With pension investing, you deposit money into a special pension investment account. That money is automatically invested so you can earn returns. It stays in your account until your retirement date.
Once you retire, the accumulated amount is converted into a monthly payment, called an annuity. You can start receiving your pension up to five years after your state pension age (AOW). To do this, you purchase a payout product, which pays out your built-up pension in installments. The payout period depends on when you start and the amount, and ranges from a minimum of 5 years to a maximum of 30 years. This way, you’ll have extra income every month alongside your state pension and any other pension.
"}},{"componentType":"sectionTitle","title":"Your money can grow faster"},{"componentType":"paragraph","richBody":{"value":"Pension investing is for the long term. The advantage? The compound interest effect. The return you earn in one year generates extra return the next year. This way, your money can grow faster with pension investing than with pension saving.
"}},{"componentType":"cards","cards":[{"componentType":"productCard","cardType":"product","cardSize":"small","title":"Want instant insight into your pension options?","intro":"Check it out","image":{"transformBaseUrl":"https://assets.ing.com/transform/3bc771d6-ef6b-4bb9-bc90-472479186ed8/Devices-Calculator_Outline","type":"image","width":0,"original":"https://assets.ing.com/m/5e1fc110daee248e/original/Devices-Calculator_Outline.svg","extension":"svg"},"link":{"url":"https://mijn.ing.nl/investments/pension-hub"}}]},{"componentType":"sectionTitle","title":"Always in control"},{"componentType":"paragraph","richBody":{"value":"With ING Pension Investing, you’re in charge. You decide how much you contribute and when. You can contribute monthly, annually, or make a one-time deposit. You also choose how you want to invest. Want a higher chance of a good return and accept more risk? Then choose an offensive profile. Prefer more security? Then a defensive profile suits you better. This way, you invest in a way that fits your wishes and situation.
In My ING, you can always see how your contributions are performing. Good to know: to use ING Pension Investing, you need a personal ING account
"},"alignedImage":{"position":"right","transformBaseUrl":"https://assets.ing.com/transform/3242013f-ffdd-4e9f-a7e0-202c33c94bd0/A-male-caucasian-road-cyclist-riding-a-countryside-road-on-a-sunny-summer-morning-shot-in-mallorca-spain-on-fuji-superia-film-stock-natural-film-grain-no-added-grain","original":"https://assets.ing.com/m/60291877937b516b/original/A-male-caucasian-road-cyclist-riding-a-countryside-road-on-a-sunny-summer-morning-shot-in-mallorca-spain-on-fuji-superia-film-stock-natural-film-grain-no-added-grain.jpg","extension":"jpg"}},{"componentType":"sectionTitle","title":"Tax benefits"},{"componentType":"paragraph","richBody":{"value":"What makes pension investing so attractive? The tax advantage! You can deduct your contributions in your income tax return. Depending on your tax bracket, this can save you up to 49.5%. Plus, the accumulated amount is exempt from wealth tax (box 3), so you don’t pay tax on it there.
Later, when you retire, the accumulated amount is paid out monthly. You’ll pay income tax on these payments, but often at a lower rate. That’s because your pension income is usually lower than your current income.
"},"alignedImage":{"position":"left","transformBaseUrl":"https://assets.ing.com/transform/78fa8a91-ac8d-422d-831d-a8ef1b86c80f/Woman-on-hammock","original":"https://assets.ing.com/m/7dde915d2c8cd09e/original/Woman-on-hammock.jpg","extension":"jpg"}},{"componentType":"paragraph","richBody":{"value":""},"video":{"type":"video","originalUrl":"https://assets.ing.com/m/1cb9061401eff286/original/Pensioenbeleggen-Hoe-werkt-het-belastingvoordeel.mp4","videoPreviewURLs":["https://assets.ing.com/asset/da3fcd9a-ed9c-41f6-bbf8-965dff147ec0/mp4/Pensioenbeleggen-Hoe-werkt-het-belastingvoordeel.mp4"],"thumbnails":{"mini":"https://assets.ing.com/m/1cb9061401eff286/mini-Pensioenbeleggen-Hoe-werkt-het-belastingvoordeel.jpg","webimage":"https://assets.ing.com/m/1cb9061401eff286/webimage-Pensioenbeleggen-Hoe-werkt-het-belastingvoordeel.jpg","thul":"https://assets.ing.com/m/1cb9061401eff286/thul-Pensioenbeleggen-Hoe-werkt-het-belastingvoordeel.jpg"},"extension":["mp4"]}},{"componentType":"sectionTitle","title":"How does annual allowance work?"},{"componentType":"paragraph","richBody":{"value":"Annual allowance is the maximum amount you can contribute each year with tax benefits for your pension. The size of your annual allowance depends on your income and how much pension you’ve already built up through an employer or other scheme.
