“Various ambiguities need to be resolved to ensure a balanced transition” With the introduction of the new Dutch pension law, current pension entitlements must be converted into defined contribution schemes before 2028. This is a delicate process because the new law requires a fair transition; in other words, the distribution of risks and benefits should be fair across generations. Therefore, the default for pension…

“Discovering sustainability preferences with an investment game” Pension funds increasingly want to know exactly what their participants’ preferences are. To find out how sustainable customers really want to invest, this paper discusses the investment game. Participants reveal their real preferences for SRI during the game. 3,700 customers of a British pension fund participated in the investment game. Participants were given £1,000 to invest, choosing…

“Pension participants must be able to trust parties that communicate with them.” Often pension providers, employers or the government inform participants and support them in making pension decisions. This involves complex matter, which means participants must be able to trust those parties. In this paper, we conducted 46 in-depth interviews with participants, consultants and advisors to identify different factors underlying trust that play a…

Did the financial performance of pension funds due to the financial crisis affect trust in pension funds? And does our age, birth cohort or the business cycle affect it too? In this paper, we analyze the effect of exogenous shocks in terms of pension cuts, indexation and how they are perceived. We propose the use of two new instruments. These are the level of…

“Worsening financial position of pension plans drives an increase in savings” During the COVID-19 pandemic, the mean statutory funding ratio of the entire Dutch pension sector fell by nearly ten percentage points. A survey by De Nederlandsche Bank (Dutch central bank) at that time revealed that this fall caused many households to fear pension curtailments. Could such shocks also affect pension plan participants’ saving…

Ben jij die hands on Communicatie Medewerker die de stichting Netspar helpt om hun waardevolle kennis toegankelijk te maken voor hun doelgroepen? Dan komen we graag in contact met jou! Instituut Netspar is hét kennis- en onderzoeknetwerk in Nederland op het gebied van pensioen en vergrijzing, verbonden met Tilburg University. Pensioen klinkt misschien saai, maar is het zeker niet. De vernieuwing van het pensioenstelsel…

The Dutch Labor Foundation has nominated a new member to the Netspar Supervisory Board: Piet Rietman. He will succeed Willem Noordman. Piet has been part of the Executive Management team of the FNV trade union since December 2022, where, among other things, he is responsible for the pension portfolio. Before this, he worked in the financial industry, including as an economist and investment specialist….

“Pension funds with large buffers are associated with a high level of trust” Until they retire, pension fund participants do not know whether the premiums they paid during their employment were well spent. They need to trust pension funds to invest their premiums wisely. That trust cannot be taken for granted. Pension funds are aware of the fact that any failure to deliver on…

“A better SDG performance could benefit both governments and institutional investors” The deadline of 2030 for achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is fast approaching, and the pressure on governments to meet these targets is intensifying. The implications of not achieving the SDGs could have negative consequences for sovereign bonds. For example, biodiversity loss (SDG 15) could lead to a loss of…

“Individual pension provisions have become a vital component in achieving adequate pensions” The ageing population of Europe is putting pension systems under pressure. Therefore the European Commission produced a set of recommendations to support Member States in realising pension reforms. This study investigates whether the three-pillar pension systems of the Netherlands, Germany, the United Kingdom and Switzerland result in adequate pensions. It also assesses…