling the ETF.
The costs are the only objectively comparable factor that is equally relevant for all investors. They have a direct influence on the return and are therefore of central importance for the majority of investors. This is because excessive fees reduce your return.
Characteristics
All the providers tested have different characteristics. The providers differ, for example, in the type of execution (execution date; purchase of entire ETFs or purchase of fractions) or the maximum possible number of savings plans. The ETF savings plan comparison shows these features and helps you to find the right ETF savings plan for you.
Provider details
You can find all the important information about each provider in our comparison. Find out whether the ETF savings plan is managed via app or website and what additional functions are available - from trading and banking to debit cards, pillar 3a and mortgages.
Compare ETF savings plans effectively: what you should look out for
Number of ETF savings plans
Number of free ETF savings plans
World ETFs and Switzerland ETFs
ETF purchase costs (savings plan execution)
Selling costs of ETFs
Custody fee per year
E-tax statement
List of costs
Execution
Max. Number of simultaneous savings plans
Fractional trading
Available savings plan options
Custody account transfer
Provider
Offer
Regulation
Deposit protection on cash
Security of securities
Platform
