Clearly, shopping around for the right pension can mean the difference between a miserable and comfortable retirement. When deciding what do with your pension, it is crucial that you receive appropriate independent advice to explain what options are available. Many people are used to doing this for their insurance needs already, so it makes sense to do the same with the form of income that will dictate what sort of lifestyle you have on retirement.
Therefore, the review will focus on understanding the extent to which pensioners can compare the larger range of retirement options available to them since the introduction of the new pension freedoms. The FCA was quoted as saying: ‘We want to understand whether savers can compare products, shop around, switch providers where they are not receiving what they want and make good, informed, decisions’.
The watchdog’s remit is to look at the availability of options for people moving towards retirement.
This communication is for informational purposes only and is not intended to constitute, and should not be construed as, investment advice, investment recommendations or investment research. You should seek advice from a professional adviser before embarking on any financial planning activity. Whilst every effort has been made to ensure the information contained in this communication is correct, we are not responsible for any errors or omissions.
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.
Some of the most confusing and complex areas for any UK expat to decipher are their tax obligations, in both their new home country, and their country of origin. Should you be paying tax on foreign income? Is there any kind of foreign residence tax exemption? How can I get a residence tax definition? It’s a labyrinthine subject, and one that merits the help of a financial professional, but it’s good to be forearmed with a basic grasp of the subject before you do so. If you are liable to pay UK tax you will be expected to file a tax return, failure to do so or not doing so in good time, can result in penalties and even interest payments on monies owed.