{"id":1779292239,"date":"2026-07-31T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-07-31T09:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/altersvorsorgedepot-anbieter-vergleich.de\/uncategorized-en-us\/switching-providers-transfer-instead-of-terminating\/"},"modified":"2026-09-24T10:50:39","modified_gmt":"2026-09-24T10:50:39","slug":"switching-providers-transfer-instead-of-terminating","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/altersvorsorgedepot-anbieter-vergleich.de\/en\/what-is\/switching-providers-transfer-instead-of-terminating\/","title":{"rendered":"Switching providers: transfer instead of terminating"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"avd-lead\"> When you switch providers, your balance moves from one <a href=\"https:\/\/altersvorsorgedepot-anbieter-vergleich.de\/en\/what-is\/altersvorsorgedepot\/\">Altersvorsorgedepot<\/a> to another without the subsidy being lost. The legislator has deliberately kept switching simple. In the first five years of the contract it may cost no more than \u20ac150; after that it is free. <\/p>\n<aside class=\"avd-callout tldr\">\n<p><strong>The key points at a glance:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Transfer instead of termination, otherwise the subsidy is reclaimed<\/li>\n<li>A maximum fee of \u20ac150 in the first five years of the contract<\/li>\n<li>After that no switching fee applies<\/li>\n<li>Experience shows the process takes eight to twelve weeks<\/li>\n<li>The permanent allowance application has to be submitted again with the new provider<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/aside>\n<div class=\"avd-toc\">\n<p class=\"avd-toc__title\">Table of contents<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><a href=\"\/#was-ist\">What is switching providers?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"\/#ablauf\">The process in five steps<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"\/#lohnt\">When switching pays off<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"\/#dagegen\">When you are better off staying<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"\/#personas\">Two examples<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"\/#faq\">Frequently asked questions<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n<section id=\"was-ist\">\n<h2>What is switching providers?<\/h2>\n<p> Legally it is a transfer of the contract balance. Your old provider sells the securities or transfers them, the capital goes directly to the new provider, and the new provider continues the contract with the same subsidy history. At no point do you receive money into your own account. <\/p>\n<p> That is exactly the difference from termination. Anyone who has the balance paid out and then pays it in again ends up with a <a href=\"https:\/\/altersvorsorgedepot-anbieter-vergleich.de\/en\/what-is\/non-qualifying-withdrawal-what-cancelling-really-costs\/\">non-qualifying withdrawal<\/a> that they triggered themselves. Allowances and tax advantages from all years then fall due. <\/p>\n<\/section>\n<div class=\"avd-callout zwischenfazit\">\n<p><strong>Why did the legislator arrange it this way?<\/strong><br \/>With the Riester pension, switching was practically impossible because acquisition costs were charged all over again. The fee cap is intended to prevent savers from being stuck in expensive contracts.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<section id=\"ablauf\">\n<h2>The process in five steps<\/h2>\n<ol>\n<li>Take out a new contract with your preferred provider and request the transfer request there.<\/li>\n<li>Fill in the request, enter the contract number of the old securities account and submit it.<\/li>\n<li>The new provider requests the balance from the old one; you do not have to terminate anything there.<\/li>\n<li>The capital is transferred and the subsidy history moves with it.<\/li>\n<li>Submit the permanent allowance application with the new provider.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p> The last step is the one most often forgotten. The <a href=\"https:\/\/altersvorsorgedepot-anbieter-vergleich.de\/en\/what-is\/permanent-allowance-application-submit-once-allowance-every-year\/\">permanent allowance application<\/a> applies to the contract for which you granted it and does not move with you automatically. Without it, the allowance for the year of the switch fails to appear. <\/p>\n<div class=\"avd-callout\">\n<strong>Allow for a time gap:<\/strong> Between the sale at the old provider and reinvestment at the new one, the capital sits there earning nothing for a few days, depending on the process. With a six-figure securities account this phase can be noticeable, and it cannot be planned for. <\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section id=\"lohnt\">\n<h2>When switching pays off<\/h2>\n<p> The lever is the ongoing costs. Half a percentage point less in <a href=\"https:\/\/altersvorsorgedepot-anbieter-vergleich.de\/en\/what-is\/reduction-in-yield-riy-in-the-altersvorsorgedepot-what-you-need-to-know\/\">Reduction in yield<\/a> sounds like nothing and is a lot over long periods. <\/p>\n<table class=\"avd-table\">\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Remaining term<\/th>\n<th>Difference on an account value of \u20ac50,000<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>10 years<\/td>\n<td>around \u20ac4,100<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>20 years<\/td>\n<td>around \u20ac14,500<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>30 years<\/td>\n<td>around \u20ac38,000<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p class=\"small muted\">Model calculation, 6.0% versus 5.5% net return, no further contributions. Values rounded.