PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten — Do you know how much pension you will receive when you retire and if this is enough to cover the cost of living? Independent pension bureau Montae Caribbean conducts an internet survey to measure the pension awareness of the inhabitants of the Dutch Caribbean. Everyone can take part in the survey via the website www.caribbeanpensionsurvey.com
People have to work longer due to the increase of the AOV age. In addition, there are several changes in pension plans of governments and companies. Yet, time and again it turns out that people find the topic pension not interesting or too difficult.
Stacey René, actuary and general manager of Montae Caribbean, wants to do something about this low pension awareness. “Nowadays people live longer. Your pension is your income for 15 to maybe even 30 years of your life. You will want to continue to live pleasantly during that period. That is why it is so important that you know where you stand with your pension accrual. If you start to take an interest just before your retirement, then it is too late to take action if the result would be disappointing. The earlier you know where you stand, the better. Many current pension plans have several flexible choices. It is good to know what the possibilities are. In addition, there are certain moments in your career and in your life that you have to take action for your pension. Take, for instance, a good look at your pension when you change jobs.”
Increase pension awareness
Montae Caribbean hopes that the results of the survey will enable pension providers to improve their communication to the participants of pension plan. The ultimate goal is to increase the pension awareness on the islands.
Simple questions
But does a survey about a complicated subject such as pension not immediately scare people? “There is no need for that,” says Stacey René. “The questions are quite simple and can be answered by everyone. The website www.caribbeanpensionsurvey.com takes you through the questions and you can answer them within five minutes. These answers will give us an indication of the pension awareness on our islands.”
Focus on general public
In order to get a good picture of the pension awareness it is vital that as many people as possible fill in the internet survey. “We have used Facebook to make the survey known and we hope that radio, TV and newspapers want to give it some attention. We are consciously focusing on the general public, not on people in the pension sector.”
Chance to win an iPad
People who fill in the survey can participate in a raffle for an iPad. In order to have a chance to win this iPad you have to fill in your e-mail address. “That e-mail address is only used to be able to contact the winner of the iPad,” Stacey René emphasized. “The survey is completely anonymous. The individual results are not shared with anybody and the e-mail addresses are not used for any other purpose. If you don’t fill in your e-mail address you can still take part in the survey, but in that case you do not participate in the raffle for the iPad.”
Survey runs up to and including November 13
All inhabitants of the islands are kindly invited to take part in the survey. They can do that via www.caribbeanpensionsurvey.com or www.facebook.com/montaecaribbean. The survey is open up to and including November 13.
Montae Caribbean hopes to be able to publish the results end of November.
