The statement is not junk mail but the map of your future income. Most people file it unopened and miss for years that foreign or study periods are absent. Five minutes a year saves double-digit monthly amounts later.
Pension: Reading Your Renteninformation
Once a year the pension insurer sends a statement. Learning to read it is step one: it shows your periods, the forecast and the gaps you can still close.
✓ Verified: 18/07/2026
WHAT TO DO
AUTHORITY
Deutsche Rentenversicherung (DRV)
Public bodyPension, account clarification and rehabilitation all run through the Deutsche Rentenversicherung — with in-person advice and online services (eService).
› Details and tips
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Max recommends:
I requested the account clarification in year one: the DRV entered my EU foreign periods via a form I would never have found myself. Every recognised year is real points.
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Lea recommends:
Set up online access with the DRV: then the account is visible any time, not just once a year by post. Vital if you change jobs often.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
I am 30 and new to Germany — do I already have a pension account? ▾
Yes, it starts with your first contribution (first salary with social insurance). Even a few years of contributions are points that do not expire.
What are Entgeltpunkte? ▾
Pension points: one year at the average wage = 1 point. Pension = points x the current point value. Transparent, unlike many countries.
Is the account clarification worth it? ▾
Once in a lifetime, absolutely: the DRV checks and adds missing periods (study, children, abroad). Gaps directly cut your future pension.