Basic scheme
Basic scheme is a defined benefit arrangement
The basic scheme at the Robeco Pension Fund is a defined benefit arrangement. This means that you accumulate a portion of lifelong retirement pension annually.
Every employee who works for Robeco and is aged 21 or older participates in the Robeco pension scheme. Every year you accrue a portion of your total retirement pension. In principle, your retirement pension becomes effective at age 67.
The basis used for calculating your retirement pension is your pensionable salary. This is the gross, fixed annual salary as at 1 April (TFI) including the 13th month. Your pension is not accrued on your entire gross salary, since you will also receive a government pension (AOW) when you retire. The date on which your AOW takes effect depends on your age and will increase in accordance with the rising life expectancy of the Dutch population. Please go to the following site to find out the date on which your AOW will commence: www.svb.nl/aowleeftijd.
Because you also receive AOW, part of your salary will not be included in your pension calculation. This part is referred to as the franchise. In 2024, the franchise is € 17,545. The Board can make annual adjustments to the franchise. The part that remains after the franchise has been deducted is the pensionable base – the portion of your salary on which you accrue a pension.
Under the basic scheme, your pension is accrued through an average salary scheme. This means that you accrue a pension benefit for every year that you work on the salary that you earn in that year. The average salary scheme takes the form of a ‘defined-benefit agreement’. The basic rule is that you will be entitled to receive an annual benefit. However, if your pension fund’s financial situation deteriorates, its management board may decide to lower your annual benefit.
You accrue 1.738% of your pensionable base for your retirement pension under the basic scheme. If the pension premium that Robeco pays to the pension fund is not sufficient to accrue 1.738%, the pension accrual may be lower in any year. The pension entitlements you accrued up to the year 2011 under the final-salary scheme of the Robeco pension fund remain. If you joined Robeco before 1 September 2010, a number of further transitional measures apply.
The costs of the pension scheme are paid by Robeco to the pension fund. In addition, you pay an own contribution to the employer for the accrual of your pension. This own contribution is 25% of the premium paid by Robeco for accrual in the basic scheme. Read more
Please note: A maximum salary is used for the basic Robeco pension scheme. This maximum is the salary at the top of scale 100. Pension accrual on the portion of salary above this level is carried out via the top-up scheme.