The #1 pension plan in Germany without upfront costs.

Contribute from as little as 100 € / mo.

Hand-picked portfolios from 500+ ETFs

Benefit from tax-free compounding

Digital, low-cost solution for worldwide retirement

Why do you need a Private Pension Plan?

Public pensions in Germany often fall short of providing a comfortable retirement. Self-managed investments through brokers frequently yield poor returns and lack tax benefits.

Graph visualizing the pension gap between public pension and income before retirement.

Meet Pensionfriend: your retirement solution

We help you invest and retire safe and sound with our low-cost, high-performance pension plan.

Our online questionnaire helps us estimate your future pension income requirements and monthly savings goal to close a pension gap if it exists.
Calculate your pension gap and savings goal image
Calculate your pension gap and savings goal image

Who is Pensionfriend for?

We recommend you the optimal composition of our outperforming portfolios. You benefit from tax-free, automatic rebalancing so you can retire with more!

Our three ETF-based pension products

We’ve created three investment portfolios, based on our detailed analysis of the longest data series available. It dynamically adapts based on your income, age and portfolio performance.

Global

Global large and small capitalization companies that historically outperform the MSCI World Index.

Currency
USD
ETF cost per year
0,25 %
Pensionfriend cost per year
0,49 - 0,69 %
Expected annual return
8,30 %
Average historic performance
13,0 %
2023 performance result
20,77 %
2024 performance result
25,76 %
Expected net assets at age 67*
468.117 €

Global Green

Large and small capitalization companies, fulfilling environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria.

Currency
USD
ETF cost per year
0,28 %
Pensionfriend cost per year
0,49 - 0,69 %
Expected annual return
7,90 %- 8,20 %
Average historic performance
14,2 %
2023 performance result
21,57 %
2024 performance result
24,81 %
Expected net assets at age 67*
432.735 €

Euro Green

European large and small capitalization companies, fulfilling environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria.

Currency
EUR
ETF cost per year
0,26 %
Pensionfriend cost per year
0,49 - 0,69 %
Expected annual return
7,20 %
Average historic performance
8,01 %
2023 performance result
18,33 %
2024 performance result
12,28 %
Expected net assets at age 67*
330.912 €
*These are example calculations for a 30 year old who invests 2.000 € one-time and 250 € monthly until their retirement at age 67.

«We expect to perform 2% better than the MSCI World Index»

Dr. Chris Mulder. Former IMF and World Bank Manager, who advised Public Officials managing trillions of euros in assets.

Pensionfriend Portfolio Performance in 2024

+ 25,76 %

Global

+ 24,81 %

Global Green

+ 12,28 %

Euro Green

How does Pensionfriend compare?

Understand how Pensionfriend compares to investing in ETFs directly or how it compares to a more classic private pension product with upfront fees.

Your preferences

Select comparison Select comparison

What is your monthly contribution?

Monthly contribution?

300 €

How old are you?

35

What is your upfront contribution?

Investing directly Pensionfriend
Fees and taxes
0,00 % 0,00 %
Fees
0,00 % 0,00 %
Capital gains tax
0,00 % 0,00 %
Witholding tax
0,00 % 0,00 %
On rebalancing
0,00 % 0,00 %
On withdrawal
0,00 % 0,00 %
Technical benefits
0,00 % 0,00 %
Tracking difference
0,00 % 0,00 %
ETF cost
0,00 % 0,00 %
Index replication
0,00 % 0,00 %
Rebalancing algorithm
0,00 % 0,00 %
Partner tax benefit
0,00 % 0,00 %
Portfolio quality
0,00 % 0,00 %
Summary 0,00 % +0,00 %
Select comparison Select comparison
Investing directly Pensionfriend
Fees and taxes
0,00 % 0,00 %
Fees
0,00 % 0,00 %
Capital gains tax
0,00 % 0,00 %
Witholding tax
0,00 % 0,00 %
On rebalancing
0,00 % 0,00 %
On withdrawal
0,00 % 0,00 %
Technical benefits
0,00 % 0,00 %
Tracking difference
0,00 % 0,00 %
ETF cost
0,00 % 0,00 %
Index replication
0,00 % 0,00 %
Rebalancing algorithm
0,00 % 0,00 %
Partner tax benefit
0,00 % 0,00 %
Portfolio quality
0,00 % 0,00 %
Summary 0,00 % +0,00 %
Preferences

What is your monthly contribution?

