Is It A Good Time For Your Pension Transfer?
Opting for a pension transfer is something you can do at any
stage of your working career.
Like many investment decisions, though, the timing of a pension
transfer is crucial, and it's for this reason that you shouldn't
transfer your pension without consulting a pensions expert.
There are several factors to take into consideration when you
are thinking about transferring your pension:
Why do you want a pension transfer?
For most people, thoughts of pension transfer occur when they
are moving jobs. The majority of companies offer pension schemes
as part of their benefits package, and although you are unlikely
to see the details of the new scheme before you join, the fact
that a good pension scheme acts as an incentive to prospective
employees. If you start work at a new company and join the
pension scheme, what happens to your old pension?
In many cases, you can transfer your pension in order to take
advantage of better annual management rates, or better benefits
than your current scheme offers. This means that the money you
have invested will be working harder for you when it comes to
retirement. Alternatively, you may want to transfer your
contributions to a scheme where you can continue to contribute
throughout the rest of your working life, ensuring a continuity
of benefits and a more valuable pension pot when you reach
retirement.
When should you transfer your pension?
Every pension transfer in the UK falls under FSA regulation, and
you should only transfer your pension after you have taken
independent specialist advice. The pensions market is
notoriously complex and, in order to ensure that you are getting
the best deal, you need to speak to a pension transfer advisor
who knows the market well and can give you the advice you need.
Don't rush into transferring your pension. If you get it wrong,
you could end up with an inferior pension scheme to the one you
came out of, and you could end up paying higher charges to
transfer, or a higher annual charge than you need to. Make sure
you have done some research on the types of pension that may
suit you best, and that you consider all the pros and cons of
transfer before you commit yourself.