Private pension plans : an important component of the financial market

Abstract

One of the European financial market’s components is the pension fund, which does not represent a common scheme valid in all member-states. Each member-state has established a specific scheme being in accordance with other financial and working characteristics as well as in accordance with social, economic and political aspects of the economy. This article analyses the main components of the private pension market in the European Union, as part of the financial market and in comparison with other issues by presenting comparative pension systems beeing established by a number of countries in the EU. It also presents their structure, their asset management, the financial risks associated with and the methods of counteracting them.