Monthly contribution?

300 €

How old are you?

35

What is your upfront contribution?

Our pricing is transparent and fair

We’re confident in our performance. That’s why we don’t charge any upfront, withdrawal, or cancellations fees unlike almost every other broker in Germany. Also, when your assets grow, we charge you less over all of your pension savings.

0,69

%

per year

for all pension savings under 250.000 €

0,49

%

per year

from 250.000 € in pension savings onwards

No cancellation fees

No rebalancing costs

No upfront fees

No withdrawal fees

Don’t take
our word for it

Thousands of people have signed up to calculate their German pension options and use Pensionfriend to manage their pension digitally.

Committed contributions

€ 100 M+

Active clients

500+

Satisfaction rate

4,9/ 5

4.9 Stars
See all
117
reviews on
1 week ago
Dimplejit had high quality professional advices, and pension friend is super transparent and user-friendly! Everything is digital which is a huge plus for me. Thanks for helping me planning for my future.
Zsombor Miszlai
2 weeks ago
Very professional, knowledgeable, lead-time was super fast. Everything including app was seamless. My broker is also very accessible and kept informing me of the progress.
Elizabeth Eighteen
1 month ago
I found my experience to be very supportive, informative and responsive. My consultant, Dimple went above and beyond to support my wishes, and make helpful suggestions. Highly recommend as a way to start investing for the long-term
Georgia May Nelson
1 month ago
We're very happy with the service from Pensionfriend. The product and online tool is great. Jan was very helpful and informative throughout the process.
Melanie Palmer
1 month ago
Good service quality - Dimple was very patient in answering all my questions on ETF pension plans and went out of her way to help me with technical issues. One of the very few service providers which allow you to track your investments into ETF pension funds via an app
Mevlon Teles
1 month ago
Smooth application and setup process; very transparent regarding costs. Jan provided great feedback to my questions and was great. The app is very easy to use. Thanks for providing such a streamlined service.
Mark Edmayr
1 month ago
Pensionfriend (and Dimplejit in particular) offered a fantastic service when I was looking to set up savings accounts that would benefit my two children. All in English, all clear, efficient, responsive and very pleased with the results. I would highly recommend, especially to expats in Germany.
David Cooper-Parry
1 month ago
PensionFriend.de has been an invaluable resource for my long term investment into retirement. They take the time to thoroughly explain everything in detail through multiple one-on-one sessions, ensuring that all my questions are answered. Their platform is user-friendly, and their expert advice gave me the confidence I so much needed. Highly recommended!
Albion Bame
2 months ago
I’m very satisfied with Dimple’s advices, explanations and patience. There was no push to move on with investments, I always felt comfortable in our calls and all of them were informative and useful. I am looking forward to our continued collaboration!
Alexandra Cherkasenko
3 months ago
Reviewer context: I'm someone who has been a DIY investor and am close to financial independence. I was looking for a way to improve my diversification and tax efficiency. My first conversation with Pensionfriend was in Apr 2024; my first deposit was in Sept 2024; and I'm writing this at the end of Dec 2024. Not sure how it works behind the scenes, but Jan was assigned to me and was a consistent person to talk to while I thought through my decisions. Jan was extremely patient as I worked through my decision process slowly. He answered all my questions and helped point me at relevant resources on the Pensionfriend website. When I did my calculations, it showed that the majority of the the tax benefits are consumed by the fees. That I could do this calculation is a positive though because Pensionfriend is transparent with the costs. In my analysis, the fees provide value for me in having: someone to discuss German themed investing topics, a straightforward product that's easy to understand, an investment vehicle to diversify my entire portfolio. When it came time to agree to the contract, Jan was a good listener and pitched a portfolio that took into consideration my already large concentration in larg cap US funds. With Pension friend I have a 4 fund portfolio that tilts towards small cap (globally), which is an allocation that