VorsorgedepotLotse
ENDE
Calculate your subsidy

Vorsorgedepot-Lotse or DVAG: independent orientation versus Germany's largest all-finance sales network

Vorsorgedepot-Lotse: both paths at no extra cost — decide digitally yourself, or request independent advice. DVAG is the best fit for People who would never start on retirement provision without a personal coach nearby, and who consciously accept higher product costs in exchange.

Published 21 July 2026 · Last verified 21 July 2026 · Next review 21 October 2026

  • 2 providers compared
  • Fact-checked
  • 31 sources disclosed

With around 8 million customers and 5,200 locations, DVAG is Germany's largest all-finance sales network and, for many people, their very first contact with retirement provision. The price of that closeness: in the insurance business DVAG is tied exclusively to Generali, and the documented effective costs of intermediated retirement products run several times above cheap market alternatives. Vorsorgedepot-Lotse is the product-open counter-model: free, independent information, with advice still available on request, from independent partners.

At a glance

  • VVorsorgedepot-Lotse Logo Vorsorgedepot-LotseFree, neutral knowledge and decision portal for the Altersvorsorgedepot: a subsidy calculator, an editorial team, a provider comparison and, on request, an introduction to independent advisers.Visit providerRead review
  • DDVAG Logo DVAGBy its own account, Germany's largest independent all-finance advisory network: around 18,000 wealth advisers in 5,200 offices, insurance products exclusively from Generali.Visit providerRead review
ProviderModelCost of the pathHuman adviceProduct independenceAVD offerAction
VVorsorgedepot-Lotse Logo Vorsorgedepot-LotseInfo portal + advisory accessSource€0SourceOn request, 1,000+ partnersSourceProvider-openSourceCalculator + comparison + knowledgeSourceVisit provider
DDVAG Logo DVAGTied sales channelSource2.8-3.28% effective costs (examples)SourcePersonal, 5,200 locationsSourceTied to GeneraliSourceNot announcedSourceVisit provider

Where Vorsorgedepot-Lotse makes the difference

  • Free and independently informed: the calculator, comparison and specialist articles are freely accessible and tied to no product provider; DVAG intermediates insurance exclusively from Generali.
  • Digital self-determination AND human advice: you choose the path; at DVAG, the path always runs through the sales channel.
  • Independent instead of tied advice: on request, we introduce you to the professionally suited contact from over 1,000 independent partners; we're only paid on a successful contract, disclosed.
  • Cost transparency: our calculator makes visible what effective costs of 2.8 percent versus 0.6 percent cost over 30 years — exactly the calculation the sales conversation leaves out.

Analysis

To be fair: personal advice works. The industry-adjacent 2026 DIVA study shows that 50.4 percent of advised customers would never have taken out a retirement contract without advice; DVAG's nationwide presence reaches people who would otherwise never engage with retirement provision. If you want a fixed contact person for every finance topic, you get one here.

The structural drawbacks are just as well documented. As a tied intermediary, DVAG may only recommend Generali products in the insurance business — there's no market comparison in the advisory conversation. Documented examples of intermediated products show effective costs of 2.8 percent (Riester) to 3.28 percent (Rürup), while comparable market products often run at 0.6 to 1.2 percent; over 30 years, that difference decides tens of thousands of euros in final capital. On top of that come the BaFin case against exclusive partner Generali (retroactive credits over withheld fund rebates) and a documented case of refused cost disclosure. DVAG hasn't announced an Altersvorsorgedepot so far; its own Frühstart-Rente page points to an existing Generali product.

Vorsorgedepot-Lotse flips the model: information and the calculator are free and product-open, the account comparison shows the market instead of one house, and if you want advice, we introduce you to independent advisers who aren't tied to a single product provider. Our compensation only flows on a successful introduction and is disclosed; it has no influence on the rating or ranking.

How we evaluated

For these head-to-head comparisons, we examined both paths to the Altersvorsorgedepot: self-directed brokers and advice-led sales channels. For each provider, we evaluated the official pages plus independent sources (BaFin, Stiftung Warentest, Finanztip, Verbraucherzentrale, Finanzwende, annual reports); every figure carries a source and a retrieval date. The comparison follows fixed criteria, cell by cell with sourced facts; where a sourced value is missing, a dash appears. Vorsorgedepot-Lotse appears as its own option under the same rules, including its own weaknesses and an honest verdict on when the alternative is the better fit.

  • What does the path cost: usage, execution and later product or effective costs?
  • Is there human advice, and from whom: a tied sales channel or independent partners?
  • Is the recommendation independent of the product provider, or tied to a corporate group?
  • How concrete is the AVD offer: available, announced or still open?
  • How much digital self-determination do you retain?
  • Is it disclosed who earns what from the arrangement?

Common mistakes when choosing

  • Confusing advice with product sales: tied intermediaries may only recommend their partners' products.
  • Confusing free with costless: even without a visible fee, you pay via spreads or effective costs of sometimes 2 to 3 percent a year.
  • Treating AVD announcements as confirmed terms: binding product details only exist once certification is complete.
  • Sticking with the first provider out of convenience, instead of comparing terms.
  • Not starting at all for lack of advice: the most expensive mistake of all.

