Key lessons
- The pension system consists of three pillars. Everyone who lives or works in the Netherlands accrues the first pillar: AOW.
- The second pillar you build up with your employer. About 90% of all employers build up pensions for you. But this becomes less over time.
- The third pillar is pension that you build up independently. You invest or save in a special pot that you can only use at the age of your retirement.
- You can find how much you'll get each month when you retire at MijnPensioenOverzicht.
- Many Dutch people have a pension gap. This means that your pension income is less than 70% of your last earned income. If you have a pension gap, you can use the third pillar for tax purposes.
- You can calculate that with the Tax Authorities' Tool.
- Insure only if you cannot cover the damage yourself and the premium is low.
- Check each year to see if you have the most favorable health insurance for your situation.