suited me fine. Operating the portfolio is trivially easy with their nicely designed web app. I've been able to contribute lump sums monthly without difficulty. My only complaint is that the website only displays the allocation percentages of each fund. I would like to know how many shares I have of each ETF without having to create the ad hoc PDF (this is because I track the fund in my own spreadsheet as well). Overall Pensionfriend is providing a fantastic and easy to use service. As a DIY investor, I don't think I "needed" their services, but given that it's free to exit if I really need/want to, I didn't feel like it was a big risk to try them out. I'd 100% recommend them to anyone who wants to take a hand off approach to their retirement future. From what I can tell Pensionfriend is following all the best practices in investment theory (invest in low cost index funds, contribute money to it frequently, wait 30-40 years and don't meddle with it). They do it in a way that's approachable with a touch of human interaction to make it more personable.
Scott Muc
3 months ago
I became aware of Pensionfriend from a friend and then Dimplejit Kaur helped me through all the processes in my retirement planning journey. Their personalized approach, clear communication, and professional guidance made the entire process seamless and stress-free. Many thanks to Dimple. Highly recommend their services!
Sanjivani Bezbaruah
3 months ago
I highly recommend Pensionfriend. My Adviser answered all my questions, is very responsive to my quiries and concerns. She is very patient with me and I never felt pressured to get an account with them. My biggest concern was the company is relativelly new. I did my due diligence and with my adviser's help I am happy to choose Pensionfriend. The process of opening an account was convenient, comprehensible, and quick. The App has a good user interface.
Patricia Marie Benitez
4 months ago
I had a good experience with Pensionfriend. I had some special requirements and i got listening ears that tried to accomodate and help with these requirements. At the end i got what i wanted and i am satisfied with the service.
ramy rais
5 months ago
I have been very happy about my progress with Pensionfriend. The initial meeting was very proffessional and transparent - Dimplejit Kaur gave me all the information I needed - I felt well advised. I am starting my pension-investment journey with them next month, and I look forward to a "lifelong" collaboration.
Christian Schmidt
6 months ago
It was very easy to navigate their website, schedule a meeting, and understand their Plans! The Consultant, to whom I was assigned to, Ms, Kaur, is very competent and knowledgeable. Thank you!
Maria Tereza
7 months ago
I got curious about pensionfriend from hearing its founder, Nick Mulder talk about it on Linkedin. I signed up to one of their webinar and got interested with their services. After requesting a meeting, I met with Swati who handled everything for me. She answered all my questions and gave me some advices on the investment possibilities. I highly recommend pensionfriend if you are looking for a pension plan as an expat
Vannen
7 months ago
Excellent service from Pensionfriend. Very straightforward, clear and flexible plan. They answered all questions and was super supportive.
mohab usama
7 months ago
**Excellent Service and Expertise!** Pensionfriend made the process of setting up my private pension plan seamless and stress-free. The team was incredibly knowledgeable, patient, and took the time to explain all my options clearly. I highly recommend Pensionfriend to anyone looking for professional and reliable pension planning services!
Mugdha Mohanty
8 months ago
Pensionfriend stands out among pension insurance providers in Germany by offering lower service charges compared to others. Additionally, they excel in transparency, a quality often lacking in their competitors. Pensionfriend’s advisors clearly explain each step of the process, ensuring nothing is hidden or obscured. I recommend their services.
Ravinda Dissanayake
9 months ago
So far, so good. I had a great first call and subsequent sessions with Swati Sharma, who patiently walked me through the different private pension plans, transparently shared the dashboard, walked me through the best scenarios for me. It came down to PF and GetSafe and ultimately went with PF largely because their ROI was just a wee bit higher. Plus, I love the idea of monitoring my investment portfolio through their app which GetSafe didn't offer.
Maryam Piracha
9 months ago
