Retirement is today's great dilemma. Especially for the millennial generation, who will have to work longer and will have access to social security treatment from the state in many cases meager. Here is the reason for supplementary pensions: they are more and more pension funds that allow workers, freely and voluntarily, to build an individual pension position, parallel to the one they set aside through public contributions. Many ask themselves: but how to do it, concretely? How much and how to put money aside, if wages are often already modest? But the possibilities are very agile, and above all convenient from various points of view, starting with the fiscal one.
The amount of the so-called "self-constructed" future pension obviously depends on the periodic provisions made, but also on the returns on the investment, as well as on a contribution from the employer in the case of collective membership in the context of a company agreement and finally, from the severance indemnity, which should be immediately paid into the pension funds. Also and above all by virtue of the tax breaks, which other forms of managed savings do not enjoy and which do not only concern the severance indemnity. The tax advantages are in fact threefold: first of all, the contribution that one chooses to pay periodically (which is absolutely flexible, can be fixed or proportional to income and can also be modified after joining) is tax-free up to 5.164,57 euros per year ; then the returns will be taxed at 20% and not at 26% like other forms of managed savings (for example mutual funds); finally, the accumulated capital, excluding the financial returns already taxed in the accumulation phase but including the severance indemnity if paid, is taxed from a maximum of 15% to a minimum of 9%, if membership of the supplementary pension reaches 35 years, instead of to a minimum of 23%.
This entails considerable advantages especially in the management of severance pay, which if left in the company until the end of the employment relationship is taxed at a separate rate which is, in fact, referred to current legislation but not lower than 23%. To give a concrete example, on an annual gross income of 25 euros, after 10 years the severance pay accrued in the pension fund is 19.532 euros, against the 17.692 euros of the severance pay in the company: almost 2 euros of difference, which becomes over 10 if they consider the other contributions paid to the pension fund and the returns. After 30 years the simulation gives an even more evident result: 153 euros accumulated with the pension fund, 94.595 euros keeping the severance indemnity in the company. The payment of the severance indemnity therefore allows the worker to increase his pension position more rapidly, without however reducing his spending capacity, because his income is not affected. But there is not only the tax advantage among the advantages: for example, even if the sum to be set aside is free, if the employee decides instead to adhere to a company agreement, he will also benefit from the employer's contribution.
But how does a pension fund actually work? First of all there is membership, which as mentioned in the case of employees can also be collective, with a contribution from the employer. Membership is free, the sum to be paid is flexible (except if a company agreement must be respected) and it is It is also possible to pay one-off sums, as well as withdraw at any time, asking for redemptions and advances but only in specific cases. In order to access the pension benefit, in fact, a minimum registration in the supplementary pension of 5 years is required (even by putting together several pension funds but with a life cycle of at least 2 years in a single fund), and obviously the achievement of retirement age. At that point the saver has the right to the full booty and can choose to receive 100% of the financial income, half of the accumulated capital and half of the income, or all the capital set aside.
The advance (with respect to the retirement age and the minimum of 5 years of supplementary pension) can take place in three cases: health care costs for serious illnesses, at any time, for 75% of the amount accrued and with the tax reduced in the range of 9-15%; purchase and/or renovation of the first house, again for 75% of the amount but after at least 8 years (therefore for medium-long term funds, beyond the minimum 5 years); needs without the obligation to give reasons, but only after 8 years and for 30% of the accumulated amount, with a classic tax of 23%. On the other hand, the redemption of the pension benefit can take place at any time in the following cases: half of the position accrued is recovered through cessation of employment or recourse to redundancy procedures (redundancy fund, etc.); the entire sum acquired for permanent disability, cessation of work with unemployment exceeding 48 months, death and, in cases of collective agreement with the company, loss of participation requirements, for example in the case of a change of sector or of activity. The transfer of the fund to another pension scheme is allowed, but after a cycle of at least two years with the same formula.
