Age Partnership

beansy

Hi

Has anyone had any first hand experience of the above reitrement specialists please?

dunstonh

Why not use any local IFA and support your small local firms?

Proxy

dunstonh wrote: »

Why not use any local IFA and support your small local firms?

That depends.

Age specialise in Equity Release. If it's that you're after, Age get much better terms than any local IFA. They have moved into annuities recently, but don't qualify for anything better than what you could get elsewhere.

As a company, they're fine. I have spoken to them a few times. Better than some.

dunstonh

Age specialise in Equity Release.

So do most IFAs that offer this option.

If it's that you're after, Age get much better terms than any local IFA.

Rubbish. It is quite possible they get better terms than a directly authorised IFA that does not use a compliance company but the odds are a network IFA or a DA IFA using compliance services gets equal or better terms. We have seen time and again on this forum that people have found their local IFA getting better terms than the online based firms that supposedly specialise in certain areas.

Proxy

dunstonh wrote: »

So do most IFAs that offer this option.



Rubbish. It is quite possible they get better terms than a directly authorised IFA that does not use a compliance company but the odds are a network IFA or a DA IFA using compliance services gets equal or better terms. We have seen time and again on this forum that people have found their local IFA getting better terms than the online based firms that supposedly specialise in certain areas.

I agree with you for Annuities.

For Equity Release, the market is different. It is not rubbish. I price equity release contracts. I know who gets the better deal.

beansy

Thank you both for your help and advice. I now realise I must start looking into this further.

I work for the NHS and have an AVC with Clerical & Medical Unit Linked fund of £51500 plus a small former protected rights fund with Friends Life and they can't be used to buy extra years in my NHS pension.

I am not very savvy in this area and as I am now getting quite close to planning for my retirement, am realising I better start looking at my options.

I am hoping to take my NHS pension at 60 and look for a p/t job until I qualify for my state pension but I didn't realise I may be able to get more for my AVC pension by shopping around until I cam across an advert for Age.

I really appreciate what has been said and will contact a local IFA for some further advice.

Many thanks.

Beansy :beer:

dunstonh

I work for the NHS and have an AVC with Clerical & Medical Unit Linked fund of £51500 plus a small former protected rights fund with Friends Life and they can't be used to buy extra years in my NHS pension.

Protected rights couldnt but non-protected rights could and since April 2012, protected rights dont exist any more. However, you only get 12 months from joining the NHS scheme to transfer a pension into it.