Your second pillar is a black box
Pension certificate3 key lines
- 1Projected capital at 65
- 2Conversion rate
- 3Maximum buy-back
Most people never read past the first line.
ARIF member · anti-money-laundering SRO · Lausanne
4 client reviews
“No broken promises — a clear and realistic opinion.”
Thirty minutes to see clearly where your Swiss finances stand.
A free call with Steve Léchaire — banking economist, twenty years at UBS, in insurance and real estate.
- A straight read on your pension, mortgage and savings
- What to fix first, what it is worth, what it costs
- If there is nothing worth doing, you will hear that too
No documents needed
No obligation
Personal reply within 1 working day
4 client reviews“No broken promises — a clear and realistic opinion.”
Hi, I’m Steve.
Tell me what you would like to sort out.
Steve Léchaire
Supervised, affiliated and rooted in Vaud
Why people call
Swiss finance rewards the prepared. Most people improvise.
Your mortgage runs on inertia
Extra interest, cumulated10 years
CHF 20,000
+0.25 points on CHF 800,000 = CHF 2,000 a year.
Renewals get signed because the letter arrived.
Cash is a decision nobody made
Real value of CHF 100,00010 years
CHF 94,199−5.8%
At 0.1% interest and an assumed 0.7% inflation.
Savings at a fraction of a percent are not neutral.
Pension check · official 2026 figures
What would pillars 1 and 2 pay you at 65?
Move the slider to your gross salary.
Checked against federal law, the BSV pension scale 44 and the Vaud AVS office — 7 Oct 202640k90k150k250k
Yearly gap to an 80% income target
CHF 36,438
≈ CHF 3,037 per month in retirement
- Pillar 1 · AHV/AVS
- CHF 32,760 CHF 2,520 × 13
- Pillar 2 · BVG/LPP minimum
- CHF 26,802
- Gap to close
- CHF 36,438
Pillars 1 + 2 as a share of salary49.6%
Pillars 1 + 2
80% target
≈60% aim
Gap
Drag across the chart
Sources & assumptions
Official sources
Assumptions
- Single person, complete contribution record, retirement at 65.
- Average lifetime income equals today’s salary.
- AHV: monthly pension × 13.
- BVG: legal minimum only.
- 80% is a planning target; ≈60% is the usual reading of the legal aim.
- General information, not tax, legal or pension advice.
- From 2027 AHV pensions rise; ask your AVS office for an official estimate.
What I do
Four areas, one view of your finances
Many advisors start from a product range.
Pension & retirement planning
A full read of pillars 1, 2 and 3.
- Pension gap and early-retirement scenarios
- Pillar 3a strategy and LPP buy-backs
- Capital versus annuity at retirement
Mortgage financing
Terms, structure and timing — negotiated.
- Affordability and equity before you make an offer
- Lender comparison, fixed and SARON tranches
- Indirect amortisation through pillar 3a
Investments
A portfolio built around your horizon.
- Classic wealth management
- Private markets: equity, credit, real estate
- Selected alternatives through specialised partners
Financial coaching
Fix the mechanics first.
- Budget, debt and cash-flow repair
- Insurance review — what you pay for twice
- A savings plan that survives real life
How it works
Three steps. The first one costs nothing.
Clarity call
Video or phone.
30 min · freeAnalysis & written plan
One document.
1–2 weeksImplementation with partners & annual review
I coordinate with the partners.
Ongoing
Why a personal advisor
Same questions. A different set-up.
Advice tied to one institution
Range considered
Mostly one institution’s range
Several providers compared
Mortgage offers
Usually one lender
Several lenders compared
Pension, mortgage, investments
Often handled by different specialists
One view, one written plan
Your contact
May change over time
Steve, from first call to annual review
Remuneration
Varies — ask how your advisor is paid
Disclosed before you decide, including any third-party compensation
Languages
Depends on the office
English, French, Portuguese
A general comparison of two set-ups, not a judgement on any bank.
20+years in Swiss finance
Steve LéchaireFounder · Romanel-sur-Lausanne
A word from Steve
You will speak to me.
I spent twenty years on the other side of the desk.
I explain first, then we decide together.
Steve Léchaire
Founder · Banking economist dipl. ES · ARIF member
20+years: UBS, insurance, real estate
3languages: EN, FR, PT
4areas, one point of contact
30′first call, free
Client reviews
What clients say after the first conversation
4 reviews · named clients, unpaid
Leaving Switzerland · 2nd pillar & mortgage
“Being by nature rather wary, I was delighted…”
Thierry DelacotteClient
“Together we were also able to find the best provider for the renewal of my mortgage.”
“He takes the time to clearly explain each option.”
“Tangible, sustainable and authentic assets that combine tradition and innovation.”
Reviews as published on avantgarde-investment.ch — extracts; full reviews on the website.
