PFA introduces new investment profiles

Investment Profile B to Profil Low

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PFA wants to ensure the highest possible return for our customers, so that they can enter into retirement with peace of mind. Based on this ambition, we have developed three new investment profiles: Profile Low, Medium and High, which will replace the current investment profiles B, C and D on 1 April 2025.

You can learn more about investment risk, return expectations and payouts in Profile Low here.

From investment profile B to Profile Low: Main changes


PFA generates a return on your pension savings by investing them in shares, bonds and investments with similar risks. With the new Profile Low, you will get more shares and other high-risk investments and fewer low-risk investments such as bonds. Similar to investment profile B, the proportion of shares etc. in Profile Low will decrease as you approach retirement, but in Profile Low, this will take place over a significantly longer period of time as the proportion of shares is generally higher.

The main changes are:

  • Your proportion of shares etc. will be increased at the expense of bonds etc.
  • The proportion of shares etc. will start to decrease earlier
  • The reduction in the proportion of shares etc. will continue after you have retired.

View the proportion of shares and similar investments in your savings

You can calculate how long you have until retirement by subtracting your age from the agreed retirement age in your pension plan. If it says state retirement age, it refers to the state retirement age applicable to your age group. For example, if you are 53 years old, your expected state retirement age will be 69 years, and you should therefore enter 16 years until retirement.

You can find your agreed retirement time in your pension certificate at My PFA under Documents

If you have retired, you can enter 'years since retirement' by placing a minus sign in front

Proportion of shares etc.
Current – Profile B
New – Profile Low

Learn more about the profile changes

Watch a video with PFA’s private economist, Camilla Schjølin Poulsen, who talks about the background for the new profiles and the most important changes.

Gradual reduction in brief

Watch a video with PFA’s private economist, Camilla Schjølin Poulsen, and get a quick explanation of how the investment of your savings will be adjusted as you approach retirement.

 
The proportion of shares etc. will be increased gradually

You will be transferred to PFA Low on 1 April 2025, after which the proportion of shares in your savings plan will be gradually increased. The purpose of gradually increasing the proportion of shares etc. is to minimise the impact of any fluctuations in the financial markets while we transfer your savings to your new profile. We expect the reallocation to be completed by 31 December 2025. You can always see the current allocation between shares etc. and bonds etc. at My PFA. Select Your savings and then Investment concepts.

 
Learn more about your new investment profile

Can I expect a higher return?

A higher expected return despite higher fluctuations in the short term
With the new profile design, you benefit from the fact that shares typically generate a higher return than, for example, bonds. In their latest forecast, the Danish Council for Return Expectations, which is an independent council established by the trade association Insurance & Pension Denmark (IPD), expected global shares to generate a return of 7.1 per cent annually over the next 10 years, while the corresponding return on government and mortgage credit bonds is just 3.0 per cent. Accordingly, a higher proportion of shares and investments with similar risks will mean that you achieve a higher expected investment return and thus higher expected payouts in retirement.

The higher expected return on shares is due to the fact that companies benefit from the momentum of the economy. As the economy grows, companies will make more money, and this will be reflected in their share price. At the same time, an investment in shares will typically have a higher level of protection against rising inflation as companies can often pass on the rising inflation to customers by increasing prices. In this way, companies can maintain earnings even if inflation rises. This is not the case with investments in bonds where returns are typically eroded by rising inflation.

Furthermore, history clearly shows that shares have typically generated a better return than, for example, bonds. However, higher returns also come with a higher investment risk, meaning greater fluctuations in the return from year to year. However, since pension is a very long-term saving, it is more relevant to look at the risk over a number of years rather than from year to year.

There is obviously no guarantee that even with a long investment horizon, shares will also, in the future, generate a better return than bonds and other safer investments. However, as long as the global economy continues to grow, which has been the case throughout history, it is likely that companies can continue to generate increasing profits and, with that, returns for investors.

How will the changes affect your expected pension payouts?

Our analyses show that the greater proportion of shares etc. will, in the long term, give you a higher expected investment return and thus higher expected payouts in retirement. Similarly, expectations are lower if you have a shorter time until retirement as you will have less time with a high proportion of shares etc.

For those who are approaching retirement

You should be particularly aware of the risk if you are approaching retirement
When you are approaching retirement, you should be particularly aware that the risk of your savings will increase and that we, as a new feature, will continue the gradual reduction of the risk after you have started receiving pension payouts. We believe this will increase your expected pension assets and thus your expected pension payouts. However, it will also mean that the fluctuations in your savings can increase, especially in the short term.
 
If you are unsure whether you have the right investment profile, you can easily and quickly get help from the investment guide at My PFA, where you can also change investment profile. From 1 April 2025, the guide will be updated with the new profiles, but you can consult it already now to find out which investment profile is right for you. If you choose to change profile before 1 April 2025, you will automatically be transferred to the new profile on 1 April 2025.

