Stakeholder with profits fund SL

markinsouthsea

I have a stakeholder with profits fund policy with standard life. I have around six years to further invest in this product. The fund value has increased year on year, last year looked around 7%. Increase in value. I have probably left it late but was wondering if I would be better choosing a different fund to invest with. I see that there a number to choose from that standard life allow on their website.

I currently invest £100 a month fund value is £13900. I originally started the policy in November 2001 paying just 25 a month , increasing to 50 in December 2007 and then 100 a month in October 2014. I am not sure whether this is a good or bad performance? My last statement which I received last week stated I had paid in 9159 since the plan started.

I am tempted to switch the future payments and leave what has been accrued where it is. Wondered if that was a good idea? Incidentally I have a final salary scheme pension that will provide my main retirement pension, as I appreciate in the grand scheme of things the values are very small.

dunstonh

How are you planning to take your retirement benefits? You will soon be leaving the accumulation side of your pension and starting the decumulation side. If you plan to decumulate quickly then you need to start de-risking. If you plan to decumulate using income drawdown then there is no real risk to make massive risk changes. Although changing to an income strategy and a small risk change is likely.

I currently invest £100 a month fund value is £13900. I originally started the policy in November 2001 paying just 25 a month , increasing to 50 in December 2007 and then 100 a month in October 2014. I am not sure whether this is a good or bad performance?

To be honest, on a fund value that low, performance doesnt really make much of a difference. I suspect you will be looking at lump sum annual withdrawals if you do need the money or leaving it in pension as a tax free wrapper if you dont. Hence why knowing your plans is helpful

markinsouthsea

I have a further 2pensions I am contributing to. One is a sipp that started this year and the other is an avc product that is small value around the £10k.

I also have a monthly policy with family friendly society investments that was sold as a tax free product years ago, 20 month now worth around £14k.

My thoughts are that if I get growth of 5% pa.. I will accumulate around 75k. I then plan to consolidate all into the sipp and use drawdown of £300 a month keeping the remainder invested with the hope that the yield can keep the fund going.

My sipp is currently investing in equities via fund managers with risk of around 4-5 on the scale... Monthly investments since January currently .9% up, in what has been a difficult year for equities. I guess it's the benefit of drip feeding which has helped..