Beyond the bank
Secure the core first. Then diversify beyond listed markets.
For clients whose core is settled.
ForestryWhisky & rum casksFilm productionPrivate equity & creditSwiss real estateInternational propertyMedicalised roomsMaritimeCrypto assets
Alternative investments are illiquid and can lose value.
Explore all 17 investment solutions→
01Secure pension, reserves and property financing
02Build a diversified, liquid core portfolio
03Add satellites — only if suitable, only a share
After your request
Three proposed times within one working day
The answers tell me what to prepare.
You will speak with Steve directlyNo call centre, no junior advisor.Replies within 1 working day
What happens in the 30 minutes
10′You describe your situation
10′I tell you what I would look at first
5′What it is worth, what it costs
5′You decide.
“He takes the time to clearly explain each investment option.”Nicolas Lecocq
Free guide · not ready to talk yet?
Start with the map.
Fourteen pages that explain the Swiss system once, properly.
- 01The three pillars on one page
- 02How to read your pension certificate
- 03Pillar 3a: limits, tax effect, withdrawal
- 04Five decisions that are hard to reverse
- 05Arriving in and leaving Switzerland: a checklist
Before you book
The questions people actually ask
Is the first call really free?
Yes.
How is AvantGarde organised?
ARIF (AML), not supervised by FINMA, Ombud Finance Suisse.
How are you paid?
Fee or disclosed commission.
I am not Swiss, or I am leaving Switzerland. Can you help?
That is a large part of the practice.
Is there a minimum amount?
Not for the call.
Thirty minutes now, or another year of improvising.
The call costs nothing.
Book your free call with Steve→
Imprint
Imprint
Operator
AvantGarde Investment Solutions & Consulting, Steve Léchaire Sole proprietorship Chemin des Biolles 4b 1032 Romanel-sur-Lausanne Switzerland
Owner and responsible for content
Steve Léchaire Phone +41 79 607 63 50 [email protected]
Commercial register
Registered in the commercial register of the Canton of Vaud UID: CHE-321.157.442
Self-regulation
Member of ARIF — Association Romande des Intermédiaires Financiers, a self-regulatory organisation recognised by FINMA for the prevention of money laundering (www.arif.ch). AvantGarde itself is not supervised by FINMA.
Ombudsman
Ombud Finance Suisse (OFS) Boulevard des Tranchées 16 1206 Geneva www.ombudfinance.ch — free of charge for clients
Hosting and images
Hosting: Infomaniak Network SA, Rue Eugène-Marziano 25, 1227 Geneva, Switzerland. Images: AvantGarde Investment and licensed image sources. Logos of associations are shown with reference to the respective membership or affiliation.
Privacy policy
Privacy policy
How AvantGarde handles personal data — version October 2026.
1. Controller
AvantGarde Investment Solutions & Consulting, Steve Léchaire (sole proprietorship), Chemin des Biolles 4b, 1032 Romanel-sur-Lausanne, Switzerland · [email protected] · +41 79 607 63 50. Requests about data protection can be sent to this address.
2. Scope and legal framework
This policy covers personal data processed through this website and in contact with us. It is based on the Swiss Federal Act on Data Protection (FADP) and, where applicable, the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
3. Data we process
Form and booking requests: name, email address, phone or WhatsApp number (optional), preferred language, the answers you select and your consent. Guide requests: email address, edition language and consent. With every form we also receive the page it was sent from, the time and the wording of the consent you gave, and — if you arrived through an advertisement or a link with campaign parameters — those parameters (for example utm_source or an ad click identifier), so that we know which campaign brought the request. If you use a lead form inside Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn, the platform collects the data you enter there and passes it on to us. Correspondence: the content of emails, messages and calls. If a client relationship follows: the information you give us about your situation. Server logs: IP address, date and time, page requested and browser, processed by the hosting provider for security and operation.
4. Purposes and legal bases
Answering your request, scheduling and preparing the call (pre-contractual steps, Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR); sending the guide and occasional letters (consent, Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR — you can unsubscribe at any time); operating and securing the website (legitimate interest, Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR); complying with legal duties, in particular anti-money-laundering due diligence (Art. 6(1)(c) GDPR). Under the FADP, processing is based on these same purposes, communicated here.
5. Disclosure to partners
Your data is passed to a partner institution (for example an asset manager, lender or insurer) only with your explicit consent and only to the partner you have chosen. The partner then processes the data as an independent controller under its own privacy policy.
6. Service providers
We use carefully selected providers that process data on our behalf under contract — hosting (Infomaniak, Switzerland) and email, CRM and calendar services. They may use the data only on our instructions. A current list is available on request.
