Luuk Ensing (66), almost retired, formerly ING and NN

Luuk Ensing built up 14 years of pension at the ING CDC Pensioenfonds. His previously accrued pension with another fund had been transferred there. Later, he continued accruing pension rights with the NN CDC Pensioenfonds. “Pension accrual at that fund stopped in 2022 and continued with BeFrank,” he explains.

Most favourable scenario
“Around the age of 60, I had two part-time jobs: one as a systems programmer at Movir (a subsidiary of NN) and one as a pastor. Using the pension planner, I calculated the most beneficial retirement scenario for me. My pension benefits from the ING CDC Pensioenfonds were set to start at 65, while my state pension age at that time was 67 years and 3 months. My pension from the NN CDC Pensioenfonds would be added on top of that. Five years later, my wife would receive her state pension (AOW). Given all this, I chose to start part-time retirement for six hours per week in June 2018.”

Maintaining the same income after retirement
With this plan, Luuk would continue earning almost the same net income as before retirement. However, he would need to keep working as a pastor two more days per week. “If my health remained good, I thought I could easily manage that.” At Movir, he reduced his working hours from 24 to 18. “I decided to retire a quarter part-time this way,” he says. The remaining 16 hours in his schedule were dedicated to his role as a pastor. “It all seemed like a perfect plan, until life threw a curveball.” In 2020, after 37 years of marriage, Luuk and his wife divorced. “Besides being emotionally difficult, it also had significant financial consequences,” he admits. “According to the law, I had to share the pension I built up during our marriage with her, which had a considerable impact on my financial situation.”

Ik heb altijd hard gewerkt en dit leek ons financieel het meest gunstige scenario.

Part-time retiring for six hours
Following the divorce, Luuk decided to leave his role as a pastor and increase his working hours at Movir to 26 per week. “I was grateful to have this option,” he says. The six hours of part-time retirement with both pension funds remained unchanged. “Because I initially opted for the ‘first more, then less’ regulation, I now receive a slightly higher pension benefit for those six hours.” Although he is not yet officially retired, aside from his part-time pension, he is already exempt from work until he turns 67, when he will start receiving his full pension and state pension.

Different choices
Looking back, Luuk says he would have made different choices had he known a divorce was coming. “I wouldn’t have retired part-time,” he admits. “When I fully retire in April 2025, I expect to lose about €1,500 net per month. Fortunately, I have a new partner, and we’re very happy together. We’re currently renovating the new house we bought as a shell construction. One thing we agreed on from the start: we’ll each remain financially independent!”