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Pensionskasse Freelance
Trade union Syndicom established Pensionskasse Freelance in 1984 to close a gap: journalists, photographers, and other self-employed media workers had no...
Pensionskasse Freelance
Trade union Syndicom established Pensionskasse Freelance in 1984 to close a gap: journalists, photographers, and other self-employed media workers had no practical route into Switzerland's mandatory second pillar. Today the fund remains tightly bound to that mission, extending coverage to Impressum members — the independent journalists' association — and anyone doing freelancing in media and communications. The governing board is chaired by Christa Mutter, with day-to-day leadership passing from longtime Managing Director Rolf Müller to Oliver Eichenberger in July 2025. The portfolio runs a straightforward institutional mix that prioritizes liability-matching and steady accumulation. It holds global real assets through Testina Real Estate II, L.P., a mixed-use vehicle spanning multiple regions, and sustains a core allocation to Swisscanto sustainable and responsible funds. The overall strategy generated a 6.47% return in 2024 and lifted the funding ratio to 113.4%, a 2.4‑percentage-point improvement over the previous year. Members can point to a conversion rate of 5.2% at age 65, with all earnings insured from the first Swiss franc earned — a structural feature that removes the standard coordination deduction and distinctively boosts benefits for episodic earners. With roughly 820 insureds, PK Freelance runs on exceptionally lean administrative costs of CHF 271 per member, well below the Swiss average of CHF 330 reported in the 2025 Swisscanto pension study (per the firm, 2025). Annual contributions surpassed CHF 3.4 million in the 2024 cycle, and the trend is upward. While no additional offices exist, the fund participates in ASIP, the Swiss pension fund association, and in PK-Netz, a network for employee-side trustees. Eichenberger's appointment in July 2025 marks the first senior leadership transition in the fund's recent history. The fund's structural distinction is its seamless integration with a specific labor contract: it treats every employer engagement — no matter how small or temporary — as a pensionable event without a coordination offset. That design, combined with Syndicom's enduring sponsorship and direct billing arrangements with media houses, makes PK Freelance function less like an open-market pension provider and more like an embedded utility for a defined community of atypical workers.
General information
Firm type
Pension Fund
Year founded
1984
Location
Region
Europe
Country
Switzerland
City
Bern
Corporate office
Bern, Switzerland
Principals
Oliver Eichenberger
Managing Director
Christa Mutter
President of the Board of Trustees
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who runs investment decisions at Pensionskasse Freelance?
Day-to-day management sits with Managing Director Oliver Eichenberger, who assumed the role in July 2025. The Board of Trustees, chaired by Christa Mutter, sets the strategic asset allocation and oversees the fund's external mandates. Investment execution is delegated to institutional managers, with holdings publicly linked to Swisscanto sustainable funds and Testina real estate vehicles.
What is the investment strategy of Pensionskasse Freelance?
The fund pursues a traditional pension allocation designed to match long-dated liabilities with stable returns. Its disclosed portfolio includes global mixed-use real estate through Anlagestiftung Testina and a suite of Swisscanto sustainable and responsible funds covering Swiss equities and fixed income. In 2024 the mix delivered a 6.47% net return, lifting the funding ratio to 113.4% (per the firm, 2025).
How is Pensionskasse Freelance related to Syndicom?
Syndicom founded the pension fund in 1984 to provide a mandatory second pillar for freelancers in media and communications, a constituency that traditional employer-based schemes often exclude. The union continues to sponsor the fund, and membership is open to Syndicom members as well as members of the Impressum journalist association. The relationship gives PK Freelance a captive but growing risk pool of atypical workers.
Does Pensionskasse Freelance accept external institutional clients or co-investments?
No. PK Freelance is a closed occupational pension fund that exists solely to insure its designated member base — primarily freelance media workers, fixed-term contributors, and the self-employed within its sponsoring unions' scope. It does not market itself to third-party institutions or participate in general co-investment platforms.
What makes PK Freelance structurally different from a standard Swiss pension fund?
It eliminates the coordination deduction entirely, insuring every franc of eligible earnings from the first franc. This is unusual among Swiss second-pillar providers and particularly benefits freelancers with small or unpredictable incomes. The fund also embeds direct billing arrangements with media houses, reducing administrative friction for members who work for multiple employers.
What are the current financial health indicators for PK Freelance?
As of year-end 2024, the funding ratio stood at 113.4% — meaning assets exceed liabilities by 13.4 percentage points — up from 111.0% a year earlier (per the firm, 2025). The permanent conversion rate is 5.2% at age 65, member accounts were credited at 2.5% in 2024, and annual contributions inflow topped CHF 3.4 million.
Is Impressum's membership relationship identical to Syndicom's?
It is structurally similar but originates from a separate professional association. Impressum, the Swiss journalists' body, recommends PK Freelance as a pension vehicle for its independent members. The fund treats members from both organizations uniformly, applying the same insurance conditions and contribution rules to all freelance media professionals who join.
Profile maintained by Altss using OSINT (open-source intelligence), regulatory filings, licensed data partners, and verified direct submissions. Read the methodology. Last updated: . Continuous refresh with full update cycles at least every 30 days.
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