Annette Mosman is speaking at the Netspar Pension & Science annual conference in the Hague. The word “confidence” is the common thread in her narrative. As is “future”.
In a nutshell
- Annette is one of the four keynote speakers at the annual conference of the Netspar knowledge network.
- The theme of the day is “Pension with a Future”.
- APG is focused on the implementation phase and developing new schemes
Annette is one of the four keynote speakers at the annual conference of knowledge network Netspar, and during her talk she will discuss the importance of the collective confidence that we can count on a decent retirement in the Netherlands. “With pension participants not dropping out, but joining in and moving with us towards the renewed system. A renewed pension system that, in my opinion, creates the right conditions for renewed confidence and support.” Her narrative fits in perfectly with the day’s theme of “Pension with a Future”.
It sounds obvious, but it is not, Annette says. She cites the Public Monitor on Pensions published quarterly by SZW, which measures the Netherlands’ support for pensions and confidence in the sector. "The most recent edition states that a narrow majority still thinks there will be no money left in our collective pension schemes for people who are young now. In snack bar terms, this means a pension without: without a future. That worries me."
The collective challenge, according to Annette, is therefore to regain confidence. “As APG, we are convinced that we can earn confidence by providing future-proof services. That is: easily accessible, tailored, digital and personal. And, with the advent of the Pension of the Future Act (Wtp), participants will get a more personal and transparent pension with an earlier perspective on their purchasing power.”
Focus on the implementation phase
To this end, numerous steps have been and are being taken by the pension administration organization, Annette clarifies. “For APG, it does not mean sitting back but rather starting preparations on time. We started doing that three years ago. And now all the focus is on the implementation phase. For example, we are busy developing a ‘standard’ basic package for fund clients. We call that working generically. At the same time, APG is working on a modular scheme to allow fund clients to add their own details. But we’re not there yet. Because while developing these new products and services, the implementation plan is dependent on the transition plan, and therefore heavily dependent on what the social partners want and how much room they leave for PUOs. In short, it is new. We regularly have to invent the wheel ourselves.”
Annette therefore believes that execution power and good cooperation between implementing organizations and social partners, pension funds and regulators are crucial for the transition to succeed. “Together we are moving towards a renewed system, in which the police officer, teacher, construction worker and cleaner can count on a pension with a future.”
Netspar annual conference
The Netspar annual conference is being held today at The Hague Conference Centre in The Hague and has a new format. In the morning, Netspar scientists will talk about their current research. In the afternoon, scientists, together with pension professionals, will explain concrete applications of Netspar research.