Virgin Glidepath Stakeholder Pension

engagedandopen

0.3% with lifestyling would be nice... I opened SW stakeholder and SL stakeholder direct last year (2019) and they each charge me 1%... I'm also paying 1.43% for Standard Life's Myfolio Managed V retail (lifestyling to Drawdown); performance could be better (for a higher alpha option) but they have recently halved the absolute return component and upped the equity content - but anyway, I'd be interested in any other lifestyled, predominantly active options at the stock-selection level.

Hammer9890

The detail being missed here is that Glidepath is a managed fund rather than the passive tracker fund it replaces. Like Brianfall, I was attracted to the Virgin pension in the first place by its low fees and passive approach. Now we are being asked to pay higher fees for "fund management" that we didn't want. I'm inclined to opt out of the new changes and stay with the old setup. 

engagedandopen

It's be interesting to know whether the underlying funds are actively managed at the stock selection level (like Standard Life's Stock Exchange Pension fund) or trackers, with just asset allocation actively managed.  If you're interested in a tracker with a stable allocation, you could look at a global tracker for diversification, rather than relying only on the UK (or Vanguard funds, as they have told me they review their asset allocation annually).  On price, the Ombudsman, Standard Life and Scottish Widows has said Dunstonh's statement on this thread that stakeholder pensions should be 0.6% since 2013 is factually incorrect.  Perhaps the FCA should look to regulate IFA comments on these fora.

dunstonh

On price, the Ombudsman, Standard Life and Scottish Widows has said Dunstonh's statement on this thread that stakeholder pensions should be 0.6% since 2013 is factually incorrect.  

Where did I say that?    - you have misinterpreted what I said.

The stakeholder rules remain the same as they have been for the last 15 years. i.e. no more than 1.5% for the first 10 years and 1% thereafter.      The 2013 commission ban did not change the rules.  However, it meant that the distribution could not factor commission into the pricing using an intermediary.   As 1% included commission, the removal of commission dropped the pricing to around 0.5-0.6% p.a.      

The generic position and retail reality are often two different things.      

In reality, most people would not be suitable for a stakeholder pension nowadays as a master trust scheme (such as their workplace pension) or a personal pension or SIPP would be better value.   Indeed, personal pensions effectively killed off stakeholder pensions but they too are being killed off by SIPPs.   Yet the generic position remains the same.

Albermarle

engagedandopen said:

It's be interesting to know whether the underlying funds are actively managed at the stock selection level (like Standard Life's Stock Exchange Pension fund) or trackers, with just asset allocation actively managed.  If you're interested in a tracker with a stable allocation, you could look at a global tracker for diversification, rather than relying only on the UK (or Vanguard funds, as they have told me they review their asset allocation annually).  On price, the Ombudsman, Standard Life and Scottish Widows has said Dunstonh's statement on this thread that stakeholder pensions should be 0.6% since 2013 is factually incorrect.  Perhaps the FCA should look to regulate IFA comments on these fora.

Maybe an old 'friend' returning to the forum ? Very unusual for a new poster to start to challenge other posters in this way .....

garmeg

Albermarle said:

engagedandopen said:

It's be interesting to know whether the underlying funds are actively managed at the stock selection level (like Standard Life's Stock Exchange Pension fund) or trackers, with just asset allocation actively managed.  If you're interested in a tracker with a stable allocation, you could look at a global tracker for diversification, rather than relying only on the UK (or Vanguard funds, as they have told me they review their asset allocation annually).  On price, the Ombudsman, Standard Life and Scottish Widows has said Dunstonh's statement on this thread that stakeholder pensions should be 0.6% since 2013 is factually incorrect.  Perhaps the FCA should look to regulate IFA comments on these fora.

Maybe an old 'friend' returning to the forum ? Very unusual for a new poster to start to challenge other posters in this way .....

Sharing the same surname as the last Labour PM prior to Mr Blair perhaps?