A fund-linked insurance is a life or pension policy whose value is tied directly to the performance of the funds you choose yourself. Your contribution, after costs, buys units in those funds and ETFs. The units form the Anlagestock, which we hold separately from our other assets, and their number and price make up your policy value. You therefore share directly in the funds' performance, upward and downward. During the accumulation phase there is no Abgeltungsteuer and no Vorabpauschale, unlike a fund or ETF brokerage account.

You can change the investment strategy during the term, for future contributions (Switch) or for capital already invested (Shift). At the end there is either a lump sum or, depending on the product, a lifelong annuity based on the value then available. If the insured person dies before that, the agreed death benefit falls due. We offer these solutions as Liechtenstein Life Invest, Liechtenstein Life Pension (Basisrente/Rürup), Liechtenstein Life Wealth and Prosperity Plus.

It depends on your goal. For retirement with state support, Liechtenstein Life Pension (Basisrente/Rürup) is ideal, especially for the self-employed and high earners (§ 10 (1) no. 2 EStG). For wealth building and succession planning: Liechtenstein Life Invest and Liechtenstein Life Wealth. An intermediary can guide your choice.

The costs consist of the policy's acquisition and administration costs, the fund costs (TER) of the funds you choose, and the costs of included risk cover and guarantees. You receive a full cost overview in a conversation with an intermediary. The offer states the costs as a percentage reduction in return. The actual amount depends on the product, its configuration and your situation.

The Basisrente (Rürup) such as Liechtenstein Life Pension is state-subsidised. Contributions are deductible as special expenses up to the annual maximum (§ 10 (1) no. 2 EStG). The payout is exclusively a lifelong annuity with deferred taxation – a lump-sum payout is not possible. Private fund-linked pension insurances such as Liechtenstein Life Invest offer the choice between annuity and lump-sum payout: on lump sum the Halbeinkünfteverfahren (12/62 rule) applies, on annuity the favourable Ertragsanteilbesteuerung.

The fund-linked insurance is more tax-efficient over the long term. No Vorabpauschale, no Abgeltungsteuer on fund switches. Because gains are not taxed during the accumulation phase, you benefit from the full compounding effect on the entire capital. For private, non-subsidised contracts, the Halbeinkünfteverfahren applies on lump-sum payout after 12 years and from age 62, and the favourable Ertragsanteilbesteuerung on annuity payout. For the Basisrente, deferred taxation applies instead. In a direct brokerage account, gains and reallocations are taxed immediately (25 % Abgeltungsteuer + solidarity surcharge + church tax where applicable), which erodes compounding every year. In addition, only an insurance can pay out capital as a lifelong annuity and hedge longevity risk. Death benefit and, depending on the product, disability cover can be integrated directly into the contract. Product costs apply in return. Withdrawal flexibility depends on the product: Liechtenstein Life Invest and Liechtenstein Life Wealth allow flexible capital withdrawals, while the Basisrente (Liechtenstein Life Pension) is designed for a lifelong annuity as state-subsidised retirement provision.

The Halbeinkünfteverfahren (§ 20 (1) no. 6 EStG) applies on lump-sum payout from fund-linked life and pension insurances with at least 12 years' term and payout from age 62. Only half of the gain is then taxed at your personal income tax rate. If the 12/62 conditions are not met, regular taxation applies (25 % Abgeltungsteuer + solidarity surcharge + church tax where applicable). Those who choose an annuity payout from a private, non-subsidised contract benefit from the Ertragsanteilbesteuerung: only a small, age-dependent share of the annuity is taxable (e.g. 17 % at retirement age 67). Liechtenstein Life Invest offers both payout forms. Liechtenstein Life Wealth provides lump-sum payout only, Liechtenstein Life Pension a lifelong annuity only, taxed on a deferred basis.

Yes. Switch (changing the fund selection for future contributions) and shift (reallocating existing fund assets) are tax-neutral across all Liechtenstein Life insurance solutions. No fund switch triggers Abgeltungsteuer, unlike a direct brokerage account. The number of free switches per year varies by product. See the respective product terms. More on the available funds on the fund overview.

Yes. You can raise or lower the contribution at a contribution due date, with a product-specific minimum remaining after a reduction. Top-ups are possible. You can pause payments for a limited period, its length depending on the product and any riders, and resume afterwards without a new health assessment. Alternatively you can make the policy fully or partly contribution-free.

Early exit differs by solution. Liechtenstein Life Invest, Liechtenstein Life Wealth and Prosperity Plus can be cancelled at any time in writing, in full or in part, and the surrender value is paid out less the cancellation fee and a statutory deduction for taxes and levies (§ 169 (5) sentence 1 VVG). The Basisrente (Rürup) Liechtenstein Life Pension cannot be surrendered by law: cancelling converts the contract into a contribution-free policy, and the capital is annuitised from age 62 at the earliest. The capital can be transferred to another Basisrente contract where the providers cooperate.

With Liechtenstein Life Invest, Liechtenstein Life Wealth and Prosperity Plus you name the beneficiaries freely (Bezugsrecht). If the insured person dies, the death benefit is paid to them and the contract ends. It is at least the policy value accumulated, and a higher individual death benefit can be agreed. Structured accordingly, the payment falls outside probate.

Liechtenstein Life Wealth can additionally cover two insured persons and carry a Termfix date, on which the benefit falls due later rather than at death. The Basisrente (Rürup) Liechtenstein Life Pension works differently: the eligible beneficiaries are limited by law to a spouse or registered partner and children entitled to Kindergeld, and the benefit is paid as a survivors' annuity, for life to a partner and for the period of entitlement to children. Alternatively it can be transferred to another certified Basisrente contract. Where there are no eligible survivors, the benefit passes to the community of insured rather than into the estate.