Self Invested Personal Pensions (SIPPs)

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

This is a form of personal pension but with wider investment options. In addition to insured funds, unit trusts and investment trusts they can also include commercial property and direct holding of stocks and shares. It is also possible for the pension fund to borrow in order to facilitate, for example, a property purchase.

The same Annual Allowance and Lifetime Allowances apply to SIPPs as to Personal Pensions.

The following should however be noted when considering use of the self-invested facility:

SIPPs are not currently subject to regulation by the Financial Authorities. As a result, those purchased from sources other than Life Insurance Companies may not provide key features documents, illustrations of potential future benefits or offer "cancellation rights".
Only "Insured" investments held within a SIPP are covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme. This Scheme affords a degree of protection in the event of insolvency of a Life Office.

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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