Retirement audit in Germany: 8 things to check

A retirement audit is not a prediction of exactly how much money you will have at retirement.

It is a structured check of what you already have, what the official records say, which assumptions your plan depends on and which gaps still need attention.

For an international resident in Germany, the review can be particularly useful because retirement rights may be spread across:

• German statutory pension insurance;
• pension systems in other countries;
• employer pensions;
• private pension contracts;
• investments;
• property;
• other long-term assets.

The objective is to build one understandable picture without pretending that all of those rights belong to one pension system.

1. Check your German statutory pension record

Start with the official data.

The Deutsche Rentenversicherung stores your German pension-insurance history in your Versicherungskonto.

Your Versicherungsverlauf shows the periods currently recorded.

These can include relevant periods such as:

• employment;
• vocational training;
• certain school / study periods;
• unemployment;
• illness;
• child-rearing;
• other pension-relevant periods.

Most employment data are transmitted automatically today, but not every relevant period necessarily appears without action.

The first audit question is therefore:

Is the record complete?

When do you receive a Renteninformation?

Under § 109 SGB VI, insured people who have reached age 27 receive annual Renteninformation once the relevant contribution requirements are met.

Deutsche Rentenversicherung currently explains that the automatic information is sent to people who:

• are at least 27 years old; and
• have at least five years of contribution periods.

The first Renteninformation also comes with a Versicherungsverlauf.

From age 55, the annual Renteninformation is replaced every three years by the more detailed Rentenauskunft.

What should you check on the Versicherungsverlauf?

Look for:

• missing employers;
• incorrect earnings;
• unexplained gaps;
• school / university periods where relevant;
• vocational training;
• child-rearing periods;
• periods spent abroad;
• illness / unemployment periods where relevant.

Do not assume a gap is harmless because it happened many years ago.

The official pension projection can only be as reliable as the information recorded in the pension account.

What is Kontenklärung?

Kontenklärung is the process used to review and complete the German pension record.

Deutsche Rentenversicherung currently recommends checking and completing the account where periods are missing and notes that the formal account-clarification process commonly becomes relevant around age 43.

Documents can include evidence such as:

• employment records;
• certificates;
• proof of school / study periods;
• children’s birth certificates;
• evidence of periods abroad.

You do not have to wait until retirement to correct the record.

A retirement audit is a good reason to deal with unexplained gaps early.

2. Read the Renteninformation correctly

The projected amount on a German Renteninformation is useful.

But it is not a guaranteed future net income.

The document can contain information including:

• pension rights already accrued;
• what a full reduced-earning-capacity pension could look like under current data;
• a projection of the regular old-age pension if contributions continue;
• contribution information.

The projection depends on the assumptions and pension record used.

The amounts are gross

Deutsche Rentenversicherung explicitly states that the amounts shown in the Renteninformation are gross amounts.

Depending on the future circumstances, amounts may still be affected by:

• health-insurance contributions;
• long-term-care contributions;
• income tax.

So a projected pension of €X should not be copied directly into a future net household budget.

The projection does not show future purchasing power

The Renteninformation also warns that its projection does not incorporate the loss of purchasing power from inflation.

That distinction becomes increasingly important the further retirement is away.

A nominal future pension amount and the lifestyle that amount can buy are two different questions.

So the audit should record both:

official nominal projection and planning assumptions about future spending power.

Do not hide inflation inside an unexplained “retirement gap” calculation.

3. Map pension rights from other countries

If you have worked outside Germany, list every country where pension rights may exist.

For each country, record:

• employer / activity;
• dates;
• social-security / pension number;
• latest official statement;
• current contact details;
• earliest / normal pension ages where known;
• whether the country is covered by EU coordination or a social-security agreement with Germany.

This is documentation work before it becomes financial planning.

European pension periods can coordinate without being merged

For careers across EU countries, insurance periods can be taken into account when checking entitlement conditions under European coordination rules.

But there is no single “European pension”.

Deutsche Rentenversicherung states that each participating country generally:

• checks entitlement under its own law;
• calculates its own pension;
• pays its own pension.

That means someone who worked in France and Germany can ultimately have:

• a French pension;
• a German pension;

rather than one combined German pension containing all French contributions.

Germany vs France: how social security really differs

Do not lose track of short periods abroad

A short foreign career period can still matter.

EU rules and bilateral social-security agreements can allow periods to count when establishing entitlement conditions.

The precise treatment depends on:

• country;
• duration;
• applicable coordination / agreement;
• national pension rules.

Keep the records even when the amount seems small today.

4. Add occupational pension rights

Your German statutory pension is only one possible layer.

Check whether you have a betriebliche Altersversorgung (bAV) through:

• your current employer;
• previous German employers;
• previous employers abroad.

Collect:

• latest benefit statement;
• projected benefit;
• guaranteed elements;
• non-guaranteed projection;
• retirement date assumptions;
• survivor benefits;
• contribution history;
• employer contributions;
• costs where available;
• options if you leave the employer.

Do not count only the contract you are currently paying into.

Old employer pensions are easy to forget because no monthly payment appears in your current bank account.

