Latest Blogs
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Tilley: Pensions Commission must push reform...and quickly
Recent news of the revival of a Pensions Commission was music to my ears.
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Lisa Webster: Till pensions do us part
There have been some fluctuations in recent years but overall divorce rates in the UK have been in decline since the 1990s.
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Tilley: Let’s end the SIPP vs SSAS debate for good
As you might know from my previous columns on SIPPs Professional, I am, and have been for some time, a huge advocate for Small Self-Administered Schemes (SSAS).
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Lisa Webster: Pre-Budget withdrawals are spiking again
Ever since “tax-free cash” changed its official name to “pension commencement lump sum” back in 2006 there have been pre-Budget rumours that it was going to change – and not for the better.
Popular News
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SIPP market tops 6m plans but may be peaking - study
The SIPP market has grown strongly in the past year with a record 6m+ SIPPs in force and £650bn invested, according to MoretoSIPPs, the specialist consultancy headed by SIPP industry veteran John Moret.
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AMPS reappoints Debbie Seaton as chair
The Association of Member-Directed Pension Schemes (AMPS), a trade body for SIPP and SSAS providers, has reappointed Debbie Seaton of Seabridge SSAS as its chair.
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Nest abandoned by 10m workers
Less than a third of members of the Nest Pension scheme are paying into their retirement pots, according to new data released under an FOI request.
Around 350,000 UK expats living in the Gulf have been warned they could be breaking the Lifetime Allowance (LTA) limit for pensions tax relief.
The alert came from Abu Dhabi-based IFA Hoxton Capital Management.
Chris Ball, managing partner of the firm says that with many expats in the UAE working in sectors that traditionally have offered generous pension schemes back in the UK – for example, energy, construction and aviation – they are more likely to be affected by the LTA limit.
People working for oil and gas companies could be the most at risk, he says.
Mr Ball said: “Just under a third of the people we speak to know what LTA is.
“Those who know what it is are typically aware of where they stand.
“However, we frequently speak to people in the oil and gas sector who have breached the LTA, some of whom have breached it by substantial margins.”
The Lifetime Allowance places a limit on the level of benefit that can be drawn from a pension scheme without incurring additional tax penalties.
This applies to money taken either as a lump sum or as ongoing income during retirement.
The current lifetime allowance is £1,055,000 though the figure could rise in line with inflation.
Mr Ball added: “If an expat finds that they are already in breach of LTA relief, our advice is for them to check if they are eligible for protection.
“If they haven’t paid in to their pension since 6 April 2016 they can apply to increase their LTA limit.
“Failing this, if they are within the European Union, transferring their pension to a Qualifying Recognised Overseas Pension Scheme (QROPS) could have potential benefits.”
“If, however, an expat is not yet in breach but feels that they could become so, our advice is to stop paying in if they haven’t already done so, and again, if it is a viable option, to look at a QROPS to crystallise the benefits before they are in breach of the LTA.”