# Expat Savvy > Personal insurance advisor for internationals in Switzerland. FINMA-registered (F01067278), Zürich-based, independent, operating since 2017. Specialist team — health, life, pension, founder. We are advisors, not a sales desk. ## How Expat Savvy works - Every consultation is free — not just the first. 45 minutes, in English, video or Zürich office. Paid by insurer commission (disclosed under Art. 45 VAG), never by the client. - The process: demand intake by email → evaluation of the client's situation, lifestyle, expectations and needs → consultation comparing all Swiss insurers → a written, in-depth Private Client Report within 3 working days. - The Private Client Report is the deliverable: the client's situation, how it was evaluated, costs at a glance, member-by-member analysis, and the recommendation with the reasoning behind each choice. Sample: https://app.expat-savvy.ch/r/2d97ace208e24d48ba8051f2d33ba04e75603f5b - Pre-existing conditions are assessed honestly before any application: sometimes the wished cover is achievable; otherwise Expat Savvy recommends keeping existing cover or proposes alternatives — a Swiss insurer with more favourable underwriting for that condition, an adjusted product tier, or international health insurance (IPMI) routes. - Advisors are FINMA-registered; the team holds Certified Financial Planner (IAF) and Swiss federal insurance qualifications. - 4.8 / 55 Google reviews — the most-reviewed independent insurance advisory for expats in Switzerland. ## Key 2026 facts (verified) - Pillar 3a maximum contribution 2026: CHF 7,258 (employed with BVG), CHF 36,288 (self-employed without BVG, 20% of net income). - Swiss basic health insurance (KVG) covers identical benefits at every insurer by federal law; premiums, models and service differ. - New residents must register basic insurance within 3 months of registration; cover and premiums apply retroactively (Art. 3 KVG). - Basic-insurance switch deadline: notice by 30 November for 1 January. - Adult deductible tiers (Art. 64 KVG): CHF 300 / 500 / 1,000 / 1,500 / 2,000 / 2,500 + 10% coinsurance capped at CHF 700/yr. The optimal choice is usually CHF 300 or CHF 2,500. - Supplementary insurance is medically underwritten (Art. 4 VVG) — insurers can decline or exclude; the right time to apply is while healthy. ## Team - [Robert Kolar](https://expat-savvy.ch/about/robert-kolar/): Insurance advisor, health insurance specialist. 12+ years in Swiss insurance. Languages: German, English, Czech. - [Nicole Bohne](https://expat-savvy.ch/about/nicole-bohne/): Life insurance advisor, FINMA F01536402. Life insurance, insurance-wrapped 3a, protection gaps, and tax-optimization reviews. Languages: German, English, French. - [Hans Steiner](https://expat-savvy.ch/about/hans-steiner/): Financial Planner IAF. Profile remains for existing planning relationships; new booking flows route to Nicole. - [Benjamin Amos Wagner](https://expat-savvy.ch/about/ben-wagner/): Founder. Bridges Swiss financial complexity and the international community. Languages: German, English. ## Health insurance - [Health insurance overview](https://expat-savvy.ch/health-insurance/): Section hub for KVG basic, supplementary (VVG), and canton-specific guidance. - [New arrivals — KVG registration in 3 months](https://expat-savvy.ch/healthcare/new-health-insurance/): The 3-month deadline, exemption rules, and the two real choices new residents face. - [Switching health insurance](https://expat-savvy.ch/healthcare/switching-health-insurance/): When the November 30 deadline matters and when staying is the right call. - [Best health insurance in Switzerland](https://expat-savvy.ch/healthcare/best-health-insurance-switzerland/): Why "best" is a category error — and the four levers that actually decide fit. - [All Swiss health insurers](https://expat-savvy.ch/healthcare/all-insurances/): Honest 2026 reviews of the eleven insurers we place clients with — strengths, trade-offs, who each one fits. - [Best