Blog
What we write when we're not reading contracts.
Insurance insights, relocation guides, and Swiss system explanations — written by the team that reviews these contracts every working day.
3rd pillar & tax
BVG buyback — buying into your Swiss pension
Mid-career arrivals routinely hold CHF 50,000–200,000 of pension buy-in room they don't know about. How the Einkauf works, the tax math, and the three rules that decide whether it's your move.
Provider analysis
CSS myFlex — what the contract actually says
An advisor's read of CSS myFlex Eco, Balance, and Premium, the annual tier-switch nobody else offers, the dental breadth, and the hospital curve underneath the modularity.
3rd pillar & tax
Your first job in Switzerland — the insurance and pension setup
Signing your first Swiss employment contract changes your insurance position overnight. What your employer now covers, what stays yours, and the one decision that rewards being ten years early.
Provider analysis
Helsana COMPLETA and PRIMEO — what the contract actually says
An advisor's read of Helsana COMPLETA (outpatient), PRIMEO (the best-named misunderstanding in Swiss insurance), the hospital tiers, and the age curve underneath the app.
3rd pillar & tax
Retirement planning in Switzerland — for foreign residents
The Swiss system assumes 44 years you don't have. What arriving at 30, 35, or 40 does to your pension math — and the five levers, in order, that close the gap.
Health insurance
Accident insurance Switzerland (UVG/LAA) — who pays, what's covered
Employed 8+ hours a week? Your employer insures your accidents (UVG/LAA). Everyone else must add accident cover to health insurance. BU vs NBU, the double-paying check, 2026 rules.
Health insurance
Swiss health insurance premiums by canton — Zug CHF 317 vs Geneva CHF 562
2026 premium map: the same adult plan costs ~CHF 317 in Zug and ~CHF 562 in Geneva. Why cantons differ, the region tables, and what movers should check before relocating.
Maternity & family
Family health insurance Switzerland 2026 — children, maternity, the franchise cap
Why every child needs their own policy, how the household franchise cap works when children share an insurer, the pre-birth registration window that bypasses the health questionnaire, and which insurers handle children and maternity best.
Independent advisory
Independent Swiss insurance advisor — what it means
Independent Swiss insurance advisors are FINMA-registered, have no exclusive ties to any insurer, and disclose commission. What that means, how to choose.
Independent advisory
The four traps of Swiss insurance — what we catch every week
The four things we look for in every Swiss insurance review — the age-curve trap, the 3-month deadline, coverage that pays vs fights, and matching coverage.
3rd pillar & tax
VIAC vs frankly vs finpension — the architecture-first read
Most readers compare VIAC, frankly, finpension second. The architecture question — insurance vs banking, accounts, withdrawal — moves the lifetime number.
Provider analysis
SWICA Completa and BestMed — what the contract actually says
An advisor's read of SWICA Completa (outpatient + complementary), BestMed and Hospita (hospital), and how entry-age pricing changes the lifetime maths.
Independent advisory
Your first Swiss insurance review — 45-minute walkthrough
Process-transparent walkthrough of your first 45-minute Swiss insurance consultation with Expat Savvy. What to bring, who you'll meet, what you get.
Provider analysis
Sanitas Vital, Hospital Liberty, Medical Private — read
An advisor's contract-read of Sanitas Vital, the three Hospital Liberty tiers, and Medical Private — where the age-banded curve and underwriting become traps.
Health insurance
Swiss insurance for alternative medicine — what's covered
Basic KVG covers five MD-delivered complementary disciplines. Supplementary varies wildly — Concordia, Sympany, and others compared. Advisor's read for 2026.
3rd pillar & tax
Swiss 3rd pillar vs life insurance — when each fits
3a builds tax-advantaged retirement capital. Life insurance pays your dependents. The hybrid wraps both — when it fits, when it doesn't. An advisor's read.
Health insurance
Cheapest health insurance Switzerland 2026 — and what it actually saves
Basic insurance is identical at every insurer by law. What the cheapest-vs-average gap really saves in 2026, premiums by canton, and the levers that save more than switching.
Health insurance
Dental insurance in Switzerland — when it's worth it, when it isn't
Swiss KVG doesn't cover dental. Compare the best 2026 dental insurance plans for expats — coverage, providers, and expert recommendations.
Health insurance
Swiss insurance gym coverage — when CHF 1,300 pays back
SWICA reimburses up to CHF 1,300/yr for fitness, Helsana+ up to CHF 300, CSS via vouchers. Honest 2026 read on which fitness supplementary fits.
Health insurance
International insurance vs Swiss KVG — when IPMI fits
Most expats arrive with corporate IPMI thinking it replaces Swiss basic insurance. It usually doesn't. The five categories that can opt out, and when IPMI fits.
Health insurance
Swiss health insurance models — Hausarzt, HMO, Telmed, Pharmed
Most expats pick Standard and overpay every year. The 2026 read on KVG models — Hausarzt, HMO, Telmed, Pharmed — and which fits which life.
3rd pillar & tax
Leaving Switzerland — your pension withdrawal guide for 2026
Leaving Switzerland triggers 2nd-pillar and 3a withdrawal-tax decisions that vary by canton, destination treaty, and timing. The advisor's read for 2026.
Health insurance
Mental health services in Switzerland — insurance and English therapists
Mental health guide for expats in Switzerland: psychotherapy costs (CHF 200/session), insurance coverage rules, and how to find English-speaking therapists.
Maternity & family
Swiss maternity & newborn insurance — the prenatal deadline
Prenatal registration required for baby's Swiss supplementary insurance. Learn the deadline, coverage, and how to register before birth.
Health insurance
Are you overpaying on Swiss health insurance? 2026
Most expats overpay CHF 600–1,800 a year on Swiss health insurance because nobody audits the five things that matter. The 6-question diagnostic.
Health insurance
Pre-existing conditions and Swiss supplementary insurance
Swiss basic insurance accepts everyone. Supplementary doesn't. How the Art. 4 VVG underwriting works, what insurers ask, and the timing that decides coverage.
Health insurance
Swiss hospital insurance — semi-private vs private worldwide
What general ward gives, what Hospital Flex changes, the real difference between Semi-Private and Private at a Swiss clinic. SWICA, Helsana, Sanitas read.
Maternity & family
Swiss family Franchise — the CHF 1,000 cap most expats miss
Swiss law caps cost-sharing for 3+ children at the same insurer at CHF 1,000/year on default Franchise. How the cap works, when raising it backfires.
Health insurance
What changes in Swiss health insurance for 2027
Premium notices arrive in late September. Most readers panic-switch or do nothing. Both wrong. The calm read of what changes for 2027 and three levers.
Health insurance
Swiss health insurance cancellation — Nov 30, in writing
Nov 30 is the deadline most expats miss. The exact mechanics — letter, proof, registered mail — and the extraordinary right of cancellation.
Health insurance
Swiss telemedicine for expats — Telmed and English support
Medgate operates in English. Most Swiss insurers offer Telmed-model basic insurance with 8–15% premium discount. The 2026 read on when telemedicine fits.
Relocation
Zürich vs Zug — choosing where in Switzerland to land
Zurich vs Zug for expats: compare taxes (18% vs 12%), rent, jobs, schools & lifestyle. Data-driven guide to choosing your Swiss relocation destination.
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