Retirement News & Insights

The minutes have been published for October's Financial Conduct Authority board meeting* in which the organisation discussed, among other regulatory matters, pension losses and the kinds of situations that might arise in the event of a future economic instability.

For all but the highest net worth individuals, a pension pot will be the most valuable retirement asset in the long-term financial plan. Despite this, many retirement savers take a passive approach to pension planning and ultimately fail to realise the benefits of considering all the options and opportunities available to them.

One such opportunity is to transfer pension savings into a Self Invested Personal Pension (SIPP) and then drawdown to access your money.

But what exactly is a drawdown pension, and what should you be mindful of when considering pension drawdown options?

At the moment, no one can say with complete certainty what will happen in the near future regarding Brexit and pensions.

However, one thing is clear: uncertainty about the future should not be a pretext to doing nothing about your UK pension; it is not automatically the right idea to think to yourself "Will Brexit affect my pension? I'll just leave it where it is and wait to see".

The rules relating to pension transfers and inheritance tax could be set to change after HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) announced that it is to review its guidance on the matter following a number of concerns raised by the Office of Tax Simplification (OTS) in a review published on July 5 2019.

One area that the OTS has earmarked for examination involves the rules relating to pension transfers made within two years of a person's death. Such transfers can result in the deceased person's remaining defined contribution pot being subject to 40 per cent inheritance tax unless the estate can prove to HMRC that the pension transfer was made without the intention to deliver gratuitous benefit.

The days of the "job for life" with a single employer are, for most of us, long-gone and we are now far more likely to have multiple jobs paying into a number of different pension schemes. This means tracing old pensions when you retire - whether defined benefit, defined contribution or private stake holder. In order to get an accurate and full idea of your pension wealth it is essential that you begin finding lost pensions to factor every single one into a total valuation.

Pension transfers are a hot topic at the moment, especially if you're an expat and want to transfer pension pots overseas. And if, like many, you have lost track of the various pension pots you have amassed throughout your career, it can be hard to gather together all the information you need to decide whether a pension transfer would be in your best interests.

Receiving independent, regulated financial advice on an expat retirement transfer is essential for any person who is considering the possibility of converting their existing pension scheme into a QROPS or SIPPS.

However, analysis by the Association of British Insurers (ABI) and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) reveal worrying trends.

In 2018, the FCA published research findings showing that during the 12-month survey period 91% of UK adults did not obtain regulated financial advice.*

The pensions tax relief Lifetime Allowance (LTA), otherwise known as the pension lifetime limit, should be an area of active concern for any expat with a high-value pension.

Despite this, far too many wealth management clients have insufficient knowledge of precisely what the pension lifetime limit is and they could be affected. In fact, significant numbers of expats may be unwittingly breaching the LTA pension limit, oblivious to the possible consequences.

An investigation by The Pensions Regulator has for the first time resulted in an immediate custodial sentence for the perpetrator of professional pensions fraud, after William Bessent, an accountant who used his position as the trustee and administrator of a pension scheme to steal his clients' savings, was sentenced to 40 months in prison. He pleaded guilty to multiple fraud charges, making prohibited employer-related investments, and separate charges of acting as a director while disqualified.

The landmark case, being heard at Preston Crown Court* will also hopefully result in the return of stolen funds. On July 5 the courts will seek to obtain a confiscation order in order to make Bessent repay the remainder of the money he owes; he has so far repaid £80,000 but owes a further £200,000.