Stakeholder pension contributions

[ASB]

Stakeholder is fine. So is an EPP. There is no compulsion on a stakeholder to accept employer contributrions, but I doubt if here are any that don't. Certainly not a problem for L + G (who I found utterly useless) or Scottish Widows.

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/pensionscheme...ployers-v2.pdf
http://www.direct.gov.uk/MoneyTaxAnd...106&chk=h2rZgl

[tacpot]

A Stakeholder is perfectly fine for this. I rang up my Stakeholder Pension co., explained that 'my employer' wanted to make a one-off payment into my Stakeholder pension. They sent me a form to fill out. It was very straightforward, I sent them the form along with a cheque, and the investment appeared on their system within three days.

[IR35 Avoider]

The only point of an EPP is so you can make larger contributions - there's no way you should sign up to one now, as the rules are going to allow exactly the same contributions to all types of pension schemes from 6th of April. i.e. an EPP will have no advantages but will almost certainly be hugely more expensive.

I can confirm what tacpot said about how easy it is to make an employer contribution - he outlines exactly the procedure I followed the first time. Subsequent times were even easier as I just kept a double-sided photocopy of the form as a master to copy new forms from each time I needed one.

[beep]

Hmm, EPP, etc.

As someone who has an EPP (but have not paid into it since switching from a Ltd. company to an Umbrella), can anyone here advise what options there are?

I spoke with an "Independant Financial Adviser" who just tried to sell me insurance, and have written to the BBC Working Lunch hoping that they may take an interest.

If possible I'd like to switch it to a stakeholder pension, as the fees are lower. I get the feeling that the investment clowns would see that as a bad thing for them, and somehow stop/charge this action.

The banks have even lowered interest rates due to customers being more savvy, and moving their money from low to high interest accounts now.

Sounds like the property investment idea is a good one. Let's just hope there are enough people earning to afford to buy our property when it's time to sell!

Cheers,

Beep

[Mailman]

Forget the pension. It'll be worth bugger all when you retire anyway. Invest in property and/or land.

Yeah see, this is the thing. Why would you waste your money by putting it away in a zero percent pension plan when you could actually use it now to invest in property?

Mailman