Help with retirement funds
- All
- Investment policy
- Investment themes
- Funds with a real estate weighting
- Funds with a commodities weighting
- Cost information
Active investment policy
Where a fund is actively managed, the composition and stock selection are determined, monitored on an ongoing basis and, if necessary, changed by the fund manager using specific criteria. The aim of the fund manager is to outperform a specific index (the benchmark) as a result of their selection. Actively managed funds are generally more expensive than passive ones.
Passive investment policy
Where a fund is passively managed (for example an index fund), management is kept to a minimum and more or less left to the market. Passive funds essentially replicate the index. The ongoing costs (TER) for funds like this are usually less than for actively managed ones.
Real estate focus
These funds place a greater focus on investing in real estate (along with other asset classes). With retirement funds, the permitted weighting in real estate under the BVV2 guidelines ranges from 0% to 30%. Our retirement funds with a weighting in real estate also fall within this range. These funds are suitable for clients who are keen on additional diversification and want to invest in other asset classes in addition to equities, bonds, etc.
Sustainability focus
These funds and their providers are highly sensitive to sustainability issues. A sustainability fund invests exclusively in companies that operate sustainably. Various focus areas are defined by the different providers and implemented in the funds using ESG criteria. ESG criteria cover environmental, social and governance issues. Funds labelled “responsible” have less demanding sustainability goals than those labelled “sustainable”.
Index fund focus
Index funds usually have a relatively low cost structure because they generally follow an index like the SMI and are not managed actively.
Alternative investments focus
These funds invest in real estate and commodities like gold and silver, along with other asset classes. These funds are suitable for clients who are keen on additional diversification and want to invest in other asset classes in addition to equities, bonds, etc.
Dynamic equity weighting focus
These funds have a variable equity weighting that can move within the range set. Depending on the situation in the markets, the equity weighting may be reduced or increased hugely. The aim is to cushion price fluctuations and achieve a higher return over the long term.
Funds with a real estate weighting
If you invest in retirement funds with a high real estate weighting, you also participate in the performance of the real estate market. It is particularly in periods of low interest rates that the real estate market can be attractive compared to bonds. The maximum real estate weighting under the BVV2 guidelines is 30%.
Funds with a commodities weighting
If you invest in retirement funds with a weighting in commodities, you also participate in the performance of the commodities market. Commodities such as gold, silver and copper serve to diversify your investments away from the traditional asset classes of equities and bonds. Under the legal provisions of BVV2, the maximum weighting of alternative investments, which include commodities, is 15%.
TER
The total expense ratio (TER) shows which ongoing costs a fund passes on to the client during the financial year. This does not include the transaction costs which may arise when investment funds are bought or sold, or any additional costs.
Transaction costs
Transaction costs (investment funds: subscription fee when buying and redemption fee when selling) are the fees that the bank charges to the client when buying and selling units of investment funds.
Additional costs
Additional costs serve to protect investors with a long-term investment horizon. Depending on the method (anti-dilution provision, SSP), additional costs may be incurred when buying or selling funds. The money generated is not used to pay fund manager salaries, but to cover the costs arising from the transaction so that they do not have to be passed on to the remaining investors.