Are you a freelancer or (co-)owner of a partnership or private limited company? Then it works differently. You build up little or no pension, so your annual allowance is higher.
"},"textLinks":[{"url":"https://mijn.ing.nl/investments/pension-hub","text":"Calculate your annual allowance with our tool"}]},{"componentType":"sectionTitle","title":"Save or invest for your pension?"},{"componentType":"paragraph","richBody":{"value":"If you want to build extra pension, you can choose: save or invest? With investing, your money has the chance to grow more over the long term than with saving. That’s because you invest in funds that may generate returns. This way, your pension pot can become larger than if you save.
Keep in mind: investing involves risks. You can lose your contribution or part of it.
"},"textLinks":[{"url":"/zakelijk/pensioen/sparen-vs-beleggen","text":"See the differences"}],"alignedImage":{"position":"right","transformBaseUrl":"https://assets.ing.com/transform/b3882751-7c6d-450b-a284-ad9d8e76996f/A-man-dressed-in-funky-clothes-attempting-a-pull-up-on-a-bar-above-his-bedroom-door","original":"https://assets.ing.com/m/31b233c48c0e2c9/original/A-man-dressed-in-funky-clothes-attempting-a-pull-up-on-a-bar-above-his-bedroom-door.jpg","extension":"jpg"}},{"componentType":"cards","cards":[{"componentType":"productCard","cardType":"product","cardSize":"medium","title":"Pension investing","intro":"Build additional pension easily","image":{"transformBaseUrl":"https://assets.ing.com/transform/7eb07b69-741d-4672-b7ac-c3ad2db54076/A-woman-drinks-water-and-eats-food-while-talking-on-the-phone-and-working-on-her-laptop-in-a-cafe","type":"image","width":1920,"original":"https://assets.ing.com/m/12cbed0f8e5e4e3e/original/A-woman-drinks-water-and-eats-food-while-talking-on-the-phone-and-working-on-her-laptop-in-a-cafe.jpg","extension":"jpg"},"link":{"url":"/en/business/investments/pension-investing"},"checkMarkList":["Tax benefit up to 49.5% on your contributions","Contributions and accumulated value exempt from wealth tax","All via your own bank"],"promotionalLabel":{"labelType":"operational","body":"New"}},{"componentType":"productCard","cardType":"product","cardSize":"medium","title":"What are your pension options?","intro":"What can Pension Investing do for you? Check it out","image":{"transformBaseUrl":"https://assets.ing.com/transform/3bc771d6-ef6b-4bb9-bc90-472479186ed8/Devices-Calculator_Outline","type":"image","width":0,"original":"https://assets.ing.com/m/5e1fc110daee248e/original/Devices-Calculator_Outline.svg","extension":"svg"},"link":{"url":"https://mijn.ing.nl/investments/pension-hub"},"checkMarkList":["Insight into your annual allowance","Find out if you have a pension gap","Check your tax benefit","What can it bring you?"]}]},{"componentType":"sectionTitle","title":"Frequently asked questions about pension"},{"componentType":"accordion","accordionList":[{"title":"Is pension investing tax-deductible?","richBody":{"value":"Yes, pension investing is tax-deductible — if you make use of your annual allowance or reserve allowance. This means you can deduct the amount you contribute to a pension account from your taxable income. As a result, you may pay less tax.
An extra benefit: as long as the amount you build up remains in a blocked pension account, it does not count as wealth in box 3. You pay tax when you start receiving payouts, usually from your retirement onwards. These payouts fall under income tax in box 1. Because your pension income is often lower than your current income, you may fall into a lower tax bracket than now.
