Can I claim my uncle's pension money?

My uncle just died of cancer at age 53. He had no children and I am his next of kin. Most of his savings went into his pension fund, which he never got to enjoy. Can I claim his (substantial) pension savings as his inheritance?

Hi there,

While 3a retirement savings are generally distributed in keeping with Swiss inheritance rules, this does not hold true for 2a occupational pension fund savings.

Instead, pension funds follow similar inheritance rules to those applied to social security. A survivors pension is generally provided to the spouse or children of the deceased, but pension savings are not included in inheritance pools.

Some pension funds allow other beneficiaries to inherit pension savings. Others simply aborb pension savings into the pension fund when a participant dies without leaving a spouse or children.

Review your uncle's pension fund agreement or ask the pension fund directly to find out if their policies allow you to claim your uncle's pension savings.

Best regards from Moneyguru

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