We’d like to remind Forumites to please avoid political debate on the Forum.

This is to keep it a safe and useful space for MoneySaving discussions. Threads that are – or become – political in nature may be removed in line with the Forum’s rules. Thank you for your understanding.

📨 Have you signed up to the Forum's new Email Digest yet? Get a selection of trending threads sent straight to your inbox daily, weekly or monthly!
The Forum now has a brand new text editor, adding a bunch of handy features to use when creating posts. Read more in our how-to guide
Want to become a Forum Ambassador? Visit the Community Noticeboard for details on how to apply

Charges too high on Self Employed Pension?

Anyone able to give some advice.

I spoke with a FA and got an illustration on a self employed pension. The Illustration appears to point out that i won't make back what i put in?
The reduction in the value of your portfolio mean that the PORTFOLIO AND INVESTMENT CHARGES on your portfolio take the growth rate down after price inflation to 1.2%. This is a reduction in growth of 1.1% a year

It then goes on to say
The reduction in the value of your portfolio means that ALL CHARGES on your portfolio take the growth rate down after price inflation from 2.3% to -0.1%. This is a reduction on growth of 2.4% a year.

Is this just usual illustration speak, or am i getting into a bad investment?

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

Comments

  • dunstonh
    dunstonh Posts: 121,098 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    reduction in yield of 2.4% is too high in 2015.

    The annual appears to be ok but there has to be a large up front fee involved here to turn the reduction in yield on a 1.1% to 2.4% (or a short timescale)
    I am an Independent Financial Adviser (IFA). The comments I make are just my opinion and are for discussion purposes only. They are not financial advice and you should not treat them as such. If you feel an area discussed may be relevant to you, then please seek advice from an Independent Financial Adviser local to you.
  • drwster
    drwster Posts: 4 Newbie
    Should i try another FA or should i look for an online product and take that charge out of the question?
  • dunstonh
    dunstonh Posts: 121,098 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    You could do either of those.

    Do remember that if you DIY then its important to do your research. Many DIY products are more expensive then IFA products. It can be cheaper if you buy right though.
    I am an Independent Financial Adviser (IFA). The comments I make are just my opinion and are for discussion purposes only. They are not financial advice and you should not treat them as such. If you feel an area discussed may be relevant to you, then please seek advice from an Independent Financial Adviser local to you.
  • gadgetmind
    gadgetmind Posts: 11,130 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    I pay 0.4% pa in total fees for my investments with Friend's Life.
    I am not a financial adviser and neither do I play one on television. I might occasionally give bad advice but at least it's free.

    Like all religions, the Faith of the Invisible Pink Unicorns is based upon both logic and faith. We have faith that they are pink; we logically know that they are invisible because we can't see them.
  • drwster
    drwster Posts: 4 Newbie
    Thanks for the heads up gadgetmind, did you DIY then?
  • gadgetmind
    gadgetmind Posts: 11,130 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    This is actually on my Group Personal Pension with an IFA chosen by the company in the loop. (But I do DIY for my SIPP and our ISAs.)

    However, you can get pretty close going to FL via Cavendish Online.

    http://www.cavendishonline.co.uk/pensions/stakeholder-and-personal-pensions/friends-provident1/

    Of course, an IFA can provide a lot more than just a basic personal pension, but this doesn't mean that you need to pay through the nose.
    I am not a financial adviser and neither do I play one on television. I might occasionally give bad advice but at least it's free.

    Like all religions, the Faith of the Invisible Pink Unicorns is based upon both logic and faith. We have faith that they are pink; we logically know that they are invisible because we can't see them.
  • gadgetmind
    gadgetmind Posts: 11,130 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    But note that the IFA in my case does the square root of SFA. We choose how much to contribute, what funds to use, and have to do our own calculations regards allowances, etc.
    I am not a financial adviser and neither do I play one on television. I might occasionally give bad advice but at least it's free.

    Like all religions, the Faith of the Invisible Pink Unicorns is based upon both logic and faith. We have faith that they are pink; we logically know that they are invisible because we can't see them.
This discussion has been closed.
Meet your Ambassadors

🚀 Getting Started

Hi new member!

Our Getting Started Guide will help you get the most out of the Forum

Categories

  • All Categories
  • 353.9K Banking & Borrowing
  • 254.3K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
  • 455.2K Spending & Discounts
  • 246.9K Work, Benefits & Business
  • 603.5K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
  • 178.3K Life & Family
  • 261K Travel & Transport
  • 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
  • 16.1K Discuss & Feedback
  • 37.7K Read-Only Boards

Is this how you want to be seen?

We see you are using a default avatar. It takes only a few seconds to pick a picture.