For families

The rule of thumb is to take out contents insurance if the value of your household goods exceeds CHF 10,000. It covers any damages to your own furnishings and any consequential costs caused by fire or other perils.

When you move in with your partner, it makes sense to replace your separate personal liability policies with a joint family or domestic partnership policy. This avoids redundant coverage.

One good way to save money is to lower your taxes with a 3a pension solution: you can deduct all annual contributions from your taxable income. In the process, you will be building up capital and setting aside money for retirement.

Your car insurance covers the financial consequences of any damage you inflict on other drivers, but not the costs of disputes. Drivers' legal protection insurance, however, will protect you in legal proceedings aimed at assigning fault.

Swiss couples spend an average of around CHF 25,000 on their wedding. No matter how perfect the preparations, though, something unforeseen may happen and require the wedding to be postponed. Zurich wedding insurance protects you from the financial consequences.

Married couples in gainful employment pay more in taxes than domestic partners with the same income. To combat this, you can sign up for a 3a pension solution since you can deduct annual contributions from your taxable income. At the same time, you will be building up capital and setting aside money for retirement.

An endowment insurance policy protects your family in case of disability or death. It also helps you save for retirement by accumulating capital.

Jewelry is usually only insured up to a certain amount, regardless of your sum insured. Insurance of valuables may be a good idea since it insures the full value of your jewelry and offers an additional coverage against damage or loss.

With an investment plan, you can jointly build up capital so you can maintain your standard of living after retirement. You can also withdraw the funds if you want to fulfill an expensive wish of your own, such as owning a home.

One-third of all disabled persons in Switzerland are children. Disability pensions for early disabled persons are not paid until the individual turns 18. It makes thus sense to think about an additional protection for your children.

Unfortunately, one of ten babies is born in less than perfect health. You can prevent serious gaps in your coverage by taking out health insurance before birth. That way, the insurance will unconditionally cover pre-existing illnesses or congenital disorders.

Pension planning for unmarried couples harbors risks – especially for the person who will be working less. In addition, the primary breadwinner has to shoulder more financial obligations, which increases the risk for the family in case of an accident or illness. Disability insurance gives your family financial security.

With an insurance savings plan, you can invest in your child's future from the start – and protect him or her from the financial consequences of disability. And if you include a premium waiver, you can still reach your child's savings target even if something were to happen to you.

If you are a homemaker, your disability or death can put an enormous financial burden on your family: in many cases, you will only qualify for the minimum disability benefits if you haven't taken out additional private insurance. You can effectively protect your family by taking out risk insurance to cover financial shortfalls in the event of death or disability.

Around half of all minors require dental braces, which tend to be very expensive. If you take out additional insurance early on, you can protect yourself from the high cost of orthodontic treatment. If you wait too long, you may be denied coverage completely or only receive coverage with certain exclusions since the risk of crooked teeth rises with the age of the child.

Hospitalization can be a frightening experience for children. If you stay with your child overnight, you will have to pay for the additional costs yourself – unless you have taken out a corresponding health insurance rider.

Buildings insurance is mandatory in almost every Swiss canton. The only exceptions are the "GUSTAVO" cantons: Geneva, Uri, Schwyz, Ticino, Appenzell Innerrhoden, Valais and Obwalden. In these cantons, you have to take the initiative in obtaining buildings insurance to cover damage caused by fire and natural hazards. Water damage is treated differently depending on the canton. No matter where your home is located, you should always check your insurance to find out exactly what is covered.

If a spouse has a fatal accident, ongoing home costs can easily exceed all the benefits paid by AHV, pension funds and accident insurance. An intelligent insurance solution, however, can protect your family from financial shortfalls.

Storms cause over CHF 300 million in damage in Switzerland every year, mainly due to flooding. It makes sense to check if your home is located in a flood zone so you can take precautions if needed. Zurich's exclusive Natural Hazard Radar lets you assess your personal risk situation free of charge.

Buildings insurance covers any damage to your home due to fire or natural hazards. Supplemental construction insurance covers damage sustained during construction, from sub-surface water running into the excavation pit to general water damage to theft from the construction site.

Children, unlike employees, are not covered under obligatory accident insurance, so accident coverage must be included with their health insurance. This will cover medical expenses after an accident. If, however, the accident has long-term consequences such as disability or death, you may end up with coverage gaps that you can fill by taking out personal accident insurance for children.

Simple theft – theft without the use of force – that occurs outside the home is not part of the basic coverage provided by most insurance policies. If you regularly leave your home with valuable items such as a smartphone or tablet, you should take out additional coverage for simple theft outside the home.

Regular home contents insurance often doesn't cover expensive bicycles because the standard coverage for simple theft outside the home is CHF 2,000. Zurich Bike Insurance covers bikes worth up to CHF 8,000 as well as any damage caused in a crash or similar situations.

The Swiss Federal Statistical Office states that almost 25% of young adults have taken out a loan. That underscores the importance of teaching sound financial skills at an early age. One useful tool is a flexible fund account into which part of your child's trainee wages are deposited regularly.

At the age of about seven, your child will be considered capable of making judgments and can therefore be held liable for damage and injuries inflicted on another person. This can run into the millions in extreme cases. Different family policies have different rules on the maximum age of coverage for children. By the time your child turns 18, however, you should check your insurance and, if necessary, take out a separate policy for your child.