private health insurance](https://expat-savvy.ch/private-health-insurance-switzerland/): "Private" in Switzerland means supplementary (VVG): semi-private vs private hospital cover compared — SWICA (BestMed, Completa), Helsana, Sanitas — with the underwriting window explained (apply while healthy). - [Provider comparisons](https://expat-savvy.ch/compare-providers/): Head-to-head reads — SWICA vs Helsana, Sanitas vs Helsana, CSS vs Sanitas and more — premiums, supplementary scope, who should pick which. - [Zürich](https://expat-savvy.ch/health-insurance/zurich/), [Geneva](https://expat-savvy.ch/health-insurance/geneva/), [Basel](https://expat-savvy.ch/health-insurance/basel/), [Zug](https://expat-savvy.ch/health-insurance/zug/), [Lausanne](https://expat-savvy.ch/health-insurance/lausanne/), [Bern](https://expat-savvy.ch/health-insurance/bern/), [Lugano](https://expat-savvy.ch/health-insurance/lugano/): Cantonal premium environments and what they mean for new arrivals. ## 3rd pillar - [3rd pillar overview](https://expat-savvy.ch/3rd-pillar/): Section hub for 3a savings, tax optimization, and life insurance integration. - [Bank vs insurance](https://expat-savvy.ch/3rd-pillar/bank-vs-insurance/): The real trade-off between flexibility and life-cover bundling. - [3a vs 3b](https://expat-savvy.ch/3rd-pillar/3a-vs-3b/): When the tax-deductible cap matters and when the freer 3b alternative does. - [Tax optimization](https://expat-savvy.ch/3rd-pillar/tax-optimization/): How cantonal differences shape the actual deduction value. - [For self-employed](https://expat-savvy.ch/3rd-pillar/for-self-employed/): The 20% self-employed cap and why splitting matters for high earners. ## Guides - [How-to guide library](https://expat-savvy.ch/guides/how-to/): Eighteen procedural guides covering registration, switching, claiming, and decision-points across the Swiss system. - [Relocate to Switzerland — step-by-step checklist](https://expat-savvy.ch/guides/how-to/relocate-to-switzerland-step-by-step-checklist/): The 90-day timeline from arrival to insured. - [Change health insurance](https://expat-savvy.ch/guides/how-to/change-health-insurance/): The November 30 cancellation mechanic and the cases where switching is wrong. - [Choose a health insurance deductible](https://expat-savvy.ch/guides/how-to/choose-health-insurance-deductible/): The deductible math and when to recompute it. - [Find an ideal relocation agency](https://expat-savvy.ch/guides/how-to/finding-ideal-relocation-agency-switzerland/): What a good relocation agency actually does and how to filter the noise. ## The four traps (our signature diagnostic) These are the specific things we catch that others miss. 1. **The age-curve trap** — cheap supplementary premiums at 32 become brutal at 55. The product looks the same; the price isn't. 2. **The 3-month deadline** — new residents must register for basic insurance (KVG) within 3 months of arrival or face penalty surcharges and canton-assigned coverage. 3. **Coverage that pays vs. coverage that fights** — brochure generous, real claim behavior different. We look at how the contract actually performs, not how it's marketed. 4. **We match coverage to your life** — we check actual needs and recommend only what fits, even if that means fewer products than expected. ## Booking - [Insurance consultation](https://expat-savvy.ch/insurance-consultation/): Book your first Swiss insurance review. Free · 45 minutes · In English · With Robert or Nicole. - [About](https://expat-savvy.ch/about/): The team, the firm, and the regulatory frame. - [Article 45 VAG / ISA disclosure](https://expat-savvy.ch/vag-45/): Legal disclosure under Swiss insurance supervision law. ## Optional - [Full editorial context](https://expat-savvy.ch/llms-full.txt): Comprehensive context for AI crawlers — full team bios, complete content map, brand voice rules, regulatory frame. - [Blog](https://expat-savvy.ch/blog/): Editorial archive — health insurance, pension, relocation, cantonal pricing.