Assets of optional pension funds total €4 mln

The seven optional pension funds on the market claimed a total of 55,333 clients by December 28. The leader of this market is the BCR Prudent fund, administered by BCR Asigurari, part of Romania’s top lender, Banca Comerciala Romana (BCR), with a 50 percent share and €2 mln in net assets. The fund’s growth was supported by a decision of BCR’s major shareholder, Austrian Erste group, to provide optional pensions to the bank’s employees. During the last week of 2007, the fund’s assets virtually doubled.

The AZT Moderato fund, administered by Allianz-Tiriac Pensii Private, has some 13,200 clients and net assets worth €748,000.