The EIP in brief
Here are the main benefits of the EIP company pension plan for self-employed individuals.
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SAVINGS AND INVESTMENTS
The EIP company pension plan*
* The EIP company pension plan is a Belgian-law branch 21 or 23 insurance product from AG, distributed by BNP Paribas Fortis. The policy is taken out for an agreed period.
In combination with your PLCI
For self-employed individuals, a PLCI personal pension plan is the first step towards a financially comfortable retirement. However, the amount of contributions you can deduct each year as business expenses is limited.
Are you a business owner? If so, you can combine your PLCI with an EIP and build up a larger pension pot through your business.
You can opt for a branch 21 plan with a guaranteed return, or a branch 23 plan, which offers a potentially higher return.
Tax-efficient
To ensure you get the maximum tax benefit, if you take out an EIP with BNP Paribas Fortis, we’ll contact you every year to calculate the amount you can pay in according to the 80% rule*.
A safe investment
With a branch 21 plan, you’re secure in the knowledge that your capital is protected and your interest rate is guaranteed, and could be supplemented by an annual profit-sharing payment.
A higher return
With a branch 23 plan, your company invests in a fund that matches your investor profile: your capital isn’t protected, but you get a potentially higher return.
Finance a property
You can use the pension pot you’ve built up before your statutory retirement date to purchase, build, renovate or improve a property in the European Economic Area.
Financial peace of mind
Ensure your standard of living and that of your family with additional cover in the event that you’re unable to work. This protects you against loss of income in the event of an illness or accident.
Protection in the event of death
Death benefit cover protects your loved ones and your company if you pass away before retirement age. Your beneficiaries will then receive a predetermined lump sum.
* The 80% rule states that the sum of a worker’s state pension (first pillar) and their supplementary pensions (second pillar) resulting from employer contributions may not exceed 80% of their last annual gross salary, assuming a 40-year career. The supplementary pension they can build up privately through pension savings or long-term savings (third pillar) is not taken into account in this calculation.
A supplementary pension tailored to your needs
Select the EIP that suits you: branch 21 or 23, with the option to choose inability-to-work and death benefit cover as well.
Branch 21 insurance-based savings
- Be secure in the knowledge that your capital will be protected at the end of the plan.
- Benefit from a guaranteed interest rate: the net amount of each premium (after deduction of taxes and front-end fees) is invested until you take retirement or early retirement at the interest rate in force at the time of payment. That interest rate remains valid for the entire duration of the plan.
- Potentially get annual profit-sharing payments. These are not guaranteed, may vary from year to year and depend on both AG’s financial results and the economic situation.
Branch 23 insurance-based investments
- Aim for a potentially higher long-term return: invest through your company in the fund that matches your needs.
- Entrust the management of your capital to renowned investment specialists: they closely follow the financial markets and can react immediately to market trends. AG applies a unique multi-management approach*.
- Choose sustainable investments: the four investment funds you can choose from are all socially responsible funds.
* The multi-management technique developed by AG is a smart way to invest: your investments are diversified, which reduces risk and fluctuations. It works as follows:
- investments are spread across different sectors, regions and asset classes (equities, bonds, cash etc.);
- the investment funds are managed by several specialist fund managers. The reason is simple: several fund managers with their own expertise, management style and vision have more combined knowledge than a single fund manager.
-
Inability-to-work cover
Protect yourself and your family against the financial consequences if you become unable to work due to an illness or accident. You can choose to receive a monthly allowance or have your pension contributions covered.
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Death benefit cover
Ensure the standard of living of your loved ones in the event of your death. You can choose a minimum lump sum to be paid out if you were to pass away, or an addition to your pension pot.
Returns, fees and risks
Returns in detail
The gross overall return of AG’s branch 21 EIP company pension plan (guaranteed interest rate + profit-sharing payment) was 2.30% in 2023.
This return does not take into account fees and taxes. It relates to the past and is not a reliable indicator of future returns.
For branch 23 plans, please consult the unit values and features of the four EIP investment funds you can choose from (AG Life Sustainable Defensive Pension, AG Life Sustainable Neutral Pension, AG Life Sustainable Dynamic Pension and AG Life Sustainable Equities Pension).
|
Year |
Gross overall return (branch 21) |
|
2023 |
2,30% |
|
2022 |
2,10 % |
|
2021 |
1,80 % |
|
2020 |
1,80 % |
|
2019 |
2,00 % |
Contributions and taxation on retirement
Your EIP pension plan will be liquidated when you take retirement or early retirement, for both branch 21 and branch 23 plans.
If you’ve reached the statutory retirement age or meet the conditions for early retirement, but you’ve decided to continue working, you can claim your EIP pension early at the applicable rate based on your age.
When the capital is liquidated, you pay an INAMI contribution of 3.55% and a solidarity contribution of up to 2% on the accumulated capital and profit-sharing payments. You also pay a tax on capital and municipal tax. The tax rate depends on your age and the number of years you have worked at the time of liquidation. No tax is due on profit-sharing payments.
|
Âge |
Tax rate |
|
60 years |
20% State pension: 16,5% |
|
61 years |
18% State pension: 16,5% |
|
From 62 years |
16,5% |
|
From the statutory retirement age or after a full career, in accordance with the legislation in force regarding pensions |
If you have remained professionally active until this age: 10% Otherwise: 16.5% |
Risks of branch 21 plans
Insurance-based supplementary pension plans for workers are not covered by the protection regime applicable to branch 21 products and are therefore not covered by the Guarantee Fund for Financial Institutions.