For those who plan to retire earlier than the date stated in your pension certificate

Are you planning to retire early?
If you plan to retire earlier than the retirement date stated in your pension plan, you should pay special attention to the fact that the risk on your savings plan will be gradually reduced relative to the retirement date stated in your pension plan and not based on any earlier retirement date.

If you are unsure whether you have the right investment profile, you can easily and quickly get help from the investment guide at My PFA, where you can also change investment profile. From 1 April 2025, the guide will be updated with the new profiles, but you can consult it already now to find out which investment profile is right for you. If you choose to change profile before 1 April 2025, you will automatically be transferred to the new profile on 1 April 2025.

For those who want as little fluctuations in their return as possible

Do you prefer as small fluctuations in your savings as possible?
Some people prefer as small fluctuations in their return and thus in their savings as possible – that might be because they cannot sleep at night when the value of their savings increases and decreases in the short term or because their financial situation is vulnerable or they are approaching retirement. If this applies to you, you should be particularly aware that the risk on your savings plan increases in the new profiles. It increases because we believe that it will increase your expected pension assets and thus your expected pension payouts. However, it will also mean that the fluctuations in your savings increase in the short term.

If you are unsure whether you have the right investment profile, you can easily and quickly get help from the investment guide at My PFA, where you can also change investment profile. From 1 April 2025, the guide will be updated, but you can consult it already now to find out which risk profile is right for you. If you choose to change profile before 1 April 2025, you will automatically be transferred to the new profile on 1 April 2025.

For those who are approaching retirement and whose financial situation is vulnerable

Are you approaching retirement and do you prefer as few fluctuations in your savings plan as possible?
If you are approaching retirement and your financial situation is vulnerable, you should be particularly aware that the risk of your savings will increase and that we, as a new feature, continue the gradual reduction of the risk after you have started payouts. We believe this will increase your expected pension assets and thus your expected pension payouts. However, it will also mean that the fluctuations in your savings increase in the short term. In general, we recommend customers who are approaching retirement and whose financial situation is vulnerable to choose a more cautious approach to the risk on their savings plan.

If you are unsure whether you have the right investment profile, you can easily and quickly get help from the investment guide at My PFA, where you can also change investment profile. From 1 April 2025, the guide will be updated with the latest changes, but you can consult it already now to find out which investment profile is right for you. If you choose to change profile before 1 April 2025, you will automatically be transferred to the new profile on 1 April 2025.

What happens if your savings plan includes payout protection cover?

Your savings will be transferred from investment profile B to the new Profile Low where you will keep your payout protection cover. With payout protection cover, 10 years before your retirement, your savings will gradually be converted to some special funds with extra low risk to ensure a cap below your future payouts. The closer you are to retirement, the less your savings will be affected by the transfer to Profile Low as the majority of your savings will be invested in the special funds.

If you have more than 10 years until retirement, the investment of your savings will not yet be affected by the payout protection cover, and until that happens (10 years before retirement), you will have the proportion of shares and similar investments applicable to your new Profile Low.

Learn more about the main changes in the other investment profiles  

Sign up for a webinar

Join the webinar and learn more about the changes to PFA’s investment profiles and PFA Climate Plus
 

It is important to us that you feel comfortable with the changes to your investment profile and that you can quickly get answers if you have any questions. Therefore, we invite you to a webinar where you can learn more about the background of the changes and what they mean for you.

Read more and sign up here

Get a recommendation for choosing an investment profile via PFA’s investment guide

If you are unsure whether you have the right investment profile, you can easily and quickly get help from the investment guide at My PFA, where you can also change your investment profile. From 1 April 2025, the guide will be updated with the latest changes, but you can consult it already now to find out which investment profile is right for you. If you choose to change profile before 1 April 2025, you will automatically be transferred to the corresponding new profile on 1 April 2025.

  

We intensify our climate focus in PFA Climate Plus

If you have savings in PFA Climate Plus, the changes to your investment profile will also apply to this part of your savings. In addition, we will strengthen the climate focus of PFA Climate Plus from 1 April 2025 so that we not only exclude oil, coal and gas companies, but also companies with strong ties to the fossil fuel sector.

As a consequence of the increased climate focus, the return in PFA Climate Plus is expected to be slightly lower and have slightly higher fluctuations than the return in the other savings with PFA as we cannot spread out the investments in the same way. We have therefore adjusted the terms and conditions of pension for PFA Climate Plus so that this is clearly specified.

You can take the investment guide at My PFA to get a recommendation for choosing an investment profile. In addition, based on your position on climate and risk, you can also get a recommendation for how large a proportion of your savings should be invested in PFA Climate Plus.

Get answers to the most frequently asked questions

See the difference between your current and future terms and conditions

The changes will result in an adjustment to your terms and conditions of pension. Here you can see an overview of the difference between the current and future terms and conditions.

From 1 April 2025, the new terms and conditions of pension will also be available at mitpfa.dk or in the My PFA app where you will also receive a new pension summary.