VVorsorgedepot-Lotse Logo Vorsorgedepot-LotseProfile

Free, neutral knowledge and decision portal for the Altersvorsorgedepot: a subsidy calculator, an editorial team, a provider comparison and, on request, an introduction to independent advisers.

  • ModelA neutral information and decision portal on a referral-partner (Tippgeber) model: Vorsorgedepot-Lotse does not advise directly but, on request, arranges contact with independent, licensed advisers.✓ verified
  • Cost of the pathCompletely free to use, with no registration and no email required; the terms at the chosen account provider stay identical.✓ verified
  • Human adviceAccess to a network of over 1,000 independent advisers; the licensed partner conducts the advice, and we introduce the professionally suited contact.✓ verified
  • Product independenceNo product provider behind us: ratings follow disclosed criteria across all providers; commissions have no influence on the rating or ranking.✓ verified
  • AVD offerA subsidy calculator modelling allowances and the Riester switch, a continuously maintained account-provider comparison, and over 100 specialist articles on the Altersvorsorgedepot.✓ verified

both paths at no extra cost — decide digitally yourself, or request independent advice

Pros

  • Free to use with no sign-up, including the subsidy calculator and provider comparison
  • Cross-provider, criteria-based orientation instead of one provider's self-promotion
  • Both paths stay open: decide digitally yourself, or request advice from independent partners
  • No extra cost: the terms at your chosen account provider stay identical

Cons

  • No account of its own: opening and execution always happen at the chosen provider
  • No investment advice of its own: individual advice is handled by the licensed partner we introduce
  • Receives compensation on a successful introduction (disclosed, with no influence on the rating)

Best for: People who want to understand neutrally, before choosing an account, what the Altersvorsorgedepot would mean for them, and who want to keep both paths open

Visit Vorsorgedepot-Lotse

DDVAG Logo DVAG

By its own account, Germany's largest independent all-finance advisory network: around 18,000 wealth advisers in 5,200 offices, insurance products exclusively from Generali.

  • ModelPersonal advice from self-employed, commission-paid wealth advisers; in the insurance business, DVAG acts as a tied intermediary exclusively for Generali companies.✓ verified
  • Cost of the pathDocumented effective costs on intermediated retirement products: 2.8 percent (Riester, AachenMünchener) and 3.28 percent (Rürup); comparable market products often run at 0.6 to 1.2 percent.✓ verified
  • Human adviceAround 18,000 finance coaches across 5,200 branches and offices; long-term, local, personal support is the core of the model.✓ verified
  • Product independenceInsurance products come exclusively from Generali, which itself holds around 40 percent of DVAG; the model has no provision for comparing across other insurers.✓ verified
  • AVD offerNo public announcement of an Altersvorsorgedepot offer; DVAG's Frühstart-Rente page instead points to the existing Generali product "Mein Zukunftsplan."✓ verified

Maximum personal presence across the country, with product ties to Generali structurally built in.

Pros

  • A personal local contact and long-term support from a single source
  • The industry's widest reach: around 8 million customers and 5,200 locations
  • Advice demonstrably lowers the entry barrier: per the 2026 DIVA study (an industry-adjacent study), 50.4 percent of advised customers would never have taken out a retirement contract without advice

Cons

  • Exclusively tied to Generali in the insurance business; cheaper competitor products may not be recommended
  • Documented effective costs of 2.8 to 3.28 percent on example products, well above cheap market alternatives (0.6 to 1.2 percent)
  • BaFin forced Generali into retroactive credits in 2024 over withheld fund rebates on unit-linked policies
  • A documented case of refused cost disclosure to a customer
  • No announced Altersvorsorgedepot; the Frühstart-Rente page points to an existing Generali product

Best for: People who would never start on retirement provision without a personal coach nearby, and who consciously accept higher product costs in exchange

Visit DVAG

Verdict

If you'd never start without a personal coach nearby and consciously accept higher product costs in exchange, you're better off with DVAG than with no retirement provision at all. For everyone else: calculate and compare for free and product-openly first, then decide, and get advice from an independent source if you need it. That's exactly the path Vorsorgedepot-Lotse builds.

Frequently asked questions

Is advice at DVAG free?

You pay no direct fee, but the advice is funded via commissions on the products intermediated. Those costs sit inside the products themselves: documented examples show effective costs of 2.8 to 3.28 percent a year, well above cheap market alternatives at 0.6 to 1.2 percent.

Can DVAG recommend me any product on the market?

No. In the insurance business, DVAG acts as a tied intermediary exclusively for Generali companies; other insurers' products don't come up in the advisory conversation. That's exactly why an independent market comparison is worth doing before you sign anything.

Does DVAG offer the new Altersvorsorgedepot?

There's no public announcement so far (as at July 2026). DVAG's Frühstart-Rente page instead points to the existing Generali product 'Mein Zukunftsplan.' Anyone who wants to use the statutory Altersvorsorgedepot from 2027 currently finds concrete announcements mainly at neobrokers.

Sources