I have a free consultation session with Pensionfriend. Pension schemes were thoroughly explained and I also got a reasonable offer. I would recommend this company to anyone trying to get a good pension plan.
Nouman Naim Hasan
9 months ago
Super friendly and professional consulting. Felt very comfortable and taken along each step. Also the app and general handling is super intuitive and easy to understand.
Marie K
10 months ago
Great advisors, easy to use, English language is a great plus for people not fluent in German. Highly recommend it, I had the pleasure to work with Dimple who was very helpful and had all the informations I needed
Oana Anton
1 year ago
The help on this topic in English language is highly appreciated. Dimple was very nice and professional. After the expirience opening my retirement account. I can 100% recommend Pensionfriend.
Osvaldo Aguilar Lauzurique
1 year ago
I was extremely impressed by the service provided by Pensionfriend. Across all members of staff I interacted with, and especially Dimple Kaur, who was the financial advisor who took me through the onboarding and investment process, the level of knowledge and professionalism was outstanding. I am very happy with my choice to go with Pensionfriend as my private provider in Germany and would highly recommend to others.
Michael Carré
1 year ago
I was in a very difficult position and needed a private pension as soon as possible. I had the pleasure to meet Dimple who explained everything and offered advice and support. I highly recommend Peslnsionfriend. They are so nice to deal with, everything is easy and online and you even get an app where you can track your pension. On top of this their service is very flexible and if you are like me and have no idea what country you will be living in, in 5 years Pensionfriend is the answer!
Kamila Jarek
1 year ago
I had an excellent interaction with the Pensionfriends team. Their professionalism and flexibility stood out, and I'm grateful for the time they invested in addressing my questions and understanding my requirements. Special thanks to Dimplejit for ensuring a seamless experience!
Alexandru Fediuc
1 year ago
I was cosidering several options with traditional Riester/Rürup plans but high costs and low returns were very discouraging. A colleague recommended me the Pesionfriend platform and I attended the explanatory lecture of the founders. This further convienced me to join the plan as this is the only private pension plan that mimics the Dutch ones rather than insurance based German plans. The whole signup process runs very smoothly and everythig is digital. The finacial advisor Dimplejit is very attentive and kowledgable. Based on my experiece I can earnestly recommed Pensionfriend.
Alek Hanafi - Metwalli
1 year ago
I appreciate the help extended by Pensionfriend when I was on the look out of my retirement planning solution. The time extended, the efforts taken and the friendly approach of the team left a positive impact. Would happily recommend Pensionfriend to people looking for retirement solutions.
Bhavana Raina
1 year ago
Great team of professionals. I've already been a client of Hypofriend - Pensionfriend's sister company, when I was getting a loan for a flat purchase, and am happy to continue with the new service. Everything is very clear, Jan kindly did 2 big overviews of both the market and the terms and conditions of the account set up with me, and I'm looking forward to seeing good returns.
Anna Sharova
1 year ago
The on-boarding process was very smooth. People working at Pension Friend are very professional. Do not miss their webinars on pension schemes and other topics. Funds are invested via tax-wrapped insurance contract into ETFs. Worth considering!
Lukas Surin
1 year ago
I recommend Pension Friend wholeheartedly. They were helpful, friendly, transparent and very good at accommodating my requirements for the policy I set up with them. They were also very patient and took the trouble to clearly explain exactly what the policy entailed and answered every question I had.
Shambhavi Chidambaram
1 year ago
What sets Pensionfriend apart is their unwavering dedication to ensuring that clients feel supported and well-informed throughout the entire process. Whether it was guiding me through pension and wealth management options or promptly responding to my inquiries, their commitment to excellence was consistently evident (Thank you Dimple, Jan and Dr. Mulder!) I highly recommend Pensionfriend to anyone seeking a company that not only understands the complexities of pension planning but also places the highest value on customer satisfaction. Also kudos to Nick for having built the A-Team with both Hypofriend and Pensionfriend!
