The first pillar of retirement income

The Architects’ Pension Fund (VwdA) was founded in 1970. The VwdA is the compulsory insurance provider for all self-employed members of the Baden-Württemberg Chamber of Architects, the Schleswig-Holstein Chamber of Architects and Engineers and the Hamburg Chamber of Architects. This means that it acts as the first pillar of retirement income for its members.

VwdA for the self-employed

Compulsory insurance for the self-employed – The VwdA offers compulsory insurance to self-employed members of the Chamber of Architects. It is obligatory for self-employed architects to participate in the VwdA. This is because self-employed professionals have been required to arrange their own retirement pension insurance since the pension reform of 1957.

VwdA for employees

Freedom of choice for employees – Employees have a unique chance to choose whether, for the same rate of contribution, they would like to make themselves exempt from the requirement to take out compulsory insurance under the statutory pension insurance scheme or use the VwdA as a supplementary pension scheme.

VwdA for civil servants

Supplementary pension scheme – Civil servants who are entitled of their own right to a pension under public sector regulations are not compulsory members, but may use the VwdA as a supplementary pension scheme.