Employee savings: new reasons for unlocking are rarely used

In 2024, employee savings funds reached a record high of €200 billion . That same year, of the €166 billion in company and inter-company savings funds, 36% were withdrawn before the five-year maturity date of these products. Around ten life events allow you to release your funds early . For example, a wedding, the arrival of a third child, or the purchase of your home...

Since the decree of July 6, 2024, you can also release your assets to purchase a clean vehicle, carry out energy renovations on your home, or help a loved one. These are three new options that beneficiaries still rarely use. In 2024, early releases for these three reasons represented less than 1.5% of amounts withdrawn in advance, according to the French Asset Management Association (AFG), which compiles data from investment companies.

The number of requests, however, peaked at 1.4% of the total for the entire market, and even less than 1% at Groupama, whose portfolio is mainly composed of employee savings plans for small and medium-sized businesses. "This share is significantly lower than that of other cases of release," explains Jean-Christophe Benzo, CEO of Groupama Employee Savings.

Other figures revealing this low level of enthusiasm: out of 11 million beneficiaries of company and inter-company savings plans in 2024, 4,800 used them to buy a bicycle, a scooter or a non-thermal car, 3,700 to improve the insulation of their main residence. Even more minimal, becoming a caregiver only generated 500 requests, "an epsilon level" , acknowledges Nicolas Villet, director of operations at Cardif, the BNP Paribas subsidiary which is among the leading holders of employee savings accounts.

To help a loved one who is in need, "the conditions for releasing funds are so restrictive that I fear they will become a deterrent," says Marielle Cohen-Branche, mediator for the Financial Markets Authority (AMF). Responsible for amicably resolving disputes between asset managers and savers, she remains primarily called upon for early releases of employee savings. Nine months after the new grounds were put in place, her intervention has already been requested in this capacity.

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