Bucharest, 6 April 2015 – BCR Plus Optional Pension Fund has exceeded the threshold of 100,000 clients, having now 100,184 participants, a portfolio of 181.54 million lei worth of net assets and an annual profitability rate for the past 24 months of 10.6005% as of 28 February 2015, according to the data published by FSA (Financial Supervisory Authority).

  • BCR Pensii saw a 41% increase in the administered assets (BCR Plus Voluntary Pension Fund and BCR Privately Administered Pension Fund) in 2014, which is 4% above the market average, up to a value of RON 1.3 billion*.

„The private pension funds saw very good investment results in 2014, and these good results have continued into the present year. BCR Plus (Pillar III), registered as of 28.02.2015 an annual profitability rate for the past 24 months of 10.6005% according to FSA’s calculation methodology, being above the average of voluntary pension funds with a similar risk degree; at the end of February 2015, the voluntary private pension funds reportedly turned out a weighted average profitability rate of 9.6836% of all funds in the medium risk category, which is clearly above the inflation rate or other savings products on the market at the time”, declared Lucian Anghel, General manager of BCR Pensii.

  • 36.84% of the total number of clients who decided to save through a voluntary pension scheme in 2014, have chosen BCR Plus, the voluntary pension fund administered by BCR Pensii. Their number was 12,196 out of the 33,104 new clients attracted by the entire voluntary pension system (calculations made by the company based on the statistical data published by FSA, representing the net increase of the number of clients determined considering the total number of clients as of 31.12.2014 and the total number of clients as of 31.12.2013). Thus, at the end of December 2014, the total number of participants in BCR Plus was 98,310, 14% higher than that of December 2013*
  • The number of new clients attracted at the level of the voluntary pensions market increased by 56% in 2014 as compared to 2013, from 21,202 new clients on the entire market in 2013 to 33,104 new clients in 2014*, the voluntary pensions market reaching, at the end of 2014, a total number of 346,452 participants and net assets administered amounting to RON 1.04 billion, according to FSA data.
  • BCR Plus registered an annual increase of 38% of the gross contribution, over 18% above the market average, the total volume of contributions exceeding RON 27 million last year, as compared to RON 20 million in 2013. The average increase of gross contributions at the level of the entire market was of over 20%, the total volume of contributions in the system exceeding last year RON 180 million, as compared to RON 150 million in 2013 **.

“2014 brought a positive trend for BCR Plus Voluntary Pension Fund. A large part of the positive evolution is owed to the awareness and publicity actions taken amongst both employees and employers. We shall continue our measures to increase the level of financial education of the population and to raise awareness of the need to save individually for the pension. Also, it is important to promote the fiscal advantages of the optional pension, i.e. the fiscal deductibility within the limit of EUR 400/year per participant, namely within the limit of EUR 400/year per employee (in the case of employers who contribute to the optional pension in the name of their employees, thus the fiscal deductibility may reach EUR 800 in case of a mixed contribution to the optional pension fund – employee and employer)”, declared Melania Mirea, Executive Manager of BCR Pensii.

BCR PLUS Voluntary Pension Fund and BCR Privately Administered Pension Fund are administered by BCR PENSII, SAFPP SA, website www.pensiibcr.ro

Prior performance is not a guarantee of future achievements.

*Source: calculations made by BCR Pensii based on the statistical data published by FSA on the website www.asfromania.ro

** Source: calculations made by the company based on the data communicated by APAPR

Banca Comercială Română (BCR), a member of Erste Group, is the most important financial group in Romania, providing universal banking operations (retail, corporate & investment banking, treasury and capital markets), and covering specialty companies working on the leasing market, private pensions and housing banks. BCR is Romania’s No. 1 bank in terms of asset value (14,4 €bn.), in terms of client base and in terms of savings and crediting. BCR is also Romania’s most important financial brand, judging by the client trust rate and by the number of persons who consider that BCR is their main banking partner.

BCR uses a network of 22 corporate business centres and 23 mobile offices devoted to corporate clients, and 538 retails units located in most communities inhabited by at least 10,000 citizens to provide a full range of financial products and services. BCR is Romania’s No. 1 bank running on the banking transactions market, since BCR customers have the largest ATM network at their disposal – nearly 2,000 ATMs and 13,500 POS terminals enabling customers to use their cards for shopping purposes, as well as the complete Internet banking, mobile banking, phone-banking and e-commerce services.

Erste Group is one of the main suppliers of financial services in Eastern European Union. About 45,000 bank officers working in 2,800 branches in seven countries (Austria, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania, Hungary, Croatia, and Serbia) assist 16.2 mn. customers. Erste Group reported a total asset pool worth €196,3 bn. and a 55.1% cost-to-income ratio at the end of 2014. The first-ranking common equity index (Basel 3 implemented fully) was 10,6%.

BCR – External Communication 

Cezar Marin, e-mail: cezar.marin@bcr.ro

For more details about the products and services provided by BCR, please use one of the coordinates below to contact us:

InfoBCR 

Web: www.bcr.ro

Email: contact.center@bcr.ro

Telverde: 0800.801.BCR (0800.801.227), toll-free from all national networks.

Twitter: @infoBCR