Altersvorsorgedepot or Frühstart-Rente: what is the difference?
One is for you, one is for your child. The Altersvorsorgedepot is an option for adults who pay in themselves and receive a state subsidy for doing so. The Frühstart-Rente runs alongside it for children and young people aged 6 to 18, with 10 euros a month from the state and no money of your own. Both launch on 1 January 2027, but they remain two separate contracts with their own rules.
The key points in brief
- The Altersvorsorgedepot is for adults who pay in themselves and receive up to 540 euros in subsidies a year for doing so.
- The Frühstart-Rente is for children and young people aged 6 to 18, with 10 euros a month from the state and no contribution of your own.
- Both launch on 1 January 2027, but they remain two separate contracts with their own rules.
- For adults the legal position is clear; the Frühstart-Rente is still waiting for the final vote in the Bundestag.
Why are the two constantly confused?
The names sound almost the same. The launch date is identical too, and both products come out of the same pension reform, which does nothing to reduce the confusion. No wonder many readers lose track. Yet the two offers are aimed at completely different situations in life: anyone who wants to provide for their own retirement ends up with the Altersvorsorgedepot, while anyone who wants to put something aside for their child without setting aside money of their own ends up with the Frühstart-Rente.
What the Altersvorsorgedepot offers
With the Altersvorsorgedepot you pay in yourself and the state adds something on top. On the first 360 euros a year there are 50 cents of subsidy for every euro paid in, on the next 1,440 euros a further 25 cents, making a maximum of 540 euros a year. Under the age of 25 there is also a one-off starter bonus of 200 euros. No more subsidy than that is possible. By law the standard product may cost no more than 1.0 percent a year; other variants can be more expensive (BMF FAQ on the reform of private retirement provision).
What the Frühstart-Rente offers
The Frühstart-Rente works without any contribution of your own. The state pays 10 euros a month for every child between 6 and 18 resident in Germany. Sounds simple. All the same, the matter is not yet settled: the law has still not finally passed the Bundestag, even though the federal government is still planning to conclude it in 2026. Without a contract of its own, the state initially places the money in a collective account at the Bundesbank.
The key differences at a glance
|
|
Altersvorsorgedepot |
Frühstart-Rente |
|
Who it is for |
Adults |
Children & young people, 6–18 years |
|
Own contribution required? |
Yes |
No |
|
State contribution |
Tiered subsidy, up to €540/year |
€10/month |
|
Legislative status (21.09.2026) |
Adopted (Bundestag, 27.03.2026) |
Government bill before the Bundestag, not yet final |
|
Planned launch |
01.01.2027 |
01.01.2027 (planned) |
What is already settled and what is still to come
The foundation is in place. For adults the legal position is already clear, and the market is sorting itself out: of 74 providers under observation, 55 have committed to an Altersvorsorgedepot and seven already quote specific fees. As at 15 September 2026 none has been certified. The subsidy only flows once certification is in place; until then it is above all preparation that pays off. The Frühstart-Rente is also still waiting for the final vote in the Bundestag, but the direction has been set.
Conclusion
Two names, two worlds. You build up the Altersvorsorgedepot yourself over the years with your own contributions and a state subsidy, whereas the Frühstart-Rente is a gift from the state to your child for which nobody has to put a cent aside. Anyone who keeps the two apart makes the right decision for the right person. First work out whose retirement provision this is about. The rest then becomes easy. Preparing now is already worth it.
What you can do now
You cannot sign up for anything yet. With both products, though, preparation already pays off now, because anyone keeping an eye on the market decides faster later and with less stress. You can see which providers have already committed in our provider monitor . And anyone who does not want to miss anything signs up for the waiting list.
Sources
- BMF FAQ on the retirement provision reform: bundesfinanzministerium.de/Content/DE/FAQ/reform-der-privaten-altersvorsorge.html
- BMF FAQ on the Frühstart-Rente: bundesfinanzministerium.de/Content/DE/FAQ/fruehstart-rente.html
- German Bundestag, text archive 27.03.2026: bundestag.de/dokumente/textarchiv/2026/kw13-de-altersvorsorge-1156798
- Government bill, printed paper 21/7864: dserver.bundestag.de/btd/21/078/2107864.pdf
- t-online on the expiry deadline of the Frühstart-Rente
What happens if my child does nothing by the age of 35?
The important thing is to act in good time. Without a contract of its own the money sits initially in a collective account at the Bundesbank, from which it can be transferred into a personal contract up to the age of 35. Everything is then preserved, both the balance and the return. Anyone who lets the deadline pass loses the claim against the state. Put the date in your calendar early.
Can I use the Altersvorsorgedepot and the Frühstart-Rente at the same time?
Yes, they do not rule each other out. As an adult you save in your own Altersvorsorgedepot, and quite independently of that your child receives the Frühstart-Rente on a contract of its own with its own subsidy. Both run in parallel. Anyone wanting to cover the whole family simply takes both routes at once. You do not have to choose.
Does my child receive the Frühstart-Rente automatically?
In principle yes. The state pays the 10 euros a month for every eligible child, initially into a collective account at the Bundesbank. You only need a contract of your own in order to invest the balance actively and with better return prospects. Because the law has not yet finally been adopted, details may still change before the launch.
Lawyer & financial market expert · AVD Anbieter Vergleich
Rolf Henning Hackel is a qualified lawyer who has spent more than 22 years as a board member and managing director at various software providers to the financial industry, and as a founder himself. As a thorough market expert he knows not only the different providers but also the financial industry’s products, their strengths and weaknesses, and the regulatory framework around them. At AVD Anbieter Vergleich he writes about the new Altersvorsorgedepot and explains subsidies, providers and return potential in plain language — independently and free of advertising.
