Pensions to save into

Pensions to save into

Are AVC pensions worth it? Pros and cons

Are AVC pensions worth it? They can be: tax relief and possible tax-free cash, set against investment risk, charges and money locked in until retirement.

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Pensions to save into

Are pensions halal? Sharia-compliant pensions in the UK

Is a pension halal or haram? This site gives no religious ruling; it sets out what UK providers, GOV.UK and two published scholarly opinions say.

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Pensions to save into

Are stakeholder pensions any good? Pros and cons

Are stakeholder pensions any good? The rules fix a charge cap, a low minimum and a default fund, but not which provider or which funds.

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Pensions to save into

Auto-enrolment age: are you enrolled if you are under 22?

A workplace pension under 22 is not automatic: employers must enrol only workers aged 22 or over, but you can ask to join from 16, and the employer then ha…

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Pensions to save into

Auto-enrolment and pension saving after State Pension age

Auto-enrolment after State Pension age: your employer no longer has to enrol you, but you can ask to join, and above a pay level they must then contribute.

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Pensions to save into

Auto-enrolment for zero hours, agency, part-time and appr…

A workplace pension on a zero hours contract depends on your pay in each pay period: your employer must enrol you once you earn over the trigger (£192 a we…

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Pensions to save into

Aviva pension funds: options, performance and switching

Aviva pension funds depend on the plan: the SIPP offers over 5,000 self-select funds and ready-made options; a workplace pension starts in a default.

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Pensions to save into

Best pension or SIPP for a limited company director

No pension is best for every limited company director. What sets directors apart is that the company can pay in too, under rules separate from your own.

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Pensions to save into

Can a SIPP invest in commercial property?

A SIPP can buy commercial property such as a shop or office, but only if your SIPP provider accepts it; a home counts as taxable property.

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Pensions to save into

Can a SSAS pension buy commercial property?

A SSAS pension can buy commercial property and borrow up to 50% of the fund's net value to do it, but a house or flat in the scheme brings tax charges.

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Pensions to save into

Can an employer pay into your personal pension or SIPP?

Yes, an employer can contribute to a personal pension or SIPP, and HMRC treats it as an ordinary employer contribution. The catch is who will accept it.

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Pensions to save into

Can you keep paying into a UK pension if you live abroad?

UK pension contributions when living abroad can get tax relief for the tax year you leave and the five after it, often on up to £3,600 gross a year.

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Pensions to save into

Can you pay into PensionBee, and can your employer?

Yes, you can pay into PensionBee once you have an account, and it says an employer can contribute too, if the employer agrees to send the money there.

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Pensions to save into

Can you pay into your spouse's or partner's pension?

Yes, you can pay into your spouse's or partner's pension. For tax it counts as their contribution, so the relief goes to them, not to you.

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Pensions to save into

Do directors have to be auto-enrolled into a workplace pe…

Auto-enrolment for directors turns on employment contracts: a director without one is not a worker, and a company run only by directors may have no duties.

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Pensions to save into

Employer pension contributions during sick pay and leave

Employer pension contributions during sick leave usually carry on while you are being paid, and the law protects pension rights through paid paternity, ado…

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Pensions to save into

How is your pension invested, and can you choose where?

Can you choose where your pension is invested? Often yes, but a workplace scheme starts you in a default fund, and what else is offered depends on the scheme.

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Pensions to save into

How much salary can you sacrifice into a pension?

There is no single maximum for pension salary sacrifice: pay after the sacrifice cannot fall below minimum wage, and tax and scheme limits also apply.

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Pensions to save into

How to join or opt back in to The People's Pension

To opt in to The People's Pension, give your employer a signed written request; what your employer must then do, including whether it pays in, depends on y…

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Pensions to save into

How to opt out of your workplace pension

Workplace pension opt out: you get one month to leave and have your money back, and leaving later usually leaves what you paid in the pension.

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Pensions to save into

How to pay into or top up your Aviva pension

To top up an Aviva pension, log in to MyAviva and make a one-off payment; how you raise regular payments, and the minimums, depend on your plan.

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Pensions to save into

How to set up a SSAS pension and how long it takes

Setting up a SSAS pension takes a trust deed, trustees, a scheme administrator and HMRC registration, which TPR says can take up to six months.

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Pensions to save into

How to set up a personal pension in the UK

To set up a personal pension, pick a provider, sign up online or by phone, give your tax details and start paying in.

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Pensions to save into

Is a SIPP worth it? Pros and cons explained

Are SIPPs worth it? Often, if you want to pick your own investments and it will not cost you employer contributions; for others a simpler pension is better.

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Pensions to save into

Is a workplace pension worth it? Advantages and disadvant…

Is a workplace pension worth it? It brings employer money and tax relief, and it also locks savings away and carries investment risk.

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Pensions to save into

Is it compulsory to have a pension in the UK?

Is pension contribution compulsory in the UK? Employers must enrol eligible staff automatically, but you can usually opt out.

