The number of people who save for retirement purposes as well as the value of accumulated funds has increased. The number of participants of the pension system in 2024 was over 20.8 million people, and the value of assets – PLN 307.5 billion – according to the latest data of the Office of the Polish Financial Supervision Authority (UKNF).
A clear increase was recorded in the case of IKE and IKZE accounts, which benefit, among others Tax incentives. The savings paid to them are invested, and thus support the economy and can bring an attractive rate of return.
– In recent years we have been observing a large increase in popularity of IKE and IKZE. However, the state of assets and the number of people who save in these products is still insufficient. We know that additional savings are needed to complete our benefits for retirement – says Andrzej Sołdek, president of PTE PZU in an interview with Newseria.
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– Today in these two products we have about 10 percent. people who are professionally active and we know that this need is much greater. Each of us will need these additional funds, because the forecasted replacement rates in the future, in 20-30 years, are at 30 %, i.e. to reach a satisfactory level, i.e. about 60-70 percent. Our last salary, we need to collect additional savings – he adds.
Data from the “Report on the state of the pension market in Poland at the end of 2024” indicate that There were 964.6 thousand IKE accounts, on which assets with a total value of PLN 22.8 billion were collected. IKZE accounts were recorded 593.1 thousand. with assets value of PLN 12.1 billion. The difference between the value of accumulated funds results, among others from the fact that IKZE began to function eight years later than IKE – respectively in 2012 and 2004. In addition, the number of new IKE participants at the end of 2024 amounted to 169,547 people (an increase of 30.5 percent compared to 2023), and IKZE – 109 127 (increase by 52.3 percent).
– We have state support because these pension products have a tax encouragement, which also differs these two products. At IKE, we have a tax profit tax exemption. This is a very important benefit, because it is long -term saving. Our professional activity is 40 years, therefore we do not pay tax along the way and we gain the fact that we can also earn from this amount, which normally with other transactions we would have to give as a tax. However, we not only have these benefits along the way, but also at the end of saving we will not pay tax and this benefit is spread over years – explains Andrzej Sołdek.
He adds that in the case of IKZE we get a tax benefit immediately. This means that after paying in one year in the next one, in which we settles with tax, there is a deduction from him. The tax bonus combined with investing savings on the market and capital profit contributes to the increase in IKZE's interest.
– we observe in research, not only in Poland, but in general all over the world, that Tax benefits are an important motivator to save. This is used by Poles and we see that they understand these incentives and what these products are. We see this even through interest in the year, because we associate the tax relief with the settlement at the end of the year and the maximum of interest falls on the last quarter – explains the expert.
As he emphasizes, relief can be obtained regardless of when the money is paid to the account in a given year. However, the perception of the IKZE product can be observed through the prism of tax benefits, which is reflected in the quarterly concentration of payments.
– We are 40 years old to invest our funds through our entire professional activity. This means that we can invest them on the capital market in more risky instruments, such as shares, but it also means that they bring the best protection against inflation. So they allow you to maintain the purchasing value of money and at the same time multiply it to a higher extent than on safe instruments. Therefore, it is very important that the funds that we postpone to retire are invested effectively and bring an attractive rate of return – emphasizes the president of PTE PZU.
“Pole Investor 2024. Report from the study of Polish investors” prepared as part of the “Pole Investor Pole” initiative in cooperation, among others With the University of Economics in Krakow, he shows that investing is often motivated by fear of inflation, on a par with concern for retirement income. In addition, the results of the study indicate that 66 percent Investors notic the potential of pension programs such as IKE or IKZE as investment tools in the field of improving retirement income. 37 percent of them counts on higher income, and 29 percent on a slight increase in influence.
– It is very important to supplement the benefits that we will obtain from the base system, i.e. in our case from ZUS. The forecasts, as I said, are at the level of 20-30 years 30 percent. our last salary. That is why it is important to increase this future replacement rate through additional savings. And this is the role that IKE and IKZE retirement products have to play – explains Andrzej Sołdek.
He emphasizes that multiplying the accumulated funds translates into indirect positive effects for the whole society. Generating savings in the economy means the possibility of investing them on a macro scale, which affects the growth of GDP, on which the stock exchange depends. Higher dynamics of the economy, however, translates into higher rates of return on investment.
PTE PZU, which manages one of the largest open pension funds (OFE PZ “Golden Autumn”) and the Voluntary Pension Fund PZU (DFE PZU), running IKE and IKZE, prepared the educational campaign “You are an investor because you allow your savings to work.” Its purpose is to make current and potential customers saving in DFE PZU that the funds invested by them support the development of the Polish economy and local communities.
– We wanted to make PZU participants aware that their decision to put funds on IKE or IKZE really means that they are becoming investors. We show them how real, visible effects of investment in everyday life. which are the consequence of that our fund bought the shares of specific companies entrusted to him by customers. Members of the Fund in their surroundings see that a new school was built, for example, new stores were created giving jobs to many people on the local market – explains Andrzej Sołdek.
Among the first examples of investments of portfolio companies DFE PZU include, among others: Mirbud SA new primary school for 600 children in Szczęsno near Grodzisk Mazowiecki and a new building of the Naval Academy in Gdynia. In addition, over 2,600 new apartments devoted to Develop SA in 2024, new LPP clothing stores (660 last year) and Dino supermarkets (147 only from the beginning of this year).
– The second part of this campaign is to make clients aware of the importance of voting law, which is associated with the possession of various companies by our fund. That is why we proposed surveys in which participants may indicate how they would vote at the general meetings of the shareholders of companies whose shares DFE PZU have – explains the president of TPE PZU.
In the first survey, which lasted from May 29 to July 21 this year, its participants had the opportunity to indicate how they would vote for important resolutions during the height of such companies as LPP, Tauron Polska Energia, Benefit Systems or the White Eagle, whose shares are in the PZU DFE portfolio (as at the end of 2024). PTE PZU announces further such surveys before the next WZA.