Risks of branch 23 plans
Risk of fluctuation in the value of fund units (market risk): the unit value depends on movements in the underlying assets and market fluctuations. The financial risk is always fully borne by the policyholder. As a result, the unit value at the time of redemption, liquidation of the policy or at any other time may be higher or lower than its value at the time the premiums were paid. The policyholder must therefore be aware that they may not get back all of the amount they have invested.
Liquidity risk: in certain exceptional circumstances, liquidation of fund units may be delayed or suspended.
Insurer insolvency: the assets of the fund linked to the life insurance policy taken out by the policyholder are managed separately within the insurer's assets. In the event of the insurer's insolvency, those fund assets are reserved primarily for fulfilling of commitments to policyholders and/or beneficiaries.
Risk related to protection mechanisms: although the protection mechanisms aim to limit the negative impact of market fluctuations on your investment, it is possible that if they are triggered at certain times in the product's life cycle, this could cause the return to be lower than that of the same underlying fund without the protection mechanism. Investors must also be aware that, for technical reasons, protection mechanisms are not triggered immediately upon an upward or downward crossing of a threshold. This delay may lead, for example, to a greater loss than intended by the loss limitation mechanism. Similarly, once triggered, a protection mechanism cannot be cancelled, even if the market recovers quickly afterwards.
IN 3 STEPS
Your pension discussion
1
Preparation
Gather your latest certificates for your state and supplementary pensions. These are available on mypension.be.
2
Advice
Have these documents at hand during your discussion with your advisor, in branch or online.
3
Proposal
Get a tailored proposal for a pension plan that’s optimised according to the 80% rule.
Do you want to receive personalised pension advice?Make an appointment online
Sustainability
General sustainability policy
To ensure that its products are responsible, AG implements various strategies such as:
- factoring in environmental, social and governance matters (using ESG risk scores, among others)
- excluding controversial activities (tobacco, arms, coal, unconventional energy sources such as tar sands and shale gas and oil etc.)
- excluding companies that do not respect the principles of the United Nations Global act
- using a "best-in-class" approach
- taking an active ownership approach
This product has environmental and social responsibility characteristics but does not have a sustainable investment objective as such.
You can find more information on AG's approach to investing sustainably and responsibly as applied to its branch 21 products.
The Towards Sustainability label
The EIP received the "Towards Sustainability" label in March 2020. The label is regularly reassessed and constantly monitored, and is a quality standard supervised by the CLA or Central Labelling Agency. This standard defines a number of minimum requirements that sustainable financial products must meet as regards both their portfolios and investment processes. You will find more information about the label at towardssustainability.be.
The label does not necessarily mean that the EIP will meet your own sustainability objectives.
Find out more
Be sure to read the standard terms and conditions and the information sheet before signing up to a plan.
Any concerns?
Complaints can be made to BNP Paribas Fortis SA, Complaints Department (JQABD), Montagne du Parc 3, 1000 Brussels (tel. 02 228 72 18, gestiondesplaintes@bnpparibasfortis.com or via www.bnpparibasfortis.be > Suggestions or complaints > online complaints form
If you’re not happy with the proposed solution, you can send your complaint by post to the Insurance Ombudsman, Square de Meeûs 35, 1000 Brussels – BCE 884.072.054, tél. : 02 547 58 71, info@ombudsman-insurance.be -
www.ombudsman-insurance.be.
Greater security for today and tomorrow
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PLCI
The PLCI is a tax-efficient branch 21 insurance-based personal pension plan, and is a must for every entrepreneur, whether or not they’re running a company, and for business starters too. It's never too early to think about your pension.
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Pension savings
As well as a supplementary pension plan, you can take out, in your own name, a pension savings plan and a long-term savings plan. This will increase your pension pot even more, as well as reducing your tax bill every year.
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Income protection
Do you want to protect yourself against the consequences of being unable to work due to an illness or accident? Take out income protection insurance and get financial peace of mind, for you and your family.
Legal information
AG Insurance SA/nv – 53 Boulevard Emile Jacqmain, B-1000 Brussels – RPM/RPR Brussels – VAT BE 0404.494.849 – www.aginsurance.be - info@aginsurance.be - Accredited insurance company licenced under code number 0079, under the supervision of the National Bank of Belgium, 14 Boulevard de Berlaimont, B-1000 Brussels.
Intermediary: BNP Paribas Fortis SA/nv – 3 Montagne du Parc, B-1000 Brussels – RPM/RPR Brussels – VAT BE 0403.199.702, registered with the FSMA, 12-14 Rue du Congrès, B-1000 Brussels, under code number 025879 and acting as a contractually appointed insurance agent on behalf of AG Insurance SA/nv. BNP Paribas Fortis SA/nv holds a stake of more than 10% in AG Insurance SA/nv.
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