A successful year for Baloise: two strong solutions for safe and reliable occupational pension provision

Basel, 22 May 2025. Baloise’s occupational pension business can look back on a very successful year for the Perspectiva semi-autonomous solution, delivering a healthy gain in value of more than 9 per cent and impressive growth with more than 500 new companies signing up. At a time of geopolitical tensions, Baloise’s comprehensive insurance solution offers maximum safety and security. This is especially true for SMEs, which benefit from full guarantees. The fact that the reform of the Swiss Federal Law on Occupational Retirement, Survivors’ and Disability Pension Plans (BVG) was rejected clearly shows that Pillar 2 is facing major challenges. Baloise remains committed to playing an active part in shaping the future of occupational pension provision, in order to continue to offer customers stability, safety and security in the future with a comprehensive product portfolio.

Baloise’s Perspectiva collective foundation – a success story

For the Perspectiva semi-autonomous solution, 2024 was a very positive year. Perspectiva delivered an excellent performance with gains in value of more than 9 per cent in 2023 and 2024. Its funding ratio of 105 per cent reflects significant excess collateral, putting the solution on a stable footing. The interest rate of 2.0 per cent on retirement assets highlights our ability to offer good terms for our policyholders.

Baloise was able to attract more than 500 new companies to the foundation in 2024. Also taking account of those that left the foundation, the number of companies signed up to the solution stood at 5,186 at the end of the reporting year (2023: 4,903). This reflects our healthy ambitions for growth. The foundation’s existing customer base remains young with an average age of 41 years and a very low proportion of retirees (3.5 per cent). This setup allows us to look ahead with confidence and continue to offer a strong semi-autonomous solution. With around 22,750 insured individuals and invested assets worth more than CHF 1.9 billion, Perspectiva is ideally positioned to continue on its positive trajectory.

Comprehensive BVG insurance as a safe haven in uncertain times

In this time of geopolitical tensions, there is a strong sense of need for safety and security. Our comprehensive insurance is an ideal solution for customers who feel like this. For SMEs in particular, we offer a full guarantee and thus maximum safety and security. Baloise offered an interest rate of 1.5 per cent on retirement savings above the income threshold, and a sum of CHF 85 million was allocated to the surplus fund. This solid and sustainable interest rate policy ensures that our customers can feel confident in the financial stability of their future.

Good results despite the challenging environment

Baloise achieved a very good result in the occupational pension business, generating profit of CHF 51 million. This represents a year-on-year increase of 10 per cent (2023: CHF 46 million). The payout rate for business subject to the minimum quota was 92.2 per cent. Despite a challenging market environment characterised by volatility in the international financial markets, geopolitical tensions and monetary policy action by the central banks, Baloise reported solid net investment income of CHF 286 million in its group life report.

 
Pension provision remains a tough nut to crack at the political level

The failure of the BVG reform represents a missed opportunity to strengthen occupational pension provision for the long term and adapt it to the current demographic and societal reality. The excessively high statutory annuity conversion rate means that the system continues to redistribute working people’s pension fund assets in order to fund pension payouts for retirees. With the baby boomer generation nearing retirement age, these pressures are set to mount further. Baloise remains committed to the tried and tested social security system comprising all three Pillars, including a strong Pillar 2. It will therefore continue to develop innovative and sustainable solutions in order to play its part in meeting current and future requirements for stable pension provision. “Baloise is determined to remain a key player in occupational pension provision and to offer customers the best possible solutions that can guarantee stability, safety and security,” says Marc Altermatt, Head of Product Management in the group life business at Baloise.

Contact
Baloise, Aeschengraben 21, CH-4002 Basel
Website: www.baloise.com
E-Mail: media.relations@baloise.com / investor.relations@baloise.com
Media Relations: Tel: +41 58 285 76 09
Investor Relations: Tel: +41 58 285 81 81

About Baloise

The focus is firmly on the future at Baloise. We aim to make tomorrow more straightforward, safer and more carefree for our customers, and we are taking responsibility for this today. Baloise is more than just a traditional insurance company. Through our smart finance and insurance solutions, we offer a complete service package. Dependable support, reliable cooperation and trust-based relationships are key aspects of our stakeholder interaction. We take care of financial matters so that our customers can concentrate on the important things in their lives and can find inspiration in the everyday. Baloise, a European company founded more than 160 years ago, currently employs 8,000 people at its headquarters in Basel (Switzerland) and across its subsidiaries in Belgium, Germany and Luxembourg. Our services generated a business volume of around CHF 8.6 billion in 2024. Baloise Holding Ltd shares (BALN) are listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange.