Pthinking about tomorrow is something quite normal, but doing so with the pension issue in mind is not yet customary. Especially when you are still young. The common tendency, however, is to postpone the discussion to a generic “then”. Also complicit, it must be said, is a bureaucracy that often seems to speak its own language. Something, however, is perhaps moving. From next July, in fact, the universe of supplementary pensions will be renewed thanks to an institutional portal designed specifically to explain, in simple words, how to take care of your future independence.
Supplementary pensions and severance pay, the second pillar to protect autonomy
The social security system is based on a fundamental “pillar”: the compulsory public pensionthe one that the State guarantees at the end of one’s career. As we know, however, it is not the only support possible once you leave the world of work. There is, in fact, a second pillar which is precisely that of complementary pension provision, supplementary pensionsprecisely. This is a voluntary choice that serves to supplement the amount you will receive monthly, which is often too low to live decently.
Protection extended beyond subordinate employment
Pension funds are, to all intents and purposes, a safe and regulated investment into which small or large contributions are paid periodically. The recent Budget Law has also introduced other incentives to make retirement savings more attractive: the maximum amount of contributions that can be deducted from taxes has risen to 5,300 euros per year, and greater flexibility has been introduced to get the money back in the form of capital in case of need.
Beyond the technicalities and bureaucracy, what really changes with the latest reforms and how to navigate between deadlines and savings opportunities. (Getty Images)
A portal for friends: information just a click away
Precisely to prevent this mechanism from catching citizens unprepared, the Ministry of Labor and Social Policies has launched a online platform. The goal is to transform financial education from a boring duty to an empowering tool. Available on the Ministry website, this digital space was designed for welcome the doubts of those who do not have a degree in economics but he wants to protect his savings. Through videos, practical guides and answers to the most common doubts, the site proposes how a guided path to understand the tax advantages of social security and existing protections, offering useful support also to employers who must inform their staff.
Time flies: the novelty of silent consent from July 1st
The portal will also give ample space to the topic of severance paygiven the news that will come into effect on July 1st and will introduce a mechanism called “silence-assent” for the management of severance pay, or the “liquidation“which the employer sets aside every month for its employees and which is delivered at the end of the employment relationship. But how does this new rule work?
The sixty day countdown for new hires
To date, starting from the moment of hiring, a sixty-day countdown begins within which, the worker can actively decide whether to keep his money in the company or allocate it to a pension fund. If he says nothing, the severance pay automatically remains with the company. From July 1st, the new rule will completely overturn this mechanism: silent consent will become a silent consent in favor of pension funds.
The four rooms of conscious saving
The platform is divided into four large thematic areasdesigned to accompany the user step by step, without making him feel lost amidst codes and decrees.
- the first area explains the basics of how the funds workaccess and costs, dispelling the common idea that a supplementary pension is a luxury only for those who earn a lot. This section, moreover, analyzes in detail the functioning of the severance pay and the deadlines for silent consent;
- the second is perhaps the more practical areabecause it contains an interactive guide that allows you to carry out simulations and understand which path is best suited to your situation;
- the third is dedicated to those who want to delve deeper Italian and European laws, without getting lost in bureaucratic jargon. Here there is a section where you can download the updated forms;
- the fourth is a real archive of educational materials which includes always fresh news and a very useful glossary to learn to master the terms of the sector.
The power to not suffer deadlines
From now on, therefore, not deciding will be equivalent to letting someone else decide what we want our future to be. Become familiar with the right tools, starting from the interactive simulations of the new ministerial portal, it can be an opportunity to understand where your money will end up. To prevent, therefore, that “silence” from becoming an automatic yes to the financial markets, the only real defense it’s breaking that silence and taking back control of your wallet.
