VorsorgedepotLotse
ENDE
Calculate your subsidy

Vorsorgedepot-Lotse or finanzen.net zero: a €0 account with a waiting list versus neutral orientation

Vorsorgedepot-Lotse: both paths at no extra cost — decide digitally yourself, or request independent advice. finanzen.net zero is the best fit for People who want to save every euro in fees and can do without phone service and interest on their balance.

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

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

finanzen.net zero is the price-breaker among the neobrokers: no account fee, €0 orders from €500, savings plans from €1, and its Altersvorsorgedepot waiting list is already open. The price for that is a deliberately lean service: no phone, ticket support with sometimes long response times, no advice. Vorsorgedepot-Lotse steps in before that decision: understand, calculate, compare, and talk to an independent professional on request.

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
  • Ffinanzen.net zero Logo finanzen.net zeroA fee-free neobroker from the finanzen.net group: €0 orders from €500, savings plans from €1, trading via gettex, support by ticket only.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
Ffinanzen.net zero Logo finanzen.net zeroExecution-only brokerSource€0 from a €500 orderSourceNone, ticket support onlySourceOwn platformSourceAnnounced for January 2027SourceVisit provider

Where Vorsorgedepot-Lotse makes the difference

  • Neutral assessment instead of self-promotion: we set finanzen.net zero alongside seven competitors with sourced facts, including its weaknesses on service and interest on balances.
  • More information: a subsidy calculator, Riester-switch modelling and over 100 specialist articles answer the questions a product page with a waiting list leaves open.
  • The human option: an introduction to independent advisers on request; zero doesn't even offer a phone hotline.
  • No extra cost: after comparing with us, you open an account with zero on exactly the same €0 terms.

Analysis

On pure terms, finanzen.net zero is hard to beat: Stiftung Warentest has named it cost leader several times, most recently in late 2025. It's also early on the AVD: its own product page promises a launch from January 2027, seamlessly in the existing account, savings plan or lump sum from €10 a month, plus a transfer path for existing Riester contracts. For confident self-directed investors with a clear plan, that's a very direct, very cheap route.

The downside deserves equal billing: 0 percent interest on balances, only one trading venue (gettex), processing problems reported since 2025, and support reachable only by ticket, which per user reports sometimes takes weeks. For a decades-long, state-subsidised retirement decision, who you can reach if something goes wrong is not a side issue.

Vorsorgedepot-Lotse doesn't compete as a cheaper broker but as the neutral decision layer before that: the subsidy calculator clarifies whether the AVD is worth it, the provider comparison sets zero alongside seven competitors, with sourced facts instead of self-promotion, and anyone who wants a human assessment gets introduced to independent advisers. If you open an account with zero afterwards, you pay exactly the advertised €0 terms.

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

Ffinanzen.net zero Logo finanzen.net zero

A fee-free neobroker from the finanzen.net group: €0 orders from €500, savings plans from €1, trading via gettex, support by ticket only.

  • ModelA self-directed broker acting as a tied intermediary for DonauCapital Wertpapier GmbH, with custody at Baader Bank; no investment advice.✓ verified
  • Cost of the pathOrders from €500 are free (below that, €1), savings plans from €1 with no execution fee, no account fee; in exchange, there is no interest on balances.✓ verified
  • Human adviceNo investment advice and no phone hotline; requests go through a ticket system, and users report long response times.✓ verified
  • Product independenceAround 1,800 ETFs and 8,100 shares via a single trading venue (gettex); only the provider's own offering is compared.✓ verified
  • AVD offerA dedicated AVD page with an open waiting list: state-subsidised, direct ETF investing from January 2027, savings plan or lump sum from €10 a month, with a Riester transfer planned.✓ verified

The most radical €0 approach among the neobrokers, including an early AVD waiting list.

Pros

  • Consistently fee-free: €0 orders from €500, savings plans with no execution fee, repeatedly named cost leader by Stiftung Warentest
  • A dedicated AVD page with an open waiting list: launch from January 2027, seamlessly in the existing account, savings plan or lump sum from €10 a month
  • A broad offering (around 8,100 shares, 180,000 derivatives) including Saturday trading
  • Established partners behind the scenes: DonauCapital and Baader Bank

Cons

  • No phone support: a ticket system with response times sometimes running to weeks
  • 0 percent interest on balances
  • Only one trading venue (gettex)
  • Processing problems reported since 2025 (missing transactions, incorrect fee calculations)

Best for: People who want to save every euro in fees and can do without phone service and interest on their balance

Visit finanzen.net zero

Verdict

If you want to decide for yourself as cheaply as possible and don't need phone service, finanzen.net zero offers the most radical €0 route, including an early AVD waiting list. If you'd rather check neutrally first whether the AVD and this provider fit your situation, or want an independent human assessment, start at Vorsorgedepot-Lotse; the €0 route stays open afterwards, unchanged.

Frequently asked questions

What does finanzen.net zero offer on the Altersvorsorgedepot?

Per its own AVD page, the offer launches from January 2027 seamlessly in the existing ZERO account: state-subsidised, direct ETF investing, savings plan or lump sum from €10 a month, a transfer path for existing Riester contracts, and the waiting list is already open. Terms only become binding with certification.

How do I reach support at finanzen.net zero?

By ticket or email only; there is no phone hotline. Finanztip user reports mention response times of sometimes several weeks. For a long-term, state-subsidised retirement decision, you should factor this service model in deliberately.

Is finanzen.net zero really completely free?

The core terms are very cheap: no account fee, €0 orders from €500, free savings plans. Costs arise indirectly, for example via spreads on the sole trading venue gettex, a 0.3 to 2 percent currency-exchange surcharge, and 0 percent interest on balances.

Sources