There are two arrangements to the pension plan, the mandatory company-paid plan and the voluntary (Entgeltumwandlung) salary sacrifice arrangement. For details, please see the Direct Insurance Pension Handbook (Versorgungsordnung): 
Direct Insurance Pension Handook–Hamburg [PDF]
Direct Insurance Pension Handbook–Munich [PDF]

Back to top

All regular paid employees are eligible for the pension plan and will be automatically enrolled from the date of hire. Employees can withdraw from the voluntary plan at any time but are unable to withdraw from the mandatory plan until they reach retirement age (62).

Back to top

Adobe must guarantee the money invested in the pension plan as stated by German legislation. Adobe has chosen to have this guarantee insured by Allianz Lebensversicherungs-AG.

All mandatory and voluntary contributions are paid to a direct insurance (Direktversicherung) arrangement with Allianz Life Insurance, up to an annual limit of €7.248, defined by German tax legislation. Any contributions in excess of this limit are paid to a support fund (Unterstützungskasse), also with Allianz Life Insurance.

As a member of the pension plan, you also receive repayment cover. This means that the accumulated retirement savings amount in the pension plan will be paid out to your beneficiaries in the case of your death.

Back to top

Adobe contributes 3% of your fixed basic salary to the direct insurance (Direktversicherung) arrangement with Allianz Life Insurance. Contribution amounts are are calculated annually each December at the start of the Adobe Financial year, up to the annual limits defined by German tax legislation, which can vary from time to time.

Back to top

You can make additional voluntary contributions to the salary sacrifice (Entgeltumwandlung) arrangement by contributing the difference between the maximum tax allowance and Adobe’s contributions. A salary sacrifice arrangement reduces your salary in return for the equivalent value of pension contributions.

Choose to invest your contributions in these three investment styles:

1. Allianz Perspektive (conservative without a guaranteed interest but higher rate of return)
2. Allianz IndexSelect (conservative plus a EURO STOXX participation)
3. Allianz KomfortDynamik (conservative plus a capital market fund, which invests in equities, corporate bonds, etc.)

Additional contributions if your annual base salary is above €100.000

You can make additional voluntary contributions to the Allianz Support Fund (Unterstützungskasse) and can choose from three investment styles:

1. Allianz KomfortDynamik (conservative with a guaranteed interest rate)
2. Allianz Perspektive (conservative without a guaranteed interest but higher return)
3. Allianz IndexSelect (conservative plus a EURO STOXX participation)

The statutory tax limit is at 8% of the social security contribution ceiling, which is €90,600 p.a. in 2024 (i.e., €7.550 p.a.). The ceiling for social security-free contributions to the pension plans is 4% of the SSCC (€3.624 p.a. in 2024). Contributions payable by Adobe must be taken into account when calculating the tax limit.

If you wish to change your investment style, a separate contract will be required.

Learn more about how voluntary contributions work

You can schedule a 30-minute, one-to-one call with a Mercer consultant to better understand all aspects of contributions and how they affect your pay.

Book your call now

Back to top

If you have a direct insurance from a previous employer, you can roll it into the Adobe’s direct insurance by emailing Adobe.Pensions@mercer.com. You should note that Adobe does not take over and continue any previous direct insurance contracts. Instead, the funds are transferred to the Allianz plan.

Back to top

To sign up for additional voluntary contributions, visit My Adobe Benefits.

1. Select Benefits Selection > Benefits Enrollment Window.
2. Select Direct Insurance Opt-in, and complete the required fields.
3. Add to Cart.
4. Go to Cart, select Checkout and Confirm Selection.

For more information on additional voluntary contributions and how to make your selection, check out Salary Sacrifice and Risk Cover [PDF].

Back to top

Register and access your pension account anytime to monitor it or to change your contributions.

Visit My Allianz, or access the Meine Allianz app (App Store or Google Play). If you have already registered, you will see your Adobe pension plan details within your account.

How to register with Allianz for the first time

1. Go to My Allianz, click on register, and create your username and password. You will need your Adobe Contract number which can be found on your Allianz benefit statements. If you cannot find your Adobe Contract number, contact Adobe.Pensions@mercer.com for help.
2. You will then receive a letter from Allianz within 10 working days at your registered home address. This letter will provide you with a registration code that you will need to complete the registration process and access your account. If you don’t receive the letter, call Allianz on +49 (0) 800 45 20 10 4.
3. Once you have received your Allianz letter, visit My Allianz to register with your registration code. If you are not able to complete the registration or need help, contact Allianz on +49 (0) 800 45 20 10 4, or access the registration guide [PDF].

Back to top

What if I leave Adobe?

Adobe’s contributions to your pension will stop the last day of your employment, but all contributions made up to the point of when you leave will remain in the fund and accessible to you. After you have left Adobe, Allianz will contact you with additional information. If you do not hear from them, please contact them directly at +49 (0) 800 45 20 10 4 or via My Allianz.

What if I go on unpaid leave?

For unpaid leaves, Adobe will pay the direct insurance premium as long as an employee is entitled to remuneration. For periods where an employee is not entitled to any remuneration (e.g., long-term illness, unpaid parental leave, unpaid holiday) and for which no premiums must be paid (so-called unpaid periods of service), no insurance premiums will be paid. An employee can maintain full insurance coverage by paying the premiums directly.