Company pension scheme

• Optimisation of plan assets (strategic asset allocation, selection of asset managers, ESG aspects) Exploit the full potential of your pension assets: we develop an investment strategy that takes into account your obligations, sustainability goals and risk profiles – and support you in selecting the right asset managers.
• CTA Health Check (governance, costs, strategy, accounting) Is your contractual trust arrangement (CTA) structure efficient and future-proof? Does your CTA meet the current requirements for plan assets and cover assets? Our Health Check analyses governance, costs and capital investment – and shows you specific areas for optimisation.

• Pension risk transfer (PRT) / outsourcing (e.g. pension fund) Would you like to permanently remove pension risks such as longevity and interest rate changes from your balance sheet and focus on your core business? We analyse the most economical solution and accompany you throughout the entire risk transfer process. You can find more information in our one-pager.
• Plan redesign / modernisation / termination (conversion to defined contribution schemes, capital options, harmonisation, plan closures, negotiations with employee representatives, communication) Are your current pension plans expensive, risky and unattractive to young talent? We support you in the strategic realignment of your company pension scheme – from modernisation through flexible, cost-controlled pension systems to legally compliant adjustment or closure of old commitments. Our expertise covers the entire process – from the initial analysis and negotiations with the works council to transparent employee communication. The result is a sustainable pension landscape, which is also ideal for harmonisation after an M&A transaction.

• Balance sheet optimisation in accordance with IFRS/HGB (IAS 19.157, outsourcing to U-Kasse/pension fund) Strengthen your balance sheet: we identify untapped potential – for example, by derecognising risk benefits or outsourcing obligations to relieve the balance sheet. You can find more information in our one-pager.
  
• Second opinion & valuation support (M&A focus) (counter valuation, second opinion, assumption benchmark) Do you require an independent valuation or would you like to compare your assumptions with the market? We provide reliable decision-making bases – especially for transactions.
• Global accounting & consolidation (global pension management, consolidation, advice on international GAAP differences) Do you lack a global overview of the risks, costs and correct accounting of your international pension plans? We create transparency, uniform governance and a consolidation basis that complies with auditing standards.

• Pension Admin Health Check (process reviews, digitisation of pension portals) Excel chaos in occupational pension administration? We digitise your processes, improve data quality and reduce effort and costs. You can find more information in our one-pager.
• Agreed Upon Procedures (AUPs)
  Do you require independent confirmation of a specific matter, such as data integrity? Even without a full audit opinion, we will carry out exactly the agreed audit procedures.
• Interim Management / Spezial-Know-how Pensions
  Are you experiencing a staffing shortage or require highly specialised pension expertise on a temporary basis for a complex project? We can step in at short notice.
• Preservation of assets (Section 16 of the Occupational Pensions Act) Do you require a clear basis in labour law for adjusting your current pensions? We provide the necessary expert opinion on the economic situation of your company. You can find more information in our One-Pager.

• Sell-Side
  Are you planning to sell your company, enter into a joint venture or take on investors? We can compile a fact book or vendor due diligence report on your pension obligations – including optimisation options and purchase price adjustments.
• Buy-Side
  Are you acquiring a company? We analyse the pension obligations of the target company – including financing, accounting, risks and effects on profit and loss and cash flow. We also show you options for purchase price adjustments.

The Pension Assessment Group is the point of contact for all accounting-related questions concerning occupational pension schemes from the employer's perspective. We provide support in the following areas:

• Audit and audit-related consulting in all areas of personnel obligations (pensions, death benefits, allowances, early retirement, anniversaries, partial retirement)
• Assistance with the transition of accounting systems (IFRS, double-entry accounting)
• Analysis of new or amended pension commitments with regard to their impact on the balance sheet
• Dealing with direct insurance companies, pension funds, pension schemes, support funds and trust models (CTA), particularly in relation to transfers
• Support in managing the business and accounting risks arising from personnel obligations

Tax issues also play a decisive role in occupational pension schemes – both from the perspective of the employer company and from the perspective of employees. Our advice not only includes supporting our clients in fundamental questions relating to the creation or restructuring of occupational pension schemes and in the context of ongoing tax declarations, but also targeted support in transaction and post-deal tasks and assistance with tax audits. In cooperation with the experts in our specialist departments, we also cover the disciplines of income tax and investment taxation as well as issues relating to international secondments. With the aim of enabling our clients to establish an attractive, transparent and manageable pension landscape, we always coordinate our advice closely with the disciplines of (labour) law, accounting and finance.

In order to place the advice we provide on your pension schemes on a solid legal footing, we work closely with our cooperation partner KPMG Law Rechtsanwaltsgesellschaft mbH. The synergy effects enable us to supplement our expertise in a multidisciplinary manner, including excellent advice on employment and occupational pension law, company law and insolvency law. KPMG Law is just as provider-neutral and independent as we are, so your interests are always at the forefront.

Our partner's range of services includes comprehensive, needs-based advice on legally compliant support for the introduction, implementation, restructuring and settlement of pension commitments. You thus benefit from KPMG Law's many years of cross-sector experience, particularly in restructuring and transactions and other de-risking of pension commitments. 

KPMG Law prepares legal opinions and expert reports for you, reviews legal requirements for a tailor-made and sustainable design of your respective structure and drafts the necessary implementation documentation. You will receive legal support tailored to your needs during your negotiations and communications with, for example, beneficiaries, works councils, committees and providers. This naturally also includes representing you in any legal proceedings.