Latest Blogs
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James Jones-Tinsley: Guided Retirement Duty could be game changer
During May, the Pensions Policy Institute (PPI), sponsored by The Pensions Regulator (TPR), concluded that defined contribution (DC) pension savers – including those in SIPPs, as well as in Workplace Pensions - require more guidance when choosing suitable retirement products.
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Lisa Webster: Overcomplicated rules are a threat
It may be more than a year since the Lifetime Allowance was formally abolished but issues are still emerging from the mess made by rushed legislation.
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Lisa Webster: To gift or not to gift?
Since the announcement that pensions are to be included in estates for inheritance tax (IHT) purposes the question of whether those with large pension pots should be giving some funds away has become increasingly common.
Popular News
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Westerby snaps up Bristol SIPP firm
Wealth adviser and pensions firm Westerby Group has acquired Bristol-based SIPP specialist Cabot Trustees Limited for an undisclosed amount.
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4 in 10 worried about IHT on pensions
Four in 10, 40%, of people say they are worried about upcoming changes to pensions and inheritance tax.
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502,000 claim back £1.5bn overpaid tax on pensions
New figures published by HMRC reveal that the total number of claims for overpaid tax on pension withdrawals has soared above half a million to 502,000 to total almost £1.5bn reclaimed since the introduction of Pension Freedoms in 2015.
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IHT liabilities rise 12% to £6.7bn as 13% more deaths taxed
IHT tax liabilities created in 2022-23 were £6.7bn, up £0.71bn or 12% compared to the previous year.
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SIPP administrator Nucleus poaches new CFO from FNZ
Platform group and SIPP and SSAS administrator Nucleus Financial Platforms has appointed FNZ chief financial & commercial officer Andrew Ring as chief financial officer, subject to regulatory approval.
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Petition demands 10-day pension switch guarantee
Retirement specialist PensionBee has launched a petition demanding the government take action on pension delays as frustration mounts over the slow pace of pension transfer switches.
The ABI is concerned that half of fully withdrawn pension pots are not spent but shifted into other savings and investments which the ABI says could mean consumers paying too much tax and also missing out on compound investment growth.
It fears some consumers are blundering due to lack of long term planning and engagement with their retirement options.
The trade body’s plan is contained in a new report, Interventions in the Retirement Market, which outlines a series of measures the financial provider trade body wants to see.
The ABI says that three years on from the dawn of pension flexibility reforms under the Pension Freedom changes, it is “stepping up” efforts to ensure that consumers are getting the best out of their retirement.
The ABI’s five point plan promotes active consumer engagement – empowering consumers to make their own, well-informed decisions through improved communications and use of guidance.
The five interventions the ABI wants to see are:
• Intervention 1: Tailored and phased customer communications throughout a saver’s life
• Intervention 2: Creating the mid-life MOT
• Intervention 3: Prompting more people to use guidance
• Intervention 4: Making the retirement risk warnings fit for purpose
• Intervention 5: Improvements to communications once someone has retired
Rob Yuille, head of retirement policy at the ABI, said: "Pension freedoms put more power into the hands of consumers, but this flexibility also increased the complexity and risks that consumers face.
“Our recommendations are for interventions that will transform the way people interact with their pension pots and help people navigate their choices. We’re calling on a number of stakeholders today to help us to deliver the practical steps needed to make these interventions happen.”