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.
After the announcement in January 2018 from the Malta Financial Services Authority, stating the significant pending changes to Maltese pension and MiFid regulations, both companies and advisers alike felt the net tighten around their daily practices.
One of the most common questions asked of expat financial services firms is what should clients do with their pensions. Some wish to keep all their money in a UK-based pension, some will look to transfer to a Qualifying Recognised Overseas Pension Scheme (QROPS) and others will want to take a tax-free lump sum from their fund. In short, what an individual chooses to do will depend heavily on their personal circumstances together with any advice they receive from their expat financial services professional.