Sipp Providers

Why You Need A Sipp Provider?

The popularity of self-invested personal pensions (Sipps) has been on a powerful upward trajectory for the past couple of years, as a growing number of investors consolidate and take control over their pension funds.

Figures from the latest Sipp survey in April 2008 show 240,000 plans in existence, compared with just 80,000 five years earlier. One of Sipp providers Total sales for its best-selling Sipp were up by more than 53 per cent for the 2007-08 tax year, compared with the preceding 12 months.

But while the idea of moving your pension funds into a Sipp Pension may appeal, identifying the most appropriate product for your needs can be daunting: the 50 providers in the market all seem to operate different charging structures and different investment choices.

This is one area where the services of our linked independent financial adviser (IFA) specialising in pensions can be particularly valuable. An adviser will be able to help in the choice of investments to hold within your Sipp, and advise on the most reputable, efficient and cost-efficient Sipp providers.

Whether or not you decide to use our IFA, it's worth understanding the range of options available, as Sipp providers come in several forms. At one end of the spectrum are the low-cost online providers catering mainly to individuals prepared to make their own investment choices without the help of a financial adviser. These include Hargreaves Lansdown, Sippdeal, James Hay's e-Sipp and Fidelity FundsNetwork.

Why You Need Sipp Insurance?

Then there are the insurance companies that have traditionally offered personal and stakeholder pensions and have now widened their range to include Sipps.
Some offer what are known as hybrid Sipps, requiring clients to put a certain amount of their investment into in-house funds before they can branch out into a range of externally-managed funds.

Some insurance houses also have deferred Sipps, where the client chooses from in-house funds but has the option to move into a more flexible, wider range of investments and manage them himself at a later date - for example, once his fund is large enough. But the Financial Services Authority has expressed concern that some investors may be paying for a level of flexibility that they are not actually using, so it’s important to clarify exactly how the charges work.

‘Full’ Sipps are available from a variety of smaller or specialist Sipp providers, as well as from certain insurers, notably Standard Life. These offer a wide range of Sipp investments including the spectrum of collective funds, single company shares, bonds, cash, overseas investments, traded endowments, derivatives and, in some cases, commercial property. Typically, they will cost more than those focusing on collective funds, particularly where property is concerned.

So what should you consider when you are deciding where to put your pension and setting up a Sipp? The most important thing to consider is to identify your own attitude to risk and your investment goals. Then we can help you find a plan that offers access to appropriate investments.

Turning your pension into a SIPP.

Our goal is to provide you with access to professional SIPP advice that ultimately covers all the aspects of investing your pension by way of a SIPP such that you receive the necessary SIPP advice to be certain that the investment is correct and right for you.

To find out more and if you qualify for a SIPP and to see if your existing pension is eligible to be invested in a SIPP, register your details below.

You’ll be able to discuss your needs with a FSA-regulated Independent Financial Advisor, and arrange for a fast and hassle-free pension-to-SIPP conversion.

The adviser will look at SIPP providers and identify the most suitable SIPP for you. There is no charge for the adviser to identify your SIPP requirements.