Political contributions

AEGON respects national laws in force with regard to donations to political parties, candidates and organizations. With the exception of the United States, no other AEGON country unit is involved in making political contributions.

In the United States, like many other US companies, AEGON has a Political Action Committee (PAC), which pools contributions from employees to support Republican and Democratic candidates for both federal and state legislative offices. In 2009, the AEGON USA PAC made contributions totaling USD 85,000. This amount also included money given to trade associations PACs.

AEGON believes that its Political Action Committee plays an important role in helping strengthen the democratic process in the United States. Money donated by the PAC comes from personal, voluntary contributions from eligible employees across the US organization. The PAC operates within clearly-defined governance guidelines, and candidates are chosen on the basis of strict criteria. 

The PAC operates under the rules of the US Federal Election Commission. All the PAC's contributions are a matter of public record. The PAC's accounts are kept separate from those of the company. Under campaign finance laws in the United States, companies are prohibited from making contributions to federal and some state candidates. As a matter of principle, AEGON companies in the United States do not contribute to political parties, organizations or campaigns.

In addition, AEGON has put in place a grassroots program in the United States to encourage employee involvement in the political process. This program - the AEGON Citizen Action Network (CAN) - provides information on upcoming legislation affecting the insurance and pension industry, and helps facilitate dialogue between employees. Members of the US Congress are also occasionally invited to visit AEGON offices within their districts or states to discuss relevant issues with employees.

AEGON also participates in 'Get out and vote' campaigns in the United States to encourage employees to vote at local and national elections. As part of these campaigns, employees can register to vote on a dedicated AEGON CAN website, which also provides additional information on candidates and local voting stations. AEGON does not endorse individual candidates or parties.