Words and deeds. “The choice between social responsibility and profitability” divides the French“young people tend to favor profitability, unlike older people”, says the survey. 51% of those under 35 favor an investment that pays a lot but does not include social responsibility among its objectives. Conversely, 39% of retirees would be ready to invest in a product that pays little but is socially responsible.
Economic emergency
“Young people are more in a form of economic emergency”, says Valérie Plagnol, president of the Cercle des Epargnants. They need money quickly unlike retirees who have accumulated savings. If young people express their concerns about global warming with conviction, “they are not necessarily those who have the most virtuous behavior in this area”, adds Brice Teinturier Deputy CEO of the Ipsos Institute. “What worries is the reputation of SRI investment, and the idea that it pays less even though the offer for this type of product is of high quality”, insists Valérie Plagnol. According to her, it is necessary to demolish the received idea according to which “if you do charity, you lose your money! “.
According to the survey, the willingness of French people to save remains stable (31%, -1 point compared to 2020), and still significantly above the scores of 2017 and 2018 (23%). It remains particularly high among young people under 35 (55%). The intention to dip into one’s savings has risen slightly (24%, +3 points), with some consumers showing themselves to be more inclined to dip into their woolen stockings to indulge themselves after two years of crisis.
Life insurance on the decline
As in previous years, life insurance remains at the top of the savings products preferred by the French (31%), but its rating is falling (-3 points). With regard to the investments that the French think of, it is now substantially equivalent to that of regulated savings accounts (30%), while PEL-CELs come in third place (22%).
Life insurance is also cited as the favorite savings product for French people for retirement (25%) with PER (24%). However, their scores are down, while that of the booklet A, which has been much talked about in the media in recent months, is up (18%, +6 points).
The PER wins (again) to be known
PER’s work of evangelization is far from over. Nearly one in two French people (49%) say they are aware of the new retirement savings plan which replaces retirement savings schemes such as PERP, PERCO, Madelin contracts, etc. But only 13% say they know it. know well. “There is still a vague knowledge” of the PER, which suffers from a “lack of information, and which paralyzes this product which is nevertheless attractive fiscally, and interesting within the framework of the transmission, a question which has grown with the campaign”, believes Brice Teinturier.
Deductible sums
The characteristics of the PER that most interest the respondents are the payment of sums to the heirs and the fact of being able to recover the savings in advance in the event of force majeure. Then comes the possibility of choosing the retirement age for a lump sum, annuity or partial lump sum and annuity payment, then the tax benefit on voluntary payments. The sums paid into an individual PER can indeed be deductible from taxable income.
“Awareness of the replacement of supplementary retirement savings plans with PERs has increased significantly among those who hold them, but almost half are still unaware of them”, indicates the barometer “The French, savings and retirement”. 76% of French people who hold a PERP, a Madelin contract or a PERCO plan to transfer it one day to a PER and more than three out of ten are already thinking about it (31%, +13 points). People who have not yet taken the steps most often say that they do not want to do so or do not know enough about this new product. Its development potential is still high.