Survey into investment risk
In April, we conducted a survey among a group of employees who participate in the pension scheme. This survey looked at how much risk they want to take with their pension capital on average and what they expect in terms of pension income. It is a legal requirement to conduct such an survey every few years. In addition, the investment form in which we invest as standard must be consistent with the results of the survey. We invest in the standard form of investment, unless you makes a different choice.
The survey showed that participants want to invest with slightly more risk on average, resulting in a higher ‘expected pension’. These changes will be implemented during the transition to the administration system of Zwitserleven PPI. Increased risk generally means a better result of the investments, which can lead to a higher expected pension in the long term. However, the chance of a lower pension also increases. If the investments disappoint, this can lead to a worse result for the investments and therefore a lower expected pension.
Investment forms
The investment forms are changing names and we are changing certain components.
Smart Standard investment form will become DynamischBeleggen
The Smart Standard is our standard form of investing. From the transfer to the administration of Zwitserleven PPI, this will become the investment form DynamischBeleggen. We will continue to invest in this on the basis of a lifecycle. A lifecycle is a specific composition of investments. With this composition, we invest less and less risky for you the closer you get to your retirement date. DynamischBeleggen yields a higher ‘expected pension’ than the Smart Standard, but is riskier. This means it is in line with the results of the investment risk survey. From now on, we will invest entirely in Zwitserleven funds.
Smart Investing will become ProfielBeleggen
You were previously able to switch to Smart Investing. This will become the investment form ProfielBeleggen. Just as with Smart Investing, you create a personal investor profile. This indicates how much risk you can and want to take. You then choose to invest in one of the corresponding lifecycles managed by Zwitserleven. From now on, we will invest entirely in Zwitserleven funds.
Self Investing will become VrijBeleggen
Does your pension scheme offer Self Investing and have you opted for this? Then you are personally responsible for the investments and you have to make choices independently. We are replacing Self Investing with VrijBeleggen. You also invest fully under your own responsibility in this investment form. We offer other funds with VrijBeleggen.
The Pension Stabiliser will lapse
Does your pension scheme offer the Pension Stabiliser? This investment form will lapse. If it is 15 years or less until your state pension date, you will soon be able to opt for PensioenZekerheid. With PensioenZekerheid, you can use part of your capital to purchase a guaranteed retirement pension and partner's pension with Zwitserleven.
You can read more about this on our website.
Important: choosing a new investment form
Are you currently investing in Smart Investing, Self Investing or the Pension Stabiliser? You will receive additional information this week. In it, we ask you to choose an investment form again. Your choice will then apply from the transition to the administration system of Zwitserleven PPI. We are making an online tool available (in Dutch and in English) to help you choose a new investment form. This is done via a questionnaire and supporting information. We call this a ‘transition preference survey’. We organise this survey in cooperation with an independent consultancy. It is important that you make a well-considered choice for an investment form. Do you not make a choice? In that case, we will invest for you in the standard investment form DynamischBeleggen from the date of the transfer.
How does it work?
You have until the end of August 2024 to submit your choice. This choice will then apply from the transition to the new administration system. We advise you to use a computer or laptop.
- Go to link and log in with your personal code.
- You choose a preferred language (Dutch or English).
- You will receive an explanation.
- You make your choice: DynamischBeleggen, ProfielBeleggen or VrijBeleggen. VrijBeleggen is only possible if your pension scheme currently offers Self Investing.
- If you choose ProfielBeleggen or VrijBeleggen, we will ask you to determine your investor profile. This indicates how much risk you can and want to take.
- If you choose VrijBeleggen, you are personally responsible for the investments. We therefore ask in which funds that Zwitserleven offers you would like to invest.
- You confirm your choice.
Do you not make a choice?
In that case, we will invest for you in the standard investment form DynamischBeleggen from the date of the transfer. This may not or may not be a good fit for the risk you want and are able to take.
With DynamischBeleggen, we invest for you on the basis of a lifecycle. A lifecycle is a specific composition of investments. With this composition, we invest less and less risky for you the closer you get to your retirement age. In doing so, we take into account the risk that the participants want and are able to take on average
PensioenZekerheid
We will offer PensioenZekerheid as from the transfer. PensioenZekerheid may be appropriate for you if you consider certainty about your pension important and you do not want to run any investment risks. With PensioenZekerheid, your pension capital will no longer be invested.
With PensioenZekerheid, you can use part of your capital to purchase a guaranteed retirement pension and partner's pension starting at 15 years before the state pension date. You will then receive this guaranteed amount in pension income every month from your retirement date. We call this a deferred fixed pension. You decide when and how often you will convert a fixed amount of your pension capital into a guaranteed pension.
Good to know:
PensioenZekerheid is not an investment form
PensioenZekerheid is not an investment form, but an option you can choose from in all forms of investment: DynamischBeleggen, ProfielBeleggen and VrijBeleggen.
Investing
With the part of your pension capital that has been converted into a guaranteed retirement pension and partner's pension, you can no longer invest or buy a variable pension later.
Investing in Zwitserleven funds
We invest fully in Zwitserleven funds if you are going to invest in DynamischBeleggen or ProfielBeleggen. Together with our asset managers, we invest pension contributions with a focus on financial return and sustainability. One of the changes is that investments will henceforth comply with stricter sustainability requirements. We tell you more about the sustainable investment policy for your pension scheme on our website zwitserleven.nl/beleggingsbeleid. We do this in accordance with the European rules for providing information on sustainability in the financial sector.
Have you brought forward or postponed your retirement age?
Your standard retirement age is the age at which you retire under the pension scheme. You are not obliged to retire at this retirement age. You can also retire earlier or later. In your participant portal, it was possible to adjust your standard retirement age to a desired retirement age. You have opted for this in the past.
Are you currently investing via the Smart Standard or Smart Investing? Then we are now taking into account the early or deferred retirement age. This means that we are investing less and less risky for you the closer you get to your desired retirement age. After the transition to the new administration system, it is no longer possible for us to take account of a desired retirement age in your investments. Your investments are based on the standard retirement age in your scheme. This means that the composition of your investments will change.
Are you investing in the Smart Standard?
If so, the change in your investments coincides with the transition to DynamischBeleggen. In MijnZwitserleven – the new personal environment – you can view your investments after the transition to the new administration system and adjust the investment form if desired.
Are you investing in Smart Investing?
Then, as explained above, you can submit a choice for a new investment form before the transition to the new administration system. The change in your investments will then be implemented on the date of the transition to the new administration system.
Adjusting the retirement date
You can bring forward or postpone the date on which you actually wish to start your pension. Contact Zwitserleven if:
- you wish to bring forward or postpone your retirement date; and
- you wish to and are able to retire within 5 years.
We can then provide you with further information and adjust the retirement date. We will then use the adjusted retirement date when calculating your pension overview (UPO). Your investments may be adjusted as a result.
Change in existing investments temporarily not possible
We are busy with all preparations in the coming period. It is therefore not possible to report a change in the existing investments through your participants’ portal until the transition. Until 28 August 2024, you will still be able to notify us of other changes, such as adjusting the additional contributions and signing up or signing out of any supplementary surviving dependants’ benefit shortfall insurance. After 28 August, you can also temporarily no longer communicate these changes.
After the transition to the new administration system, you can pass on all changes again. Only then via MijnZwitserleven – your new personal environment. We expect the transition to the new administration system to be completed in the second half of September. We will inform you about this at the beginning of September