<\/p>\n<p> Set against a one-off fee of \u20ac150, switching is worth it with a long remaining term even for small cost differences. Conversely, anyone retiring in five years gets almost nothing out of it. <\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section id=\"dagegen\">\n<h2>When you are better off staying<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Short remaining term.<\/strong> Under ten years, the cost advantage rarely justifies the effort.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Guarantee commitments in the old contract.<\/strong> A high guaranteed annuity factor is worth money and is lost when you switch.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Ongoing reallocation.<\/strong> Anyone in the middle of a <a href=\"https:\/\/altersvorsorgedepot-anbieter-vergleich.de\/en\/what-is\/lifecycle-model-in-the-altersvorsorgedepot-the-glidepath-explained-simply\/\">lifecycle model<\/a> should choose the timing carefully.<\/li>\n<li><strong>A bad market phase.<\/strong> If securities are sold for the transfer, you realize the current price. After a slump that is the wrong moment.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<section id=\"personas\">\n<h2>Two examples<\/h2>\n<div class=\"avd-persona\">\n<p><strong>Yasmin, 33, took out a contract with her house bank in 2027.<\/strong> Reduction in yield (RIY) of 1.4 percent. In 2030 she finds an offer with 0.6 percent. Account balance \u20ac9,000, remaining term 34 years. The \u20ac150 fee applies because she is still within the first five years. Over the remaining term she nevertheless saves a five-figure amount.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"avd-persona\">\n<p><strong>Heinz, 61, securities account at \u20ac74,000, retirement at 67.<\/strong> His contract costs 1.2 percent, another one 0.7. With six years remaining, the difference stays manageable, and the upcoming reallocation would make switching even more complicated. He stays.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"avd-faq\" id=\"faq\">\n<h2>Frequently asked questions about switching providers<\/h2>\n<details>\n<summary>Do I have to terminate with my old provider?<\/summary>\n<p>No, and you should not. The new provider requests the balance. Termination with a payout would be a non-qualifying withdrawal.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<details>\n<summary>Do my ETF units move with me?<\/summary>\n<p>That depends on whether the new provider offers the same funds. Otherwise they are sold and reinvested.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<details>\n<summary>How often may I switch?<\/summary>\n<p>No numerical limit is provided for. It rarely makes sense more often than every few years.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<details>\n<summary>What happens to the allowances I have received so far?<\/summary>\n<p>They are retained in full and move with you as part of the balance.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<details>\n<summary>Can the old provider refuse the switch?<\/summary>\n<p>No. The right to a transfer is provided for by law.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<details>\n<summary>Is switching already worth it in 2027?<\/summary>\n<p>At market launch there is hardly any comparative data. Anyone wanting to switch is better off waiting until the reduction in yield (RIY) figures of several providers have been published.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<\/section>\n<div class=\"avd-callout zwischenfazit\">\n<p><strong>What should you take away?<\/strong><br \/>Transfer, do not terminate. And do not forget the permanent allowance application with the new provider, otherwise the allowance is missing for exactly the year of the switch.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"small muted\">Last updated: July 2026. Sources: BMF, German federal government, Bundestag printed paper 21\/4088, Deutsche Rentenversicherung.<\/p>\n<section class=\"avd-weiter\">\n<h2>Keep calculating and reading<\/h2>\n<p class=\"avd-weiter__rechner\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/altersvorsorgedepot-anbieter-vergleich.de\/en\/altersvorsorgedepot-calculator-extended\/\">Altersvorsorgedepot calculator Plus<\/a><\/strong> \u2014 calculate the subsidy, tax advantage and final balance for your own situation.