7. Transfers abroad
We store data primarily in Switzerland. If a provider processes data in another country, this happens only where the Federal Council recognises adequate protection or with appropriate safeguards such as standard contractual clauses. If you choose to contact us via WhatsApp or through a lead form on Facebook or Instagram, data is also processed by Meta Platforms, including in the USA; for lead forms on LinkedIn, by LinkedIn, including in the USA. The platforms’ own privacy policies apply in addition.
8. Cookies, storage and fonts
This website uses no tracking, analytics or advertising cookies. Your browser’s local storage is used only to remember your language and, on the expat page, your checklist progress — on your device only; you can delete it in your browser settings. Session storage keeps campaign parameters from the link you arrived with until you close the tab, so they can be sent with a form you choose to submit. Fonts are hosted on our own server, so loading the pages does not connect you to third-party font services.
9. Links and social media
Links to LinkedIn, Instagram, ARIF, Ombud Finance Suisse and other websites are plain links. No data is transmitted to these providers until you click; their own privacy policies then apply.
10. Retention
Requests that do not lead to a client relationship are deleted once they are no longer needed for that purpose. Newsletter data is kept until you unsubscribe. Client files subject to anti-money-laundering due diligence are kept for ten years after the end of the business relationship, as required by law. Server logs are deleted after a short period.
11. Security
Data is transmitted in encrypted form (TLS). Access is limited to the persons who need it, and we take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect it.
12. Your rights
You can request access to your data, correction, deletion, restriction of processing or a copy in a common format, object to processing and withdraw consent at any time — by email to the address above. You may lodge a complaint with the Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner (FDPIC), Feldeggweg 1, 3003 Bern, or with a supervisory authority in your EU country of residence.
13. Automated decisions
We make no automated individual decisions and do not use profiling. Automated spam filters may discard form submissions that show the signs of a bot. The calculators on this website run in your browser; their inputs are not stored or transmitted.
14. Changes
We may update this policy. The version published on this website applies. Version: October 2026.
Disclaimer
Disclaimer & legal notice
Role of AvantGarde
AvantGarde Investment Solutions & Consulting acts as a consultant and intermediary. It is a member of ARIF, an association and self-regulatory organisation for the prevention of money laundering, and is not supervised by FINMA. AvantGarde does not manage assets, does not hold or receive client funds or securities, and does not grant loans.
Regulated services by partners
Portfolio management, investment advice on financial instruments, mortgage financing, insurance and investment products are provided exclusively by licensed or certified partner institutions, which are responsible for their services, their information duties and any suitability or appropriateness assessment. Contracts are concluded directly between you and the partner. AvantGarde does not provide investment advice on financial instruments within the meaning of the Swiss Financial Services Act (FinSA).
Remuneration and conflicts of interest
AvantGarde may be paid by a fee agreed in advance or receive commissions or other compensation from partners. Their type and amount — or the method of calculation — are disclosed to you before you decide, and further details are available on request. This can create conflicts of interest, which AvantGarde manages through disclosure and by presenting several options where available.
No offer, no personal recommendation
The content of these pages is general information and marketing communication. It is not an offer, a solicitation or a personal recommendation to buy or sell financial instruments or to conclude any contract, and it does not take your personal circumstances into account. Product information comes from the respective partners; documentation, costs and risks are provided by them.
No tax or legal advice
Statements on taxes, pensions and law are general and simplified. They do not replace individual tax or legal advice, which should be obtained from a qualified specialist before any decision.
Risks
Investments carry risks, including the partial or total loss of capital. Alternative and private investments are often illiquid, difficult to value and not covered by deposit protection. Past performance and projections are not a reliable indicator of future results.
Calculators
Calculators are simplified illustrations based on the stated assumptions and on legal parameters valid in 2026. They are not projections, offers or guarantees. Official figures from your AVS compensation office, your pension fund or your lender always prevail.
Client reviews
Reviews reflect the individual experience of the persons quoted. They are not representative and are no guarantee of a particular result.
Liability
AvantGarde compiles this information with care but gives no warranty as to its accuracy, completeness or timeliness. To the extent permitted by law, AvantGarde excludes liability for any loss arising from the use of these pages or from reliance on their content, including information provided by partners. Links to third-party websites are provided for convenience; their content is the responsibility of their operators.
Persons outside Switzerland
These pages are intended for persons domiciled in Switzerland. They are not directed at persons in jurisdictions where their publication or the services described are not permitted, in particular US persons. Some solutions may not be available to every client.
Copyright
Texts, images and logos belong to AvantGarde or its partners. Any reproduction requires prior written consent. Partner and association logos are shown with reference to the respective membership or affiliation.
Applicable law and jurisdiction
Swiss law applies. The place of jurisdiction is Lausanne, subject to mandatory statutory places of jurisdiction. Clients may also refer disputes to the Ombud Finance Suisse ombudsman free of charge.