Riester-Reform – Nur eine Erleichterung für die Anbieter

Abstract The Riester pension was well thought out, but badly done. It is primarily the agents and insurance companies who benefit from Riester, while consumers hardly benefit at all – and if they do, it is only because of the generous state subsidy. The reform proposals to date do not eliminate the deficits, but are rather a restructuring plan for the supply side. However, private pension contracts should also pay off without subsidies. State-organised standard products in Sweden or Great Britain show how such efficiency can be achieved. The German “Verbraucherzentrale Bundesverband” has made a suggestion in this respect, the “Extrarente”: a public body pools consumer demand and can thus cost-effectively organise their capital investment on a share scheme basis.