Simulate Germany's new Altersvorsorgedepot: state subsidies, tax benefits and ETF growth — in seconds.
Expected from 1 January 2027. Product launch subject to final provider rules and approval.
See how much your government-supported ETF pension could grow over time.
Blended return:
Your wealth after …
Extra tax savings over the years:
For the first time, the self-employed get real government support for retirement — paid straight into ETFs, with tax-free growth and a legal cap on costs. No insurance wrapper. No contribution guarantee. From 1 January 2027. Reserve your spot and be first in line when it goes live.
Get an email the moment the Accountable Altersvorsorgedepot opens, plus clear, practical tips on building retirement wealth.
All figures are illustrative example calculations and do not constitute tax or investment advice.
It's a government-backed securities account for private retirement saving, live from 1 January 2027. The important part for you: it's the first state-subsidised retirement product the self-employed can actually use—putting government top-ups straight into ETFs and funds, with no contribution guarantee and no costly insurance layer.
Unlike Riester, contributions flow straight into the capital markets. Gains and income stay tax-free while you're saving—you pay tax later, in retirement, usually at a lower rate.
Receive a base subsidy of up to €540 per year, up to €300 per child, plus a one-off €200 bonus if you're under 25. Real money added to your investments every year you save.
Total effective costs are legally limited to a maximum of 1%. The 2026 pension reform introduced stronger consumer protection than previous retirement products.
Most self-employed people save for retirement through a normal ETF account because until now it was the only sensible option. Here's what changes when those same ETFs sit inside the Altersvorsorgedepot.
| Altersvorsorgedepot | Plain ETF account No government support | |
|---|---|---|
| Government subsidy | Up to €540/year | None |
| Child subsidy | Up to €300 per child/year | None |
| Tax benefit | Up to ~€500/year | None |
| Tax-free growth | ✓ Yes | Capital gains tax applies |
| Invest in ETFs | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Cost cap | Maximum 1% | Depends on provider |
| Access before retirement | Restricted | Anytime |
| Flexibility | Medium | High |
| Available | January 2027 | Right now |
The trade-off is simple: a plain ETF account gives you total flexibility but zero government support. The Altersvorsorgedepot asks you to keep your money invested until retirement and rewards you with subsidies, tax advantages and tax-free growth while investing in the very same ETFs.
Germany has tried to fix private pensions before. Both attempts either shut the self-employed out or gave them a raw deal. Here's why — and why the Altersvorsorgedepot is different.
Riester was designed around employees. The whole structure assumed a traditional salary and pension contributions that most freelancers simply didn't have.
Rürup was aimed at the self-employed, but the product was too rigid for people with changing income and a need for flexibility.
The 2026 pension reform decoupled eligibility from a salary and from the statutory pension system. From 2027, the self-employed — and salaried professionals in occupational pension schemes — can receive the full government subsidy in their own right. The same ETFs you'd buy anyway now come with state top-ups, tax benefits, tax-free growth and a legal 1% cost cap.
Traditional retirement products are often expensive and hard to understand. Accountable combines state subsidies with ETF investing in one simple experience.
Your annual "gift" from the state, paid directly into your investment account. Your savings are rewarded every year without expensive insurance products.
Receive up to €300 per child every year, helping families build long-term wealth faster.
Fees are capped by law, so your money stays invested instead of disappearing into hidden costs.
Join the list and we'll let you know as soon as the Altersvorsorgedepot is available at Accountable.
All figures are illustrative example calculations and do not constitute tax or investment advice.
From your first euro to your retirement income — here's how it works.
Base subsidy: up to €540/year (50% on the first €360, 25% from €360–€1,800).
Child subsidy: 100% of your contribution back, up to €300 per child/year, plus a one-off €200 for under-25s.
Tax benefit: up to around €500 back per year, depending on your tax rate.
Cost cap: effective costs limited to 1% by law.
Tax-free growth: no tax on gains until retirement.
Subsidised contributions: up to €1,800/year of your own money.
Payout from 65: take up to 30% as a lump sum, the rest paid until at least age 85.
Early withdrawal: forfeits the subsidy (except for buying your primary residence).
Retirement taxation: tax is due only during retirement, usually at a lower rate.
Choice: select either a private ETF account or the public state fund.
Illustrative assumptions for the tax benefit: €1,800 annual contribution, €540 subsidies, 42% marginal rate and a 5.5% solidarity surcharge.
Where things stand — from the reform to go-live. Join the waitlist so you don't miss the start.
The reform act passes: Bundestag on 27 March 2026, Bundesrat on 8 May 2026.
Government and central agency publish the detailed subsidy rules and provider interfaces.
Accountable builds the product and prepares the integration and approvals.
The Altersvorsorgedepot goes live from 1 January 2027. Waitlist members hear first.
It's a government-backed securities account for private retirement saving, available from 1 January 2027. It replaces the Riester pension and, for the first time, lets you invest state subsidies directly in ETFs — without a contribution guarantee and without an expensive insurance wrapper.
The base subsidy is up to €540 per year (50 cents per euro up to €360, then 25 cents up to €1,800). On top of that there's up to €300 per child per year, a one-off €200 bonus for under-25s, and a tax benefit worth up to around €500 a year. Effective costs are capped at 1% by law.
The Altersvorsorgedepot launches on 1 January 2027. The pension reform act was passed by the Bundestag in March 2026 and approved by the Bundesrat in May 2026. Join the waitlist and we'll email you the moment sign-up opens.
Yes. From 2027, the self-employed — and members of professional pension schemes in salaried roles — are eligible for the full subsidy for the first time. This wasn't possible under Riester, and it's a core reason Accountable is building this product.
You can keep contributing to Rürup and open an Altersvorsorgedepot alongside it. The key difference is flexibility: Rürup locks your money into a lifelong annuity with no lump sum and no early access, while the Altersvorsorgedepot lets you take up to 30% as a lump sum from 65 and invests directly in ETFs. Which mix is right depends on your income and tax situation — worth a look with an advisor before you decide.
No. This is the big change from Riester. From 2027, eligibility is no longer tied to paying into the statutory pension system, so the self-employed qualify for the full subsidy in their own right — no contributing spouse required.
Only up to €1,800 of your own contributions per year receive the subsidy and tax-free growth. Anything above that is treated like a normal ETF account: capital-gains tax applies, with the 30% partial exemption for equity ETFs and your annual €1,000 saver's allowance. The calculator handles this split for you.