<\/p>\n<ul class=\"avd-weiter__links\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/altersvorsorgedepot-anbieter-vergleich.de\/en\/what-is\/reduction-in-yield-riy-in-the-altersvorsorgedepot-what-you-need-to-know\/\">Reduction in yield<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/altersvorsorgedepot-anbieter-vergleich.de\/en\/what-is\/permanent-allowance-application-submit-once-allowance-every-year\/\">permanent allowance application<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/altersvorsorgedepot-anbieter-vergleich.de\/en\/what-is\/non-qualifying-withdrawal-what-cancelling-really-costs\/\">Non-qualifying withdrawal<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"avd-weiter__lexikon\">All terms at a glance: <a href=\"https:\/\/altersvorsorgedepot-anbieter-vergleich.de\/en\/what-is\/altersvorsorgedepot-glossary-all-terms-from-a-to-z\/\">Glossary from A to Z<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"avd-sources\">\n<h2>Official sources and further information<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bundesfinanzministerium.de\/Content\/DE\/FAQ\/reform-der-privaten-altersvorsorge.html\" rel=\"external nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Federal Ministry of Finance, FAQ on the reform of private retirement provision<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bundesregierung.de\/breg-de\/aktuelles\/reform-private-altersvorsorge-2400072\" rel=\"external nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">German federal government, private retirement provision reform<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bundestag.de\/dokumente\/textarchiv\/2026\/kw13-de-altersvorsorge-1156798\" rel=\"external nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">German Bundestag, resolution on the Altersvorsorgedepot (calendar week 13\/2026)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/dserver.bundestag.de\/btd\/21\/040\/2104088.pdf\" rel=\"external nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Bundestag printed paper 21\/4088 (PDF)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.deutsche-rentenversicherung.de\/DRV\/DE\/Ueber-uns-und-Presse\/Presse\/Meldungen\/2026\/260508-bundesrat-reform-private-altersvorsorge.html\" rel=\"external nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Deutsche Rentenversicherung, reform announcement<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.test.de\/Altersvorsorgedepot-4910361-0\/\" rel=\"external nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Stiftung Warentest, Altersvorsorgedepot<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.verbraucherzentrale.de\/wissen\/geld-versicherungen\/altersvorsorge\/neues-altersvorsorgedepot-rentenchance-oder-teure-verkaufsfalle-118178\" rel=\"external nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Verbraucherzentrale, the new Altersvorsorgedepot: opportunity or sales trap?<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Switching costs a maximum of \u20ac150 in the first five years. The process in five steps, when switching pays off and when you are better off staying in your old contract.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_metasync_otto_title":"","_metasync_otto_description":"","_metasync_otto_keywords":"","_metasync_otto_og_title":"","_metasync_otto_og_description":"","_metasync_otto_twitter_title":"","_metasync_otto_twitter_description":"","rank_math_title":"","rank_math_description":"","_yoast_wpseo_title":"","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"","_aioseo_title":"","_aioseo_description":"","_metasync_seo_title":"","_metasync_seo_desc":"","_metasync_breadcrumb_title":"","_metasync_primary_category":0,"_metasync_primary_product_cat":0,"_metasync_otto_disabled":"","_metasync_hreflang":"","_metasync_plugin_sync_ts":"","_metasync_robots_advanced":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[68],"tags":[69,71],"class_list":["post-1779292239","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-what-is","tag-altersvorsorgedepot","tag-reduction-in-yield"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/altersvorsorgedepot-anbieter-vergleich.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1779292239","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/altersvorsorgedepot-anbieter-vergleich.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/altersvorsorgedepot-anbieter-vergleich.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/altersvorsorgedepot-anbieter-vergleich.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/altersvorsorgedepot-anbieter-vergleich.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1779292239"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/altersvorsorgedepot-anbieter-vergleich.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1779292239\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/altersvorsorgedepot-anbieter-vergleich.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1779292239"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/altersvorsorgedepot-anbieter-vergleich.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1779292239"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/altersvorsorgedepot-anbieter-vergleich.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1779292239"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}