In short: pension investing is not only smart for later, but can also provide tax benefits now.
"}},{"title":"What yields more: pension saving or pension investing?","richBody":{"value":"Pension investing will likely yield more than pension saving. Your money can also grow faster. Want to switch from pension saving to pension investing? You can! If you already had a pension savings account with ING, you received an email with the option to switch.
Keep in mind: investing involves risks. You can lose your contribution or part of it.
"},"textLinks":[{"url":"/en/business/pension/saving-vs-investing","text":"View all differences between pension saving and pension investing"}]},{"title":"Can I lose money with pension investing?","richBody":{"value":"Yes, you can. Pension investing involves risks. Your money is invested in funds that can rise or fall in value. This means your pension pot may sometimes be worth less than your contributions.
Investing is for the long term. Fluctuations are part of it, but over time there is a chance of returns. ING offers five investment funds, from very defensive to very offensive, so you can choose how much risk you want to take. The more offensive you invest, the higher the potential return — but also the risk of loss.
Good to know: you can always adjust your investment profile if your situation changes or as your retirement date approaches.
"}},{"title":"How much can I save or invest tax-free for my pension?","richBody":{"value":"You can set aside an amount tax-free for your pension each year, as long as you stay within your annual allowance. This allowance depends on your income and how much pension you have already built up.
If you contributed less than allowed in previous years, you can catch up for up to ten years via your reserve allowance.
"},"textLinks":[{"url":"https://mijn.ing.nl/investments/pension-hub","text":"Get instant insight into your annual allowance by answering a few online questions"}]},{"title":"What are the rules for pension investing?","richBody":{"value":"These are the rules for pension investing:
You can save for your pension yourself. At ING, we no longer offer a separate product for pension saving.
"}},{"title":"What is the difference between annual allowance and reserve allowance?","richBody":{"value":"Annual allowance is the amount you can use in a given year to build up pension with tax benefits. If you contributed less than allowed in previous years, reserve allowance arises. This is the sum of unused annual allowance from the past ten years, which you can still use — with a maximum of €42,108 in 2025.
"}},{"title":"Can I catch up on annual allowance from previous years?","richBody":{"value":"Yes, you can. If you contributed less than allowed in previous years, you can still do so via your reserve allowance. You can use unused annual allowance for up to ten years back, with a maximum of €42,108 in 2025, provided you still have a pension shortfall this year. This means you can only catch up if you also build up less pension than allowed this year.
"}},{"title":"Can I withdraw money early from my pension investing account?","richBody":{"value":"You can, but it’s not recommended. With early withdrawal, you must close the pension investment account. You then pay not only income tax but also an extra charge of up to 20% (revisierente) on the amount paid out.
"}},{"title":"Does the accumulated amount count as assets for a mortgage?","richBody":{"value":"Yes! If you are 57 or older and your pension starts within 10 years, your accumulated pension income does count toward your maximum mortgage.
"}},{"title":"Can I open ING Pension Investing with my business or personal account?","richBody":{"value":"You can only open ING Pension Investing with a personal account.
"}}]},{"componentType":"paragraph","richBody":{"value":"*This translation is intended for the customer’s convenience only. In the event of any inconsistency between the English translation and the original Dutch version, the original Dutch version shall prevail.
"}},{"componentType":"linkList","iconTitle":{"title":"Also interesting for you"},"textLinks":[{"url":"/en/business/pension/saving-vs-investing","text":"Save vs invest for your pension"},{"url":"/en/business/investments/investing-for-entrepeneurs","text":"Investing for entrepeneurs"},{"url":"/en/business/investments/pension-investing","text":"ING Pension investing"},{"url":"/en/business/pension/insight-aow-for-entrepreneurs","text":"Insight into your pension as entrepeneur"}]}]},"legalZone":{"flexComponents":[{"componentType":"paragraph","richBody":{"value":"🛈 We offer the English information on ING.nl as an additional service. This information was translated from Dutch, and in case of any inconsistency, the original Dutch text shall prevail.
"}}]}}}