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Riester contracts usually end with a double disappointment: the final balance of most contracts is poor because the returns are tiny despite years of savings. On average, the return after costs is only around 1.5 percent, calculated the consumer organization Finanzwende. If you subtract inflation from this, most savers suffer real losses – and no gain despite basic government support. However, at the start of retirement, the balance must still be annuitized when it enters the payout phase. This is what the law says. At this point, the providers cash in heavily a second time:
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