Salary conversion deserves its own review

German employees can have rights relating to Entgeltumwandlung for occupational pension provision under the relevant rules.

But the audit question is not simply:

“Am I using the maximum?”

It is:

• What is the employer contributing?
• What does the arrangement cost?
• What benefit is projected?
• What happens if I change employer?
• How flexible is the contract?
• What tax / social-security treatment applies now and later?
• How does it fit with the rest of my retirement plan?

The correct answer depends on the actual workplace arrangement.

5. Inventory every private retirement contract

Create a separate line for each private contract.

Examples can include:

• Basis-Rente / Rürup;
• Riester contracts;
• private pension insurance;
• fund-linked insurance;
• pension contracts from another country;
• other dedicated retirement arrangements.

For each one, record:

Question	What to collect
Ownership	Who owns the contract?
Contribution	Current monthly / annual amount
Current value	Latest contractual value
Guaranteed benefit	If any
Projected benefit	Clearly separate from guarantees
Costs	Entry, administration, product / fund costs
Access	When and how can money be accessed?
Survivor provision	What happens on death?
Portability	What happens if you leave Germany?
Tax dependency	Which tax assumptions need specialist verification?

An audit is not complete if it knows the monthly contribution but not the contract mechanics.

Do not cancel an old retirement contract just because a newer option looks better

Existing contracts can contain:

• older guarantees;
• different tax treatment;
• surrender penalties;
• costs already incurred;
• valuable legacy terms.

A poor-looking new product category does not automatically make every old contract bad.

Review the actual contract before replacing or cancelling it.

Basis-Rente in Germany: tax deduction, limits and trade-offs

6. Use the Digitale Rentenübersicht as an inventory tool

Germany’s Digitale Rentenübersicht can now make part of this audit easier.

The free online portal provided through Deutsche Rentenversicherung brings together available information on participating:

• statutory pension rights;
• occupational pension rights;
• private retirement provision.

It can show:

• existing entitlements;
• projections;
• product information;

in one structured view.

This is useful for identifying contracts or rights that would otherwise sit in separate folders.

It does not remove the need for an audit

A consolidated portal is not the same thing as a retirement plan.

You still need to ask:

• Are all relevant providers included?
• Are foreign statutory pension rights shown separately?
• Are projections expressed on comparable assumptions?
• Are the figures gross or net?
• What retirement dates do the products assume?
• Are benefits guaranteed or projected?
• What inflation assumption should the household use?
• What income will actually be required?

Use the portal to improve the inventory.

Do not treat the total displayed number as a guaranteed future household income.

7. Define the retirement you are actually planning for

A retirement gap cannot be calculated without a target.

Clarify:

Where do you expect to live?

Germany, France, another EU country or somewhere else?

This can affect:

• cost of living;
• healthcare;
• tax;
• housing;
• currency exposure;
• access to financial products.

When do you expect to stop or reduce work?

Different pension systems can have different pension ages.

Your personal retirement date does not have to match the first date at which one pension becomes available.

What will housing look like?

At retirement, will you:

• rent;
• own a mortgage-free home;
• still have financing;
• own property in another country?

Which expenses may disappear?

For example:

• work commuting;
• retirement contributions;
• certain child costs.

Which expenses may increase?

Potentially:

• healthcare;
• care needs;
• travel;
• help at home;
• property maintenance.

A retirement target based simply on “80% of salary” can hide these differences.

8. Stress-test the plan instead of using one perfect forecast

A strong audit does not create one precise number for 20 or 30 years in the future.

It tests what happens when assumptions change.

Consider at least:

Lower retirement income

What if investment or pension outcomes are below the central projection?

Higher future spending

What if inflation or housing costs are higher?

Earlier retirement

What happens if you stop work sooner than planned?

Career interruption

What happens after:

• parental leave;
• unemployment;
• part-time work;
• self-employment;
• a period abroad?

Longer life

Does the plan rely too heavily on capital being spent down by one assumed age?

Partner death or disability

How does the household change if one income or pension disappears?

The objective is not to predict every scenario.

It is to identify which assumption can break the plan.

Check survivor and disability protection before retirement

Retirement planning is often treated as if the only risk is not saving enough.

For a household years away from retirement, there can be another risk:

the income required to build the retirement plan disappears before retirement.

Review:

• statutory reduced-earning-capacity rights;
• occupational disability / income protection;
• term life insurance where dependants exist;
• statutory survivor-pension information;
• beneficiary clauses in private pensions;
• survivor options in occupational pensions.

The German Renteninformation itself includes information about potential full reduced-earning-capacity pension rights under the recorded situation.

The more detailed Rentenauskunft from age 55 also contains information relating to survivor pensions.

Health, income protection and life insurance in Germany

Separate official pension rights from investment assets

Not every long-term asset is a pension.

A retirement balance sheet can include:

Pension income

• German statutory pension;
• foreign statutory pension;
• occupational pensions;
• private annuity / pension contracts.

Flexible financial assets

• securities portfolio;
• savings;
• cash;
• other investments.

Property

• main residence;
• rental property;
• other real estate.

