Latest Columns
-
Lisa Webster: A calmer Budget? We hope so...
As we head towards our new Downing Street leadership team’s first Budget, the waters seem relatively calm.
-
Lisa Webster: Take the pension first? Think again
With the impending changes to tax treatment of pensions on death, there has been talk around the order of income in retirement being turned on its head.
-
Tilley: Transfer reform welcome but SSAS governance is key
At first glance, DWP’s June 2026 consultation on proposed changes to the 2021 transfer regulations does something the industry has long asked for; it acknowledges that the current regime, while well intended, has created too much friction for some perfectly legitimate pension transfers.
-
Lisa Webster: Good news from DWP for SIPPs but not SSAS
The DWP has just released its long-awaited consultation on the SIPP transfer regulations – and it’s largely encouraging news. As an employee of a reputable SIPP provider the changes are positive. SSAS providers may be less enthusiastic about some of the proposals.
-
Lisa Webster: Should tax-free cash always be taken?
Since the Lifetime Allowance was abolished and replaced with the Lump Sum Allowance (LSA) and lump sum and death benefit allowance (LSDBA), we have seen an increase in SIPP members who want to take drawdown only – foregoing the right to take the associated pension commencement lump sum (PCLS).
Popular News
-
3m UK pension pots worth £18.7bn remain lost
More than 3m UK pension pots remain lost worth a total £18.7bn, according to a Pensions Policy Institute study.
-
Most workers have no retirement plan – survey
Fewer than one in five (18%) employees with a workplace pension have a clear retirement plan, despite more than half (51%) having already given a lot of thought to their financial needs in later life.
-
FCA steps in as SIPP and ISA manager fails
ISA and SIPP manager manager Jarvis Investment Management Limited has entered special administration this week as the firm closes its doors.
-
FSCS launches probe into SIPP advice IFA firm
The Financial Services Compensation Scheme has launched probes into two failed investment firms this week - IFA firm Verus Financial Services Ltd and investment provider Aspiro Research and Development LLP.
A judge has ruled in favour of allowing investors to pursue group legal action against a SIPP firm over claims of mis-selling.
The Xafinity Transfer Value Index fell steadily from £236,000 at the end of December to £231,000 at the end of January.
Sankar Mahalingham, head of DB growth at Xafinity Punter Southall, said: “Increases in gilt yields have been the main driver, with inflation remaining relatively stable.”
Graph below courtesy of Xafinity
Screen Shot 2018 02 12 at 09.38.10
The difference between maximum and minimum readings of the index over January 2018 was £6,000 or around 2.4%, Xafinity said in a statement.
The Xafinity Transfer Value Index tracks the transfer value that would be provided by an example DB scheme to a member aged 64 who is currently entitled to a pension of £10,000 each year starting at age 65 (increasing each year in line with inflation).
Different schemes calculate transfer values in different ways. A given individual may therefore receive a transfer value from their scheme that is significantly different from that quoted by the Xafinity Transfer Value Index.