Our retirement future appears increasingly uncertain, and yet among Italians, supplementary pension provision is still struggling to take off. A significant problem, if we consider that the gap between the salary earned during the career and the amount of the pension is destined to increase more and more: in 2040 a private sector employee who retires with 38 years of contributions will obtain a gross allowance equal to 58.7% of the latest earned income. While in 2010 the ratio was 73.6%. On the sustainability of our pension system it also weighs birth crisis that we are experiencing and which already sees Italy among the last in Europe in the ratio between employed and retired people. It is above all those who are penalized under 35 who, as highlighted by the latest data on youth unemployment, have more difficulty entering the job market and, when they succeed, often obtain atypical or fixed-term contracts with low wages.
Despite the difficult context, according to research by Excellence Consultingin Italy only 9.4 million workers have a supplementary pension, just a third of the total. Among the factors that hinder a greater use of supplementary pensions (which includes among its instruments open, negotiated and pre-existing pension funds and individual pension plans) are the lack of knowledge and insufficient financial education more generally, the excessive prudence, lack of information. A study of Talents in Motion (platform that puts Italian companies in contact with young talents), created on a sample of 1,482 interviewees, reveals that 81% of young people between 20 and 35 years old do not have adequate knowledge about pension funds and that only a minority (16%) actively use it. At the same time, 94% of those interviewed declared that they would like to know more about supplementary pensions and 96% recognize the importance of pension funds as a corporate welfare tool.
The Previverso project
Is exactly educate young people on social security issues and making them aware of the opportunities offered by these tools is the goal of Previverseproject created by Talents In Motion e from Arca Fondi Sgr. “With Previverso, we are committed to providing young people with the tools and knowledge necessary to confidently navigate the world of social security, while promoting a constructive dialogue between companies, academic institutions and public institutions,” he underlines Ugo Loeser, CEO of Arca Fondi Sgr. “Our mission has always been to enhance and attract talent in Italy,” adds Patrizia Fontana, president & founder of Talents In Motion. “With this in mind, we believe that social security education is a fundamental pillar to ensure not only the personal and professional growth of young people, but also the long-term sustainability of our economic system.”
Ugo Loeser, CEO of Arca Fondi Sgr
Supported by a scientific committee made up of 15 experts from various disciplines, the project is divided into three areas: PreviTank, PreviEdu e Previverso Day. PreviTank will start in Rapallo (Genoa) on May 10th, giving life to a traveling forum that will touch three different locations. Academics, entrepreneurs, CEOs, human resources specialists, trade union representatives and sector experts will meet for a transversal dialogue with the aim of developing, along several working groups, concrete actions to propose to the institutions. Through PreviEdu instead, a program of meetings will be developed which will involve companies and universities throughout Italy. The fruits of the meetings and experiences gained in PreviTank and in PreviEdu conferences they will be shared during the Previverso Dayan event scheduled for November in Rome.