In this lifecycle your paid contribution is fully invested in shares until the age of 53. As you get older the investment percentage in shares is reduced. We then invest to a greater extent in bonds in particular. We also limit the so-called interest risk as of the age of 58, as you can see in the figure.

In this lifecycle your paid contribution is fully invested in shares until the age of 58. As you get older the investment percentage in shares is reduced. We then invest to a greater extent in bonds in particular. We also limit the so-called interest risk as of the age of 58, as you can see in the figure.

In this lifecycle your paid contribution is fully invested in shares until the age of 48. As you get older the investment percentage in shares is reduced. We then invest to a greater extent in bonds in particular. We also limit the so-called interest risk as of the age of 53, as you can see in the figure.

The pension you accrue in the basic scheme is based on your average salary. Our basic scheme is therefore a so-called average salary scheme.

Each year, you accrue a portion of your pension. These portions together make up your total pension at APF Pension Fund when you retire. If you are an employee of AkzoNobel, you accrue a portion of 1.641% pension on your salary above € 16,322- in 2023. If you are an employee Nouryon, Nobian or Salt? Then you accrue a portion of 1.571% pension on your salary above € 16,322.- in 2023.

 

In the basic scheme, you accrue pension up to the threshold of € 75,990.- in 2023 (if you work for AkzoNobel). Or up to the threshold of € 78,380.- (if you work for Nouryon, Nobian or Salt). Is your fixed salary higher than the maximum amount applicable to you? If so, you participate in the defined contribution (DC) scheme for your salary above € 75,990.- (AkzoNobel) or € 78,380.- (Nouryon, Nobian or Salt). In this scheme, you accrue pension on your salary above the maximum amount of the basic scheme up to € 128,810.- (this amount applies for 2023). You don't accrue any pension on salaries above € 128,810.- at the APF Pension Fund.

We invest the contribution for the DC scheme that you receive from your employer. We do this through three investment portfolios:
• Life Cycle Neutral 2021
• Life Cycle Offensive 2021
• Life Cycle Defensive 2021

These investment portfolios all have a different degree of risk. For each life cycle we use a combination of three modules (Matching, Interest Rate and Return). The modules are the ‘building blocks’ of the investment portfolios. We start in all modules with equity risk and interest rate risk. The closer you get to your retirement date, the more we reduce the equity and interest rate risk.

Our aim with all three investment portfolios is to achieve a certain balance. On the one hand, we want to gain a healthy return on our investments. On the other, we want to have as few fluctuations as possible in the pension that we ultimately purchase on your behalf. How we try to achieve this balance differs for each investment portfolio.

Each of the three investment portfolios (Life Cycle Neutral 2021, Life Cycle Offensive 2021 and Life Cycle Defensive 2021) contains a combination of the following three modules:

• Matching Module
With this module we match interest rate movements in the capital market. We do this by means of interest rate contracts and liquidities.
• Interest Rate Module
These are investments in fixed-interest securities (bonds and mortgages). We use this to gradually reduce the risk as the retirement date approaches.
• Return Module
These are mainly investments in shares. The goal here is to build up as much capital as possible.

Yes. As of February 2021 you can determine that yourself. You can do this in My pension using the Investment Balance feature. You indicate how much risk you want to take with your pension investments. We then invest your contribution according to the life cycle associated with that risk level. You can read more about this at Downloads.

Yes, you are obliged to participate in the DC scheme. Is your full-time annual salary in 2023 above € 75,990.- (AkzoNobel) or € 78,380.- (Nouryon, Nobian or Salt)? If so, you automatically participate in the DC scheme for your salary above that amount. In the DC scheme, you accrue pension on your salary above the maximum amount of the basic pension scheme, up to a maximum of € 128,810.- (amount applicable for 2023). Each month you receive a contribution for the DC scheme from your employer. It is mandatory for you to pay at least 60% of this amount into the APF Pension Fund. This means you don't have to deposit the full contribution.

The employer commits a certain contribution amount to this DC scheme. How much pension that contribution eventually gives you when you retire, however, isn't known. That means there are risks associated with investing your contributions, but you also profit from the investment returns. These important factors determine the level of your pension:

1. The investment returns, and
2. The rates we use when purchasing your pension.

You can also choose to continue to invest the DC capital after your retirement date. In that case, we will keep investing your capital and it can still generate a return. This means your pension benefit could be higher. But it can also be lower if investments perform below expectations.

Every month, your employer pays a contribution amount into your account for the DC scheme. You are obliged to deposit at least 60% of this amount with APF Pension Fund. The amount of the contribution depends on your age. It also depends on the salary threshold above which you accrue pension in the DC scheme (in 2023: above € 75,990.- for AkzoNobel and above € 78,380.- for Nouryon, Nobian of Salt). As you get older, the contributions increase.

You pay the contribution for the partner's pension yourself (on a risk basis).

Would you like to know more about the DC scheme, about investing your contribution or about the investment portfolios and risks? Please read the brochure ‘AkzoNobel Defined Contribution Scheme’ or the brochure ‘Nouryon-Nobian-Salt Defined Contribution Scheme’.