SIPP - Pension Plans

**pmeswani** · 2 December 2011, 16:18

Originally posted by carlosLondon View Post

Good afternoon

just wanted to know what you guys think is best, a SIPP or a stakeholder pension. I've been checking and Hargreaves Lansdown come up a fair bit around here. I have 2 pension plans at the moment (haven't contributed for a while though) and I'm looking to merge them into a single pension plan/SIPP. Anybody around here has done that? I would (obviously) want something easy to do (the transfer/merge), low fees, good returns, etc. I understand no investment is 100% safe, so any recommendations on low-medium risk investments would be well appreciated.

thanks a lot, have a good weekend!

C

Hi Carlos,

This topic has been covered a few times. I would recommend going down the route of SIPP, mainly because of the choices available in the different Fund Managers. However, if you don't have the time, energy, effort, etc. etc. to do your own management, then go down the route of Stakeholder, but be prepared to lose out on the benefits of a SIPP (Lower costs, and more choices).

**Fred Bloggs** · 2 December 2011, 18:34

I have consolidated a few smaller pension pots using HL. It is a very easy process, you just sign a couple of forms and they do all the work. A SIPP can be as risky or as risk averse as you choose by picking the funds appropriately. It really is very straight forward providing you do your homework.

**RSoles** · 2 December 2011, 18:52

Yep, as with everything,
do your own research:-
Hargreaves Lansdown Blinks Under Pressure - 01/12/2011

**Fred Bloggs** · 2 December 2011, 19:09

Yes, HL have been a bit naughty in their latest approach to tracker investors. Myself, I never use them so I'm not affected. There are other options worth looking at and I quite like the look of Best Invest at the moment, they're looking to take a big slice of HL's pie, the latest tracker charges by HL will have many folks looking elsewhere. Alliance Trust savings are also worth a look too.

**psychocandy** · 5 December 2011, 10:59

Originally posted by carlosLondon View Post

Good afternoon

just wanted to know what you guys think is best, a SIPP or a stakeholder pension. I've been checking and Hargreaves Lansdown come up a fair bit around here. I have 2 pension plans at the moment (haven't contributed for a while though) and I'm looking to merge them into a single pension plan/SIPP. Anybody around here has done that? I would (obviously) want something easy to do (the transfer/merge), low fees, good returns, etc. I understand no investment is 100% safe, so any recommendations on low-medium risk investments would be well appreciated.

thanks a lot, have a good weekend!

C

And of course, if you transfer in to a H-L Sipp before 15th Dec they'll give you some sort of bonus cashback.

Not that I'm suggesting you should base a decision on a few quid like this but if you're planning to do it anyway, get it in before 15th Dec...

**IR35 Avoider** · 7 December 2011, 14:21

If you invest in funds, Alliance Trust Savings should be the cheapest, as they claim to refund all initial and trail commision.

If you invest in shares (including ETFs which offer any of the index funds you are likely to need) then Sippdeal is probably the cheapest.

Both Sippdeal and Alliance Trust Savings allow access to the cheapest/best tracker funds, those offered to Vanguard UK, without the £100,000 minimum investment you will need if you want to hold those funds with anyone else.

**PAH** · 7 December 2011, 14:42

Are pensions protected against these types of company going out of business?

If not then does it make more sense to have several pension investments via different companies rather than one SIPP with one company? Is it possible to have multiple SIPPs?

**DonkeyRhubarb** · 7 December 2011, 14:55

Originally posted by carlosLondon View Post

I understand no investment is 100% safe, so any recommendations on low-medium risk investments would be well appreciated.

Keep it simple. Have a read of this:

http://investisseurautonome.info/PDF...portfolios.pdf

You probably wouldn't go gar wrong by sticking 50% in the FTSE Allshare and 50% in government bonds (gilts).

**richy** · 7 January 2012, 13:50

Originally posted by DonkeyRhubarb View Post

Keep it simple. Have a read of this:

http://investisseurautonome.info/PDF...portfolios.pdf

You probably wouldn't go gar wrong by sticking 50% in the FTSE Allshare and 50% in government bonds (gilts).

Well... perhaps. Assuming FTSE develops, it's not moved in 10 years.

My analogy: If you are on a 5 lane motorway, and some lanes are slow, do you switch to the empty lane racing ahead? Yup. And then when they reach max speed, do you switch lane again? Yes. Investing is like this, make the gain, and then switch to another bargain price fund/index. This is how I've gained >20% in the last 2 months ;-)

SIPP - Pension Plans