These assets have different:

• liquidity;
• risk;
• tax treatment;
• income mechanics;
• inheritance characteristics.

Do not simply add them into one large “retirement pot” and divide by expected years of retirement.

Investing in Germany

What should a retirement audit produce?

At the end, you should be able to answer four questions.

What do I already have?

A documented list of official pension rights, occupational plans, private contracts and relevant assets.

What is still uncertain?

For example:

• missing German pension periods;
• unconfirmed foreign pension rights;
• unknown contract costs;
• unclear tax treatment;
• uncertain retirement location.

What gap exists under reasonable assumptions?

Not one marketing number.

A range based on stated assumptions.

What should happen next?

Potential actions might include:

• completing the German pension account;
• requesting foreign pension statements;
• obtaining missing employer-pension documents;
• reviewing an existing contract;
• building accessible savings;
• adjusting long-term contributions;
• verifying a tax question with a Steuerberater;
• changing nothing until better information is available.

An audit can legitimately conclude that no new product is needed.

A retirement audit document checklist

Before a detailed review, collect:

Germany

• latest Renteninformation / Rentenauskunft;
• Versicherungsverlauf;
• Deutsche Rentenversicherung number;
• Digitale Rentenübersicht where available;
• current and previous employer-pension statements.

Other countries

• official pension statements;
• insurance / pension numbers;
• employment history;
• relevant national pension portals or documents.

Private retirement

• annual statements;
• policy documents;
• guarantees;
• surrender / transfer information;
• costs;
• beneficiary information.

Wider finances

• investment statements;
• savings;
• property / mortgages;
• debts;
• current household budget;
• insurance.

Planning assumptions

• desired retirement age;
• likely country of residence;
• expected housing situation;
• major future goals;
• partner / dependant situation.

You do not need every number to be perfect before starting.

You do need to know which numbers are facts and which are assumptions.

How often should you review retirement planning?

There is no single statutory review interval for your complete personal retirement plan.

A practical review can be useful after meaningful changes such as:

• new job;
• salary change;
• self-employment;
• move between countries;
• marriage / divorce;
• birth of a child;
• property purchase;
• inheritance;
• major contract change;
• approaching retirement.

The annual German Renteninformation also provides a natural moment to check whether the official record and projection changed materially.

The objective is not constant tinkering.

It is keeping the plan connected to the life it is meant to finance.

Frequently asked questions

How do I know whether my German pension record is complete?

Check the Versicherungsverlauf from Deutsche Rentenversicherung and identify missing or incorrect periods. A Kontenklärung can be used to complete the record.

At what age do I receive the German Renteninformation?

Under the current system, it is sent annually from age 27 when at least five years of contribution periods are recorded. From age 55, the more detailed Rentenauskunft replaces it every three years.

Is the pension amount shown net?

No. Deutsche Rentenversicherung states that the figures are gross and can still be subject to health / long-term-care contributions and, where applicable, tax.

Does the projection include inflation?

No. Deutsche Rentenversicherung explicitly warns that purchasing-power loss is not included in the pension projection.

Are French pension years transferred to Germany?

No. EU coordination can allow periods to be taken into account for entitlement, but France and Germany normally calculate and pay their own pension components.

What is the Digitale Rentenübersicht?

It is a free German online portal that consolidates available information from participating statutory, occupational and private retirement providers.

Does a retirement audit mean I need to buy another pension product?

No. The audit should establish the existing position first. The appropriate next step may be a new contribution, a contract review, record correction, more liquidity, specialist tax clarification or no immediate change.

Can Plan Save Shine calculate my official German pension entitlement?

Official German pension records and entitlements come from Deutsche Rentenversicherung. Plan Save Shine can use that verified information within a wider financial-planning discussion; it does not replace the official pension institution.

Audit the evidence before trying to optimise the retirement plan

A retirement plan becomes much easier to evaluate once the underlying information is organised.

Start with:

• official records;
• foreign rights;
• workplace pensions;
• private contracts;
• realistic retirement assumptions.

Then identify what is genuinely missing.

The purpose of the audit is not to create urgency.

It is to replace an incomplete picture with a usable one.

Explore retirement planning Contact Plan Save Shine

Official sources

This article was reviewed against current sources including:

• SGB VI § 109 — statutory Renteninformation and Rentenauskunft framework;
• Deutsche Rentenversicherung — Renteninformation FAQ / 2026 brochure — annual information from age 27 after five contribution years, gross pension figures and purchasing-power warning;
• Deutsche Rentenversicherung — Versicherungsverlauf / Kontenklärung — checking and completing pension-account periods, including current 2026 online account-clarification guidance;
• Deutsche Rentenversicherung International — coordination of foreign insurance periods and separate pension calculations / payments by country;
• Deutsche Rentenversicherung — Digitale Rentenübersicht, 2026 guidance — free consolidated overview of participating statutory, occupational and private pension entitlements;
• Deutsche Rentenversicherung — Betriebliche Altersversorgung, 2026 edition — workplace pension framework.

Official pension entitlements come from the relevant pension institutions. Tax treatment, product suitability and cross-border planning depend on individual circumstances.