Artiona Bogo
1 year ago
defintely recommend to check them out if you are looking for Pension Insurance! The website is really great and they have very professional team. I really liked the fact all the policy documents are also in English!
Vijaya Vigneshan K S
1 year ago
It is a very clear, trustworthy, and simple process. Dimple was an amazing advisor, she knows a lot and is very friendly. It is not easy to find a product that you feel you understand the "small print", but I feel very confident with pensionfriend and its offer.
Alejandra Matallana
1 year ago
Great product, very friendly people, and super easy to get onboarded. You can book a free consultation to take the time and go through all questions/concerns. Extremely flexible terms; can stop, start, adjust everything on a monthly basis. No paperwork needed, everything digitally. I now feel much better about my savings strategy.
Domenic Vossen
1 year ago
Really great experience working my optimal savings plan at Pensionfriend. Everyone in the team is highly professional, flexible, approachable and customer focused, really taking time to understand my specific situation, patiently and thoroughly answer my many questions, suggest options and execute. It’s been a pleasure so far, looking forward to the journey ahead.
Irina Ermak
1 year ago
Having explored ETFs as a retirement investment strategy, Pensionfriend was a no-brainer once I realized I could combine ETFs with pension tax benefits. As a private pension product, Pensionfriend has been far more transparent and easier to understand than a lot of what you see on the market. I’ve set up a private pension for myself, and for my kid. Although I can only speak to the initial experience with Pensionfriend, I’ve been impressed with their guidance and support, the user experience and modern approach to an otherwise very antiquated market/offering in Germany
Kevin Holler
1 year ago
PensionFriend has been instrumental in securing my insurance and pension needs. Their personalized services were outstanding, providing a range of options and insights. Jan, one of their remarkable staff members, guided me through this maze by highlighting different options and meticulously explaining the risks associated with each choice. This level of detail and personal guidance was invaluable and made the entire process easier. The team's commitment to transparency and professionalism is commendable, making PensionFriend my top recommendation for their expertise, support, and attention to individual needs.
Smijo Puthur Joju
1 year ago
I fully trust Pensionfriend with my pension. Nick and Christian have built a fantastic reputation for themselves. I'm happy to be a customer.
Daniel B. Stelzer
1 year ago
Having had prior experience with the sister company, Hypofriend, I was once more thoroughly satisfied with the services offered. I greatly value the consistency and dependability of the advisors, and the highly convenient online platform.
Lea Filipowicz
1 year ago
The advise from PensionFriend was quite insightful. The overview and consulting on the best way to navigate the complex pension system in Germany helped me to decide what is best for me. I highly recommend their service for the transparency and clear guidelines.
Jesus Rodriguez
1 year ago
End to end great service! . I work in hospitality and having a flexible pension plan that has higher returns than typical pension plans; and that I can generally carry where I go is a big relief and value for me. Thanks Jan for making it such a smooth experience!
Pedro Lucena
1 year ago
I've been waiting to set up a pension that has flexible, low fees and is easy to manage. Pension friend was fast, easy and everything was clearly explained by Jan. Recommend.
Alice Stevens
1 year ago
Pensionfriend is very user friendly and flexible. A lot of useful information (also in English) is available on the site, along with the calculator one can use to play around and evaluate what plan will work best for them. So far a much smoother experience than I would normally expect from anything investment-related in Germany
Nina Glamazdina
1 year ago
I am so glad to have had chance knowing and receiving great supports & kindness from Pensionfriend to have our own dreaming house for pensionplan. Mr. Bergmann has a conscientious attitude, and he is also enthusiastic and meticulous to check all information all the time to ensure I am clear about the whole process in steps. Thanks for all!! Really appreciate and highly recommended!!!
