Take part in the survey: which risk suits you?
Blog
From Wednesday June 10, 2026, the Heineken Pension Fund will send out invitations for a survey into the risk that suits you when we look at investing for your pension. We cordially invite you to participate.
For this research, we are working together with consultancy firm Sprenkels. The questionnaire is conducted via QuestionPro. So you can safely use the personal link in the invitation. You will receive the invitation by email from noreply@pensioenfonds.heineken.nl or by post. You have until July 10, 2026 to complete the questionnaire.
Why do we do research?
From January 1, 2026, a new pension scheme will apply to you. Your pension will move in line with the results of the investments. By investing, the fund tries to grow your pension or future pension in line with price increases in the Netherlands. This is only possible if we invest. However, investing can be done in different ways, from risky to less risky. In general, investing usually yields more in the long term than saving. But investing also means taking risks. For example, investment results can be disappointing or even negative. If we really don't take any risk at all, there is no chance that your pension will grow with the price increases.
What happens to your answers?
We take the results of the research into account when determining our investment policy. That is why we want to know how much risk you are willing to take for your pension.
By completing the survey, you can influence the way in which your pension is invested and therefore also the amount of your (future) pension. Together with other participants, you give direction to our investment policy. The fact that you can do this is quite unique: in the Netherlands, participants have a relatively large amount of influence on the policy of their pension fund. So your opinion really counts.
Our current policy is based on the previous Risk Preference Survey (RPO) from 2023. With this research, we test whether this policy still meets your needs. The explanation of the results of the previous study can be found on our website.
Good to know: The way in which you complete the survey has no consequences for your personal pension. It concerns the joint risk policy for all participants, former participants and pensioners.
Help with Completing the Survey
Do you have questions about the survey or would you like some assistance completing it? On Thursday, July 2, we will be available from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM at Stadhouderskade 84 (ASTAD4). We’ll be happy to help you get started and answer any questions you may have.
To make an appointment, email mike.vanelburg@heineken.com, or simply stop by The TEMP Lab.
Thursday June 18, webinar: how much risk suits you?
The research is explained in the webinar via Teams. In this interview we explain how the research works, what the goal is, why the research is important, what happens with the results and when you will hear more about the results. You can ask questions (anonymously) via the chat.
Missed the webinar? Click here to watch the Dutch version again. And click here for webinar with English subtitles.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens if I don't participate in the study?
If you do not participate, your opinion will not be included in the survey. We base our investment policy on the results of the research, among other things. In addition, we look at scientific research on investing and at the composition of and ratio between participants, former participants and pensioners.
You can't participate, but then you leave the choices for the investment policy more to others.
What if I have a different opinion than other participants?
If you have a different preference than most participants, this will be taken into account, but your vote is not decisive. We look at the overall picture of all participants together. Based on this, it is partly determined how much risk is appropriate for the entire fund.
That means:
Your opinion counts in the whole;
The final choices are partly based on the total results of the research and scientific insights;
It is therefore possible that the policy does not exactly match your personal preference.
That is precisely why it is important to participate: the more people give their opinion, the better the final policy meets the wishes of all participants.
Will my personal data be used in the research?
Some personal information is needed to ensure that the amounts and examples in the study match your personal pension situation. This allows you to assess the different scenarios more realistically and better assess which risk suits you. Your personal details also ensure that the survey can only be completed once. Your answers will remain anonymous and will only be used for this research. After the study, we will delete your personal data that was used for this study.
It may be that there is a (large) difference in the amounts in the pension meter. How is that possible?
In the pension meter you see three amounts:
Your pension if things go wrong.
Your expected retirement.
Your pension if all goes well.
The three amounts can feel high in slide position 5 and 6, especially for young participants. In these scenarios, it is assumed that the economy will be very good over a long period of time. Disappointing returns can also occur during these periods. In that case, your pension will be lower. It is important that you weigh the high amount against the low amount, taking into account that this can also be disappointing. Investing involves risks and results can also be disappointing.
Click here to read more Frequently Asked Questions
Here you will also find questions and answers about how the questionnaire works and how to adjust certain settings if, for example, the pension meter does not work properly.