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Pension advisor prices?
Asked 2 pension adviors how much will it cost me to look at my pensions .I have 3 seperate pensions and i was shocked at the price they they were quoting me .The fact that they arrived both in 60k cars made me feel like i was getting stung .for what i was asking them to do .What would the average price be for this type of…
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Civil service classic final pensionable earnings rules.
Hi all, where can I find the full rules around calculating final pensionable earnings for the classic scheme? I have read on the forum that when you preserve your pension/leave classic scheme they look at your earning when you leave and step back 91 days a total of 12 times to see which is the highest in cash terms but if…
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Moved: State Pension and self assessment for capital gains tax.
This discussion has been moved.
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Royal London asset allocation - life strategy equivalent or add bonds?
currently 100% in RLP worldwide. 5-6 years out from hopeful retirement, looking at either partial transfer out to a SIPP platform, or adjusting within RL portfolio to a more blended strategy. adding some bonds (80/20 or 70/30 maybe) or using a life strategy type single fund to do that for me. I’m tempted to stay inside RL…
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Taking the last of my Tax Free Lump Sum
I am nearing the maximum TFLS I can take from my pensions, given the current allowance of £268,275. This is based on my own calculations from what I've already taken from various pensions (with different providers), but is it my responsibility to monitor this, or is does HMRC keep track of it too? If so, can I check with…
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Deferred LGPS ill health pension
I’ve been approved for ill health retirement by a previous LG employer. They’ve sent my pension figures which are considerably lower than the yearly pension statement I received in August this year. Their letter states that pension increases haven’t been applied to my figures because I’m not 55 (I’m in my 40’s). However,…
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Withdraw from sipp to fund ISA?
Irrespective of possible budget changes.. I have a decent DB which gets me close to 40% tax bracket and also have a 6 figure sipp in drawdown. My spending means I don’t have spare to continue to fund ISA so have been mulling over gradually withdrawing from sipp at 40% and putting into ISA. I don’t really need the money…
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USS - 2025 valuation of DB?
Hi there. I have a USS pension. I’m no longer an active member and my last contributions were at the end of December 2024. I have a DB and a DC element in the scheme. Normally the DB amount is updated every year and is dated 31st March each year. This tends to happen in September and a statement is also added at this time.…
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Pre-April 5 2025 Voluntary NI pension Topups
Hello everyone and thanks for having me on this site. I wish to share a query with people who registered with the DWP to top up their NI contributions since 2006 before the April 5 2025 deadline. I have just received an extensive email from DWP outlining the contributions I have to make. Fortunately I can make these…
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What happens if you straddle pension age increase?
On 6th April 28 minimum pension age increases to 57. My DOB is Oct 71. If I start accessing a DC pension from Oct 26 (age 55) can I continue? Or on 6th April 28 (age 56) will there be limits on how I can access my pension? What are the guidelines? I'm thinking I would be able to access crystallised funds in a drawdown…
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State pension calculation and HMRC calculator
Hi, This is mostly idle curiosity, but I'm hoping someone here can help me understand the basis for the UK state pension calculation. When I go to the HMRC state pension calculator it tells me "Forecast if you contribute another 2 years before 5 April 2042 £230.25 a week". I'd qualify in 2042 based on current law (I'm 50).…
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MyCSP, Capita and retirement modeller
Hi everyone, my wife and I (59 and 61 respectively) are both civil servants looking to take early retirement next May, but now I’m starting to get worried about they delays being caused by the MyCSP strikes and the proposed transfer to Capita. We’ll have another 5 years to wait before my State Pension kicks in, and we have…
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How to understand SIPP statement
This is the most 101 question ever and I actually feel embarrassed asking it. When my quarterly SIPP statement gives projections for what the fund could be worth at retirement, would anyone who knows about this stuff be able to tell me will that be for just the fund as it stands at the statement date, excluding future…
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Looking for help with advice for my parents
Hello. I hope I can get some input here on some advice to give my parents. For some background my mother is retiring next year at 65, my dad is 70 next year but plans to continue working for now (he’s on a 0 hour contract job and brings in around £10,000 per year from that). He works as and when he wants, which suits him.…
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Civil Service Pension Savings Statement
I've just received my 2025 pension Savings Statement - I've spent many hoours working out what this should be , at least approximately - I have some in Classic (PCSPS) and some in alpha. The answer I was NOT expecting was that both should show Pension Input Amounts of £0.00 I'm obviously quite happy if they are both right…
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Claiming a pension for a child over 18
My dad died recently whilst still working, he had paid into a LGPS. I have received forms from them needing further details, on the form it explains that in some cases a small pension can be paid to any children over 18 for numerous reasons but for our situation “if a person is incapacitated by ill-health which arose…
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USS or Civil Service Alpha?
Hi all, Currently looking at a role which offers a USS pension. I am currently a civil servant and pay into the Alpha scheme. In the past, I was under the assumption that USS was a very good pension but, reading into it, it doesn't look all that great compared to the Alpha scheme. I believe USS has a contribution rate of…
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With Profit Annuities
I was thinking of crystallising the funds I have in excess of LTA and using these proceeds to buy a with profits annuity. Amount is circa £150k after £50k LTA charge. I am struggling to find a list of providers for this somewhat niche product - I can only seem to find Prudential as a provider. Are there any others? How…
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"Small Pot" benefits question
A question I have on 'Small Pot" pensions. I have just handed my notice in at work (3 months notice). At the same time they have transferred to a new scheme provider. So if I do nothing, and don't combine the two pensions I will likely end up with a fund at retirement of less than £10k, so a "small pot" I think there are…
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NEST Pensions
My partner works for charity and they use NEST as their pension provider. She is 57 and has possibly 10 more years to retirement. They currently don't allow pension sacrifice but they will be in the near future. He hourly wage isn't great but is it above the living wage so i have advised her to max out her pension by…
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Most recent: Voluntary NI contributions cut off 2025 by Silvertabby
19 December at 7:04PM
