pension in sight?
Don't forget to clear your retirement account ahead of time
Created: 01/16/2023, 07:00
By: Anne Hund
Anyone preparing for retirement should know what kind of money they can expect.
Experts explain what is important in planning.
Are you toying with the idea of possibly retiring earlier?
In many cases it is not that simple.
As a first step, make a checkout as soon as possible.
What costs will you face in the future?
In return, what have you saved so far and what financing plans are you pursuing?
Now the statutory pension comes into play.
If you want to retire before the standard retirement age, you may have to accept deductions.
How much pension can you expect now?
The statutory pension is calculated based on earnings.
But that's not all: "There are also pension points for raising children, for example," as the German pension insurance company informs on its website.
If retirement is within reach and you may even want to retire earlier than planned, you should clear your pension account in good time.
Retirement needs to be planned well and in good time.
© Lino Mirgeler/dpa
1. Clarify your pension account in good time
What you should know about this: The German Pension Insurance (DRV) sends out pension information to people with statutory insurance from the age of 55 every three years.
According to the German Press Agency (dpa), it states both when someone can retire and on what terms.
The letter also contains the insurance history.
These are the times that count towards retirement.
According to the dpa, prospective retirees should check the documents for absences so that they can close gaps by submitting the relevant evidence later.
According to the report, account clarification and advice are advisable at least a year before the beginning of the new phase of life.
2. How high will the future pension be?
Let's calculate it
How high will your own pension be later?
Employees can find key information about this in the pension information that they receive regularly and that is relatively short at two pages.
However, many insured persons also want to know, for example, what they can expect if they retire before the age of 67.
The experts have a tip: At the request of prospective retirees, the insurance carrier calculates how high the retirement benefit will be, as dpa reports.
The basis is the pension periods documented via the account clarification.
Have you really thought of everything?
Before applying, everyone should seek advice again, as Silke Pottin from the DRV Bund dpa advises.
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3. Apply for a pension in good time
Submit your pension application no later than three months before you want to start your pension.
Then the pension insurance has enough time to obtain further evidence if necessary, for example from the health insurance company or the employer.
"You can submit the pension application online," says an earlier post
on
Test.de.
"You do this directly on the website of the statutory pension insurance under the keyword: online services.
You can also print out the form and fill it out by hand.” If you have any questions, you can also contact the pension insurance advice centers.