When you retire, you can make several choices regarding your pension

For example, you may choose to retire earlier, or to receive a higher pension for the first 5 or 10 years followed by a lower pension, or to exchange (part of) the partner’s pension for a higher retirement pension. The pension amount you receive if you do not make any choices is your gross retirement pension and can be found on your Uniform Pension Overview. The accrued pension reflects the situation as of 1 January. If you retire after 1 January, your pension will increase because you continue to accrue pension.

How do the flexibilisation factors affect your pension choice(s)?

If you choose to adjust (flexibilise) your pension (this is not mandatory), we use the flex factors to recalculate the amount of your pension. Life expectancy and interest rates influence the flexibilisation (flex) factors. Once your pension has started, you can no longer change your choice, and changes to the flex factors will no longer affect the amount of your pension.

New flex factors apply in the pension planner from 1 July 2026

In the pension planner, you can calculate your own pension outcomes. Are you retiring before 1 July 2026? Then the flex factors as stated in the pension scheme rules and Appendix 1 apply. The new flex factors have already been added to the planner, alongside the current ones, but they only affect calculations with a pension start date after 1 July 2026.

Your pension amount may vary

If you choose to adjust your pension, please note that the pension amount may differ due to the flex factors, depending on the date you retire. Therefore, when choosing a pension date, make a calculation both before 1 July 2026 (using the current flex factors) and after 1 July 2026 (using the adjusted flex factors). To do this, go to My pension. For information about all your options and an explanation of the pension planner, see Pension choices.

Why are the flex factors being adjusted?

Supervising authorities like De Nederlandsche Bank (DNB) and the Belgian Financial Services and Markets Authority (Belgische Autoriteit voor Financiële Diensten en Markten (FSMA)) supervise the flex factors that pension funds apply. If a pension fund uses flex factors that are not based on the correct starting points, the supervising authority can intervene. The flex factors applied must reflect the current economic situation, which is why the pension fund adjusts the pension fund adjusts the flex factors every three years. If prompted by changes in the rate of interest or life expectancy tables*, it may even be necessary to adjust the flex factors annually.

Know your choices and plan your pension

You can calculate your pension choices in My pension using the pension planner. Click on the button below to read about your pension choices and watch a video explaining how the pension planner works.

Making pension choices

Do you have any questions?

Please contact our Customer Service Center with your question. You can email or call us, we are happy to help!

_{*Life expectancy tables describe the mortality and survival patterns of the population. The pension fund uses these tables to determine the expected length of time for which pensions will need to be paid.}