On Tuesday, 19 August, an information meeting was held about the transfer of the Staples Pension Fund in liquidation to Aegon Verzekering N.V., a subsidiary of a.s.r. (hereinafter referred to as Aegon). More than 140 participants attended the meeting at the Postillion Hotel in Bunnik.

The purpose of the meeting was to inform participants about the background to the transfer, provide practical information and give them the opportunity to ask questions about the transfer to the insurer Aegon and, of course, about Aegon itself.

Rico Donders, chairman of the former board of the pension fund and now chairman of the liquidators' committee, gave a detailed presentation. He began with a look back at the history of the fund. He then discussed how the board had focused on the future of the pension fund in recent years and the board's search for a different pension administrator. The final decision to choose an insurer was partly motivated by the fact that an insurer is not allowed to reduce pensions and can guarantee annual pension increases. The agreement with Aegon was also presented, as were a number of important practical matters.

After Rico, Pieter van Helvert spoke on behalf of Aegon. He outlined the background of Aegon and the merger with a.s.r. in the future. He discussed the transition to Aegon and a large number of practical matters in detail, making it clear that the pension fund will continue to administer the scheme on behalf of Aegon until 1 November 2025. In November, participants will receive a welcome letter from Aegon and pension payments will be made by Aegon from then on. From that time onwards, participants can also contact Aegon with any questions. Until 1 November 2025, you will therefore receive your pension payments from the pension fund. You can also contact the pension fund with any questions until that date. Aegon will organise a webinar at the end of November.

During the meeting, many good and critical questions were asked. This resulted in valuable responses and insights. All in all, it was an informative and successful afternoon.