Sales traps with U-cash registers

The collapse of the Adkura support fund shows how vulnerable occupational pensions remain today. There are large gaps in the safety net, which ultimately have to be covered by employers – who, in case of doubt, take the blame for the sales force. Once upon a time there was a U-Kasse in Ratingen, today you […]

Market shakeout is foreseeable

VM No. 12/06 took a close look at what is happening in 2007 in the market for occupational pensions in general and with individual insurers in particular. The continuation will look at the case law in this area and say where there are still weaknesses and where the opportunities lie. Employers face a lawsuit for […]

Immense liability potential for intermediaries: Zillmerung in bAV impermissible!

24.04.2007 Ein aktuelles Urteil des Landesarbeitsgerichts (LAG) München bestätigt, dass die Verrechnung der Abschlusskosten in den ersten Jahren – insbesondere durch Zillmerung – in der betrieblichen Altersversorgung mit Entgeltumwandlung unzulässig ist. Entsprechende Vereinbarungen sind nichtig – selbst wenn der Arbeitnehmer vorher über die Abschlusskostenverrechung ausdrücklich aufgeklärt wurde. In seinen Gründen geht das LAG darüber hinaus […]

Certified management consultant bAV

“bAV belongs in the hands of qualified advisors and is the core task of corporate and tax advisors,” says RA Fiala. The problem is obvious: most brokers serve the wrong target group, can only broker against commission and mostly only think in terms of insurance categories. However, if you want to work as a professional […]

Caution in dealing with company pension schemes

27.11.2006 Betriebsräte, Arbeitnehmer und Unternehmer tun gut daran, bei der betrieblichen Altersvorsorge sorgfältig vorzugehen. Man kann nämlich Fehler machen, die teuer zu stehen kommen können. Darauf wies uns ein Münchner Rechtsanwalt hin, der mit einer Gruppe von Experten über diese Fragen arbeitet. Mir waren diese Probleme nicht bewusst. Wir möchten die Betroffenen darauf hinweisen. Hier […]

Financial services: Attorney disbarment

*by Johannes Fiala, Lawyer (Munich), MBA Financial Services (Univ.Wales), MM (Univ.), Certified Financial and Investment Advisor (A.F.A.), EC Expert (C.I.F.E.), Lecturer (Univ. of Cooperative Education), Banker (www.fiala.de) Lawyers who work in sales do not get a licence: The Federal Court of Justice has (judgement of 15.05.2006, Az. Anw(Z) 41/05) currently confirms that lawyers are not […]

More favourable occupational pensions without the Occupational Pensions Act (BetrAVG)

– How employers can free themselves from the constraining corset of the BetrAVG – Employers who want to set up company pensions look at the Company Pensions Act (Betriebsrentengesetz), or more precisely the Occupational Pensions Act (Betriebliches Altersversorgungsgesetz – BetrAVG). However, structuring a company pension in accordance with the BetrAVG usually suits neither the employer’s […]

Exemption from the compulsory corset of the BetrAVG

More favourable occupational pensions without the Occupational Pensions Act (BetrAVG) -How employers can free themselves from the constraining corset of the BetrAVG   Employers who want to set up company pensions look at the Company Pensions Act (Betriebsrentengesetz), or more precisely the Occupational Pensions Act (Betriebliches Altersversorgungsgesetz – BetrAVG). However, structuring a company pension in […]

Books / Technical articles

Publications – Technical papers Fiala/Schramm, Insolvency risk of British life insurers when relocating to Ireland, ExpertenReport, issue 7/2019, pages 60-62 Fiala/Schramm, When are insurers no longer obliged to pay benefits or can reduce benefits?Expert Report, issue 3/2019, pages 56-58 Fiala/Schramm, No insurance coverage in case of refusal to pay protection money, ExpertenReport, issue 11/2018. Pages […]

Employers are often liable to employees for company pension schemes

– What information, education and advisory duties are imposed on employers? – The Regional Labour Court (Landesarbeitsgericht – LAG Hamm, judgement of 06.12.2017, file no. 4 Sa 852/17) decided that the employer (AG) is liable for damages if the advice on deferred compensation in company pension schemes (bAV) was incorrect. This was the case even […]