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Pension Freedoms. Are they for you?

But what is the reality? It appears that blocks are being put in the way by large pension providers to people trying to access their money. Companies are concerned that the amount of money that could be potentially drained from their holdings would make them vulnerable to collapse.  

In response the providers are putting in place restrictions that prevent savers from having bank account like access to their money. These restrictions include long delays, high charges, misinformation or just saying to no to that type of service

Mr. Osborne’s proposals are now in danger of being sunk by the pension industry’s commercial interests. While some companies are clearly keen to capture business and compete in the new world of accessible, flexible pensions, other providers, mainly the large insurers that for decades profited under the old regime, are dragging their feet.  If you are feeling trapped by what is happening with your pension, Blacktower can help you. We have enormous experience in dealing with providers and can offer ways of transferring your money, in lots of cases to other providers which are tax efficient and with the freedoms you would hope for. We can plan for you an individual response that suits your needs.

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.

Other News

Rise in Red Flag Activity Not as Simple as Stats Suggest

Red flagUK pensions consultancy, XPS Pensions Group (XPS), has reported a concerning rise in “red flag” pension transfer scam activity. It says that the number of red flag incidents rose from 13% in June 2018 to 34% in June 2019 and calculated the total value of the pensions savings placed at risk during the 12-month period at £73,000,000*.

It is possible that the rise in red flags could be a by-product of the enhanced reporting processes that came into effect with the June 2018 revisions to the Pension Scams Industry Group (PSIG) Code of Good Practice (originally published in 2015). These served to highlight pension scam warning signs, to encourage greater awareness of fee and charging structures, and to improve communication between pension schemes and their members.

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Could payments to expat pensions stop after Brexit?

CoinsBrexit has thrown up so many concerns for expats already that it’s no wonder expats are feeling jittery.

And now it has emerged that private pension providers based in the UK are in danger of not being able to pay pensions to British expats after Britain leaves the EU in 2019.

The risk is so significant that Nicky Morgan, chair of the Treasury select committee, has written a letter raising his concern about the matter to Phillip Hammond, asking the chancellor whether he plans to discuss the problem soon during Britain’s exit negotiations.

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