Looking for an online-only pension

SpikeyW

I'm really tired of dealing with my pension company over the phone, as it costs a bomb, takes for ever, has no paper trail and is horribly inefficient (the last thing I did with them took 3 months to sort out, for example).

Does anyone know of any online-only providers I can move to? In the genre of Starling/Monzo banks, where there's no phone nonsense (apart from app use, obviously).

I'm aware I can go through a very long list and ask them all, but figured this would be a good place to ask folks first!

Thanks in advance!

FIREDreamer

Hargreaves Lansdown, AJB Youinvest or Fidelity perhaps?

Mark_d

https://investengine.com/

Albermarle

There are many online providers that have been established for many years.
Most offer an app as well, and you normally only need to call them if there is a problem ( which can prove very useful) 
Even most of the traditional providers, like Standard Life, Scottish Widows etc are mainly operated on line.

One problem is when you have a rather old pension, that was launched when 'online' was not common.

Who is the provider causing you issues?

ColdIron

Most, if not all, modern SIPP providers have online access, HL, AJB, Interactive Investor and Fidelity are some of the big ones. If you don't want to mess with fund selection you could look at one of the robo-advisors such as Nutmeg 
https://monevator.com/compare-uk-cheapest-online-brokers

SpikeyW

Albermarle said:

There are many online providers that have been established for many years.
Most offer an app as well, and you normally only need to call them if there is a problem ( which can prove very useful) 
Even most of the traditional providers, like Standard Life, Scottish Widows etc are mainly operated on line.

One problem is when you have a rather old pension, that was launched when 'online' was not common.

Who is the provider causing you issues?

Scottish Widows.

Though many have an online portal, I have yet to find one that is online ONLY. They all seem to require phone contact to do a drawdown, etc. Very 1990s.

DRS1

SpikeyW said:

Albermarle said:

There are many online providers that have been established for many years.
Most offer an app as well, and you normally only need to call them if there is a problem ( which can prove very useful) 
Even most of the traditional providers, like Standard Life, Scottish Widows etc are mainly operated on line.

One problem is when you have a rather old pension, that was launched when 'online' was not common.

Who is the provider causing you issues?

Scottish Widows.

Though many have an online portal, I have yet to find one that is online ONLY. They all seem to require phone contact to do a drawdown, etc. Very 1990s.

Back in the 80s you'd have been buying an annuity not doing drawdown.

Linton

SpikeyW said:

Albermarle said:

There are many online providers that have been established for many years.
Most offer an app as well, and you normally only need to call them if there is a problem ( which can prove very useful) 
Even most of the traditional providers, like Standard Life, Scottish Widows etc are mainly operated on line.

One problem is when you have a rather old pension, that was launched when 'online' was not common.

Who is the provider causing you issues?

Scottish Widows.

Though many have an online portal, I have yet to find one that is online ONLY. They all seem to require phone contact to do a drawdown, etc. Very 1990s.

The administration of old pensions is dependent on old software and old procedures. It is not worth the effort of updating these as the government introduces new options. If you want modern features you need to transfer to a modern pension.

FIREDreamer

Drawdown / tax free cash can be done online with Hargreaves and AJ Bell Youinvest. Have done this with both these providers with no issues at all.

dunstonh

SpikeyW said:

Albermarle said:

There are many online providers that have been established for many years.
Most offer an app as well, and you normally only need to call them if there is a problem ( which can prove very useful) 
Even most of the traditional providers, like Standard Life, Scottish Widows etc are mainly operated on line.

One problem is when you have a rather old pension, that was launched when 'online' was not common.

Who is the provider causing you issues?

Scottish Widows.

Though many have an online portal, I have yet to find one that is online ONLY. They all seem to require phone contact to do a drawdown, etc. Very 1990s.

The scottish Widows platform uses FNZ software which powers 7 of the top 10 platforms.  Its modern and does what most of the other platforms do.

However, if you have an older SW plan, it will be on older software.   Hence why it looks like software from a different era.  

LHW99

II can do UFPLS / drawdown online, buy / sell online, secure messages online usually get a response in a couple of days and mostly actually answer the question you ask!