Employees put less aside in life course schemes

Dutch employees deposited 840 million euro in life course savings and insurance schemes in 2007. This is 70 million euro less than in 2006, according to figures from Statistics Netherlands and the Dutch Association of Insurers. Deposits in the other form of company saving, the salary savings scheme, amounted to 1.1 billion euro; this is the same amount as in 2006. 

At the end of 2007 participants in the life course schemes had a total credit balance of 1.8 billion euro. This is twice as much as at the end of 2006. Participants used 52 million euro to finance a period of unpaid leave last year.

The number of life course savings  accounts and insurance policies rose from 220 thousand in 2006 to 269 thousand in 2007. The average amount that participants have in credit is thus 6,700 euro. The life course savings scheme came into effect in 2006.

Balance in company savings schemes, 31 December 2007