Series

Private Pensions in Germany

The English-language guide to private and supplementary retirement saving in Germany for internationals — the 2027 Altersvorsorgedepot reform, Riester, Rürup (Basisrente), betriebliche Altersvorsorge, private pension insurance, and ETF vs subsidised pensions.

Part 1

Altersvorsorgedepot: Germany's 2027 ETF Pension

Germany's 2027 pension reform replaces Riester with the Altersvorsorgedepot, letting savers hold ETFs with an optional (not mandatory) capital guarantee. A worked subsidy table shows a parent of two paying €1,800/year receives €1,140 back in state top-ups.

Part 2

Is Riester Rente Still Worth It in 2026?

New Riester contracts end 1 Jan 2027, but existing contracts keep running under Bestandsschutz. This decision guide compares keep vs. pause vs. cancel against the new Altersvorsorgedepot's higher subsidy caps, with the Zulage-clawback risk of cancelling laid out plainly.

Part 3

Rürup Basisrente: Germany's Self-Employed Pension Tax Break

The Rürup Basisrente lets Germany's self-employed deduct up to €30,826 from taxable income in 2026 — 100% of it — but the payout is a lifelong annuity only, never a lump sum, and it isn't inheritable or transferable.

Part 4

Betriebliche Altersvorsorge (bAV): Worth Taking?

Betriebliche Altersvorsorge lets you convert salary into a workplace pension tax-free up to €8,112 in 2026, with a mandatory 15% employer top-up. The catch: full income tax and full statutory health and long-term-care contributions apply when the Betriebsrente pays out later.

Part 5

Private Rentenversicherung in Germany: Worth It in 2026?

Germany's un-subsidised private annuity: only the Ertragsanteil (17% from age 67) is taxed, yet the 2026 Garantiezins is just 1.0%. How fondsgebunden and klassisch contracts compare, when the lump-sum Halbeinkuenfte rule applies, and why Effektivkosten decide whether it beats an ETF Sparplan.

Part 6

ETF Sparplan vs Riester vs Altersvorsorgedepot 2027

You started a plain ETF Sparplan - then Riester got scrapped for a state-subsidised ETF pension from 2027. Are you missing free government money? A worked 30-year break-even across a plain ETF Sparplan, Riester, and the new Altersvorsorgedepot shows exactly who each route suits.

Part 7

Private Pensions in Germany: The Expat Guide

Germany's retirement system is a stack, not one product. This guide compares statutory Rente, bAV, Rürup/Basisrente, private Rentenversicherung, ETF Sparplan, the incoming 2027 Altersvorsorgedepot, and legacy Riester in one table -- with exact 2026 subsidy figures.