Self Invested Personal Pensions (SIPPs)

It is possible to set up a Drawdown plan as a Self Invested Pension Plan (SIPP).

A Self Invested Personal Pension (SIPP) Drawdown is similar in many ways to a normal Drawdown Plan. It comes under the same basic rules as far as tax-free cash and income are concerned. The difference arises out of what the investments underlying the arrangement can consist of.

In addition to the investments that a conventional Drawdown plan can use a SIPP can directly hold commercial property and stocks and shares quoted on a recognised stock exchange. Most SIPPs allow you to select from a range of assets, such as:

Particular stocks and shares quoted on a recognised UK or overseas stock exchange
Government securities
Unit trusts
Investment trusts
Insurance company funds
Traded endowment policies
Deposit accounts with banks and building societies
National Savings products
Commercial property (such as offices, shops or factory premises).

This list is not exhaustive and different SIPP operators will offer different ranges of investment choices.

A SIPP Drawdown can be transferred to another SIPP or to a conventional Drawdown Plan or an Annuity at any time.

Download our comprehensive pension options guide by clicking on the above image.

Financial Advisers

Jonathan Walker
Jonathan is the director and joint owner of the Pension Drawdown Company.

Robert Bolton
Robert is a practising Barrister and is also fully qualified as a Diplomaed Financial Adviser.

Bob Diamond
Bob is a Pension Specialist who has been with the company since its incorporation in 1996. Bob has been a financial adviser since 1989.

Andrew Ross
Andrew is a diplomaed financial adviser with a history in banking.

Roger Easterbrook
Roger is a diplomaed financial adviser with a background in Executive Search.

Click here for more team members.

Market Monitor

Updated: 14th May 2012

Heavy selling following the elections in Europe and banking woes in Spain resulted in markets ending the week lower. Weekend elections in Greece and France set a volatile tone and reminded investors that politics really matter in financial markets; political wrangling in Athens to form a government resulted in threats to unravel the country's bailout deal and raised the prospect of Greece exiting the euro area.

Global stocks had their longest losing period in six months during the week and the euro its worse run of daily reverses since 2008.

However, Thursday marked a turning point as investors cautiously returned to markets and risk assets showed resilience following $2bn trading losses at JPMorgan Chase (which also occurred on Thursday). In addition, the Michigan survey of US consumer confidence, which rose to a four-year high in May, also helped to provide support and end the week on a more upbeat note.

The increasingly gloomy outlook for the global economy sent commodity prices to their second week of losses, and gold retreated to four month lows. Weakness in the global economy drove demand for safe-haven government bonds, which pushed German bunds and UK gilts to record lows, while peripheral eurozone debt came under heavy selling pressure.

Important information: This update is intended to be for information purposes only.

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