Pensions - ethical and flexible

PrudentPangolin

Hi. I am in my early 40s and am looking for an ethical pension. I'm self employed, have a family, and it really needs to be as flexible as possible in terms of annual payments into it.

My annual income currently varies between 25K and 31K before tax, so it's not going to be a huge amount being paid in. I came across one online/phone based advice company ("Bread and Butter") but their minimum charge for advice is about 600, which seems quite a lot compared to what I'd actually be putting in. I get the impression that most IFAs are perhaps geared to higher income clients than myself.

I do have a small pension pot from a past career which gives me an estimated 2.5K per year - this is a final salary scheme, rises with inflation and should be safe.

I'm now considering an ethical stakeholder or the NEST ethical fund. I'm not expecting definitive advice on a forum, but are there any other options I should be looking at?

I am wondering if given the amounts involved, and the quite restricted criteria (ethical and flexible) whether I could do my own research and come up with a reasonable plan myself - or is that optimistic?

Ta.

dunstonh

but their minimum charge for advice is about 600, which seems quite a lot compared to what I'd actually be putting in.

It is actually quite low as a charge goes for advice.

get the impression that most IFAs are perhaps geared to higher income clients than myself.

A lot are but plenty will still deal with smaller fund values on a transactional basis.

I'm now considering an ethical stakeholder or the NEST ethical fund.

NEST could cost you more than the £600 for the adviser. A stakeholder is old hat and could cost more than the adviser. Cheapest stakeholder is around 0.5%. Cheapest pensions via IFAs around 0.3x%.

Remember that the pension provider itself is not going to be ethical. It is the investment funds that matter. Both NEST and a stakeholder ethical fund will be generic ethics and may or may not fit with your ethical choices.

What ethical choices are you after? Have you attempted to filter those into the various funds?

I am wondering if given the amounts involved, and the quite restricted criteria (ethical and flexible) whether I could do my own research and come up with a reasonable plan myself - or is that optimistic?

You can if you put the time into it and understand how to do the research.