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Trade Republic plans to add a German retirement account to its platform from January 2027, extending its offer from brokerage and banking into long-term savings. The Berlin-based neobroker says customers will pay neither to hold assets nor to place regular savings-plan orders. It also intends to cover fund costs on several dozen selected ETFs from BlackRock, DWS and Vanguard over the long term.
Germany enacted the pension reform in May, and the new accounts are due to open from 1 January 2027. The standard account has a 1% cost ceiling. Trade Republic says its offer will go further by dropping custody and plan-execution charges. Savers will be able to put supported contributions into equity funds and ETFs without the capital guarantee required under the previous system. That leaves retirement balances exposed to market falls as well as gains.
Investment gains will build up without current taxation during the saving period. Qualifying contributions may also attract government allowances and tax deductions. The amount a customer receives will depend on their contributions and personal circumstances, so the headline support figures do not establish what any individual account will receive.
Scalable Capital has announced both a standard German pension account and a self-directed option. It says account administration and savings plans will be free, with costs for selected ETFs from BlackRock, DWS, Vanguard and Scalable reimbursed and reinvested.
In the UK, Trading 212 recently secured FCA approval for self-invested personal pensions. Trade Republic has also moved beyond trading, introducing current accounts in markets including Greece. Finance Magnates first reported the planned German account and its pricing.
- Government support could reach €540 per year for eligible customers.
- Customers may receive up to €300 annually for each child.
- Opening an account before turning 25 may qualify a customer for a one-time €200 starter bonus.
What to watch next
Trade Republic has yet to publish the eligible ETF list, how long the fund-cost waiver will run or the full terms. Those details will determine which instruments qualify and how the waiver appears in account records. Operators assessing the offer should check how charges, savings-plan executions and any changes to ETF eligibility will be represented in statements and reconciled.
The support amount is conditional, but the source does not specify how eligibility or payments will be verified and recorded. Before launch, firms building or reviewing pension-account workflows should establish what customer and contribution data the product requires, how allowances and tax deductions will be reported, and how the account handles a customer's change in eligibility. The published terms will also need to clarify how the long-term fund-cost waiver is applied.
