In our previous newsletter, we told you that the Mars Pensioenfonds funding ratio had plummeted, but it could have been worse. At the end of April the policy funding ratio was 118.8% and the required capital 123%. This means that Mars Pensioenfonds will still have to submit a recovery plan to De Nederlandsche Bank before 1 July. But: Mars Pensioenfonds does not expect any problems to recover in time. You can read more about this on our website. 

The pension planner workshops had been scheduled for 18 March, but we decided to cancel because of the coronavirus. The workshops were always a huge success. We are therefore exploring the possibility of continuing the workshops in a different format, as an online version. We are currently looking at how we can best offer these workshops to you. We will post a news item on the website once we have more clarity. Keep an eye on the website if you would like to participate! 

It has been a while: in June 2019, a Pension agreement was concluded between the cabinet, the unions and employer organisations. This is an outline agreement. It is not clear yet how this agreement will affect you, as a member of the Mars Pensioenfonds. Minister Koolmees expects a specification of the agreement from the national steering committee by the end of June 2020, after which the cabinet can set to work on follow-up steps. The media are currently reporting that the introduction of this new “pension contract” might take place in 2027. But this is far from certain. We will inform you via our website and the digital newsletter as soon as we know more. If you wish to stay informed of the Pension agreement, be sure to check our website regularly!

Our pension plan also considers your family situation. Your partner will receive a partner pension if you pass away, and your children may receive an orphan’s pension. You should be aware of this. You can read more about this on our website. Make sure to also check the amount of your partner pension and whether this will be enough for your partner. It is also good to know that the amount is different for people who still work at Mars than for those who no longer work at Mars.