Pension transfer advice is a necessity because making the wrong move could cost you thousands. On the surface, it is a basic process involving switching/transferring money from one pension account into another. But of course, things are never that easy when it comes to financial matters. Numerous pension schemes may not allow you to transfer at all while others impose extremely stiff financial penalties that may strip away the value of your transfer.
Individual Advice
This is why you should seek pension transfer advice from an Independent Financial Advisor (IFA). An IFA is regulated by the UK Financial Services Authority and is legally required to give you unbiased advice based on your own unique circumstances. They have the ability to look at all the information presented to them and tell you whether or not you should bother with the transfer. Chances are, if you are only looking to transfer a small amount, it is not going to be worth it due to the excessive fees involved.
Pensions usually fall into two categories: Final Salary and Money Purchase. It is important to know which pension scheme you are part of because the transfer value of each scheme is calculated differently. It is wise to make a transfer if your existing pension scheme is being wound up, if your current personal pension scheme charges you high fees or you have several pensions which you would like to see combined.
There is no doubt that whatever type of pension you have, it is important to seek pension transfer advice from an IFA. Make sure you deal with an IFA that specialises in pension transfer advice because there are several different types of advisor. For example, you don’t want an advisor who deals primarily in mortgages trying to help you with pension transfers. Fill in our form to find a specialist IFA who can help you with your pension transfer.