Annual Savings Check for Switzerland Residents

1. When to do the annual check

The best time for a costs review is just before your health insurance re-enrolment deadline (end of November), since that is your only guaranteed annual switching window for health insurance. Use that moment to review all other regular costs at the same time.

Block one to two hours in October or November. The goal is to list all your regular bills, check whether cheaper or better alternatives exist, and decide what to switch.

2. Mobile & internet

Mobile and home internet are two areas where the Swiss market changes frequently and where switching is relatively easy. Questions to ask:

• Are you still on the same plan you signed up with when you first arrived?
• Is your data allowance matched to what you actually use?
• Have you compared prices on Salt, Sunrise, Swisscom, Wingo, yallo, or Spusu in the past 12 months?
• Do you have a separate home internet contract, or could a combined mobile + home offer work better?

See our guide to switching mobile or internet provider for the practical steps.

3. Insurance

Health insurance (Grundversicherung) can be switched every year. The deadline to cancel is 30 November for a change effective 1 January. To compare:

• Use the official federal comparison tool at priminfo.admin.ch
• Check whether your chosen franchise (deductible) still fits your health situation
• Review supplementary (Zusatzversicherung) coverage: are you paying for benefits you don't use?
• Check household and liability (Hausrat + Haftpflicht) premiums on comparis.ch

4. Subscriptions & memberships

List all recurring monthly or annual charges. Common items to review:

• Streaming services: how many do you actively use?
• GA (Generalabonnement) or Half-Fare card: does your travel pattern still justify the cost?
• Gym membership: any cheaper municipal or corporate alternatives?
• Professional memberships: are you getting value from them?

Cancel anything you haven't used in the past two months.

5. Banking

Swiss banking costs can be significant, especially for newcomers who started with a full-service account. Regularly review:

• Monthly account fees
• Foreign transaction fees (if you travel or send money abroad)
• Currency exchange rates on card payments
• Savings account interest — Swiss digital banks sometimes offer meaningfully higher rates than traditional banks

6. How to act on findings

Once you have identified areas to change:

1. Note the notice periods for each contract (typically 30–60 days for telecoms, 30 November for health insurance)
2. Send cancellations in writing (email or registered letter depending on the provider)
3. Only cancel once you have confirmed a new contract, to avoid coverage gaps
4. Set a calendar reminder for next year's check

See our switching guide for telecom-specific steps.