dung nguyễn
1 year ago
Clear, Concise Communication from the team at Pensionfriend. My Account Manager, Jan clearly explained the value of the offer from Pensionfriend, what the risks were, what their duties to me were as a customer, and what my duties were too. Really smooth process. Would definitely recommend!
Daniel Olel
1 year ago
My experience with Pensionfriend was very positive right from the start. The website offers a range of calculators to help individuals determine their pension gap and retirement age, with clear and easy explanations. I signed up via email to receive my personalized Pensionfriend plan and scheduled a meeting with a financial advisor to learn more. I had the pleasure of working with Jan, who expertly guided me through the complexities of the German pension system and explored the possibilities of investing in ETFs with Pensionfriend. Jan helped me understand the different options available and the potential tax advantages. His insights were really useful and always tailored to my knowledge and needs. I want to highlight his transparency and patience in ensuring that I fully understood everything and that all my questions were answered. Unlike previous experiences with insurance brokers, I never felt pressured to sign anything or felt that information was being withheld (such as high upfront fees). After signing the contract, the user-friendly app allowed me to effortlessly keep track of next steps and track my portfolio's performance and development. Overall, I highly recommend Pensionfriend based on their outstanding transparency, knowledgeable advisors, and convenient app.
Angelina
1 year ago
The Pensionfrend Team always replied on time and with professionalism to my questions during the last months, in particular thanks to Jan. All emails and meetings were done in English which was good for me. I am happy to have signed my contract and started using Pensionfriend. Totally recommend!
Alessandro Invernizzi
2 years ago
I highly recommend Pensionfriend if you are considering a private pension plan, after I checked with other providers. Pensionfriend is the best service provider I found so far in terms of reliability (they seem to know well what they're doing), customer relationship (they take the time to call, explain, answer questions), they have a straightforward dashboard to look and track your fund, and a bonus: they speak really well English and support English on their platform. I am very happy I found that alternative to the company pension plan, in Germany.
Sophie Vo
2 years ago
I had an excellent experience with Nick Mulder and Sven Gehle at Pension Friend. They're very quick, solution-focused, and helpful. Hope to create new pension plans for my family in the future.
Bora Ciner
2 years ago
So far so good - the process was very straightforward and also consultative rather than salesy. I spoke with Janik and got a much better understanding of the advantages and disadvantages of the different pension options in Germany. I now feel confident I have the right type of plan for my needs - plus I can see performance, adjust contributions etc. online, something often not possible with legacy providers.
Ben Smye
2 years ago
I recently set up a pension account with Jan. He was super helpful and answered all of my questions. The entire process was easy and I am excited to see how the account performs in the future. Based on my experience so far, I can only recommend Pensionfriend. Thanks again for your help Jan!
Madison Fichtl
2 years ago
Great product: supportive team, transparent process and nice app. Hassle-free and flexible private pension (also in English), I can recommend to all locals and expats.
Anna
2 years ago
I can only recommend Pensionfriend, they answered all my questions in detail and found the right solution for me.
Hendrik Richter
2 years ago
Highly recommend PensionFriend, the team was very patient with helping answer all the questions I had and providing me with the best options as well as an informative platform.
Reece Chittenden
2 years ago
Thorough explanations provided on each and every angle of the pension contract, kind approach, super fast conclusion of the contractual documents. Totally recommend Jan 👌
Mihai Alexandrescu
2 years ago
I've just started with Pensionfriend after knowing them for Hypofriend and their success product and so far I had a very good experience with Jan, one of their consultants, who supported me with all clarifications and questions I had.
Elo Ferrari

Committed contributions

€ 100 M+

Active clients

500+

Satisfaction rate

4,9/ 5