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Pensions to save into

Is pension salary sacrifice worth it? Pros and cons

Whether pension salary sacrifice is worth it turns on a National Insurance saving set against a lower contract salary. Official sources set out both sides.

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Pensions to save into

Lifetime ISA or pension: which is better for retirement?

A Lifetime ISA adds a 25% bonus but charges 25% on unauthorised withdrawals; a pension adds tax relief and usually opens at 55, or 57 from 2028.

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Pensions to save into

Nest pension for the self-employed: can you use it?

Self-employed people can open a Nest pension themselves, Nest says, if they are 16 to under 75, work in the UK and employ no one else.

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Pensions to save into

Nest pension funds: what it invests in and your options

Most Nest members sit in a Retirement Date Fund, but Nest also lets you move to its Ethical, Sharia, Higher Risk or Lower Growth fund.

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Pensions to save into

Opting out of NOW: Pensions or stopping payments

You can stop paying in to NOW: Pensions at any time, but you normally get your own payments back only if you stop within the first month.

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Pensions to save into

Opting out of Smart Pension

Smart Pension opt out: do it in your online account within the one-month window and your own contributions are refunded, but your employer's are not.

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Pensions to save into

Paying extra into your workplace pension: how much to con…

You can usually raise your workplace pension contributions through payroll. The cost to your take-home pay depends on how your scheme gives tax relief.

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Pensions to save into

Paying into a Royal London pension: top-ups and contribut…

How to pay into a Royal London pension: a workplace plan via your employer's payroll, a personal pension by direct debit; both take one-off top-ups.

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Pensions to save into

Pension contributions during maternity leave

Pension contributions on maternity leave usually continue while you are paid: your employer on the pay you would have had, you on the pay you get.

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Pensions to save into

Pension lifestyling: how it works, pros and cons

Pension lifestyling moves your pot out of shares and into bonds and cash as retirement nears. Its pros and cons depend on what you plan to do with the money.

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Pensions to save into

Pension or ISA: which is better for retirement?

Pension or ISA? A pension adds tax relief but is usually locked until 55 (57 from April 2028); an ISA has no relief but can be drawn at any time.

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Pensions to save into

Pension salary sacrifice during maternity leave: what hap…

Pension salary sacrifice on maternity leave: contributions continue while you are paid, the pay used depends on your terms, and SMP cannot be sacrificed.

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Pensions to save into

Personal pension and SIPP key features: Quilter and Moneybox

Quilter's personal pension is the Collective Retirement Account (CRA), and its key features set out who it suits, how payments and tax relief work, what yo…

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Pensions to save into

Personal pension vs SIPP: what is the difference?

A SIPP is one kind of personal pension, so personal pension vs SIPP comes down to investment choice, who manages the money and what it costs.

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Pensions to save into

SSAS loan-backs: lending to the sponsoring company

A SSAS can lend to its sponsoring company if the loan meets HMRC's five tests. Under SSAS pension loan rules, any loan to a member is unauthorised.

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Pensions to save into

SSAS trustees and administrators: roles and duties

SSAS pension trustees run the scheme under its trust deed, while the scheme administrator, a distinct role the same people can hold, carries the tax duties…

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Pensions to save into

Salary sacrifice vs AVCs: what is the difference?

Pension salary sacrifice vs AVC is not a straight contest: one is a way of paying in that can save National Insurance, the other is an extra pot.

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Pensions to save into

Should you put an inheritance into your pension?

Should you put an inheritance into your pension? You can, and tax relief may apply up to set limits, but the money is then normally locked in until 55 or l…

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Pensions to save into

Stakeholder pension charges and the charge cap explained

Stakeholder pension charges are capped by law at 1.5% a year for the first 10 years and 1% after that, for people who joined from 6 April 2005.

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Pensions to save into

Standard Life group pension plans: how workplace schemes…

A Standard Life group pension plan is a workplace pension your employer sets up with Standard Life, either as individual contracts or inside a trust, and t…

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Pensions to save into

Starting a pension at 55 or 60: is it worth it?

Can I start a pension at 60? Usually yes, and at 55 too: you get tax relief and perhaps employer money, with fewer years to grow.

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Pensions to save into

Topping up your Scottish Widows pension with extra payments

A Scottish Widows pension top up goes through the app for a Ready-Made Pension or SIPP, and through your employer for a workplace plan.

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Pensions to save into

What happens if you pause or stop pension contributions?

Can I pause my pension contributions? Often you can reduce or stop them, but the route differs for a workplace pension and a personal pension.

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Pensions to save into

What happens to your workplace pension when you leave a job?

What happens to my workplace pension when I leave a job? The money stays yours and stays invested, but you and your employer stop paying in.

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Pensions to save into

What is a SIPP and how does it work?

A SIPP, or self-invested personal pension, is a UK pension you open yourself and choose the investments for, with tax relief added to what you pay in.

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Pensions to save into

What is a junior SIPP and how does it work?

A SIPP for children, or junior SIPP, is a pension in a child's name: up to £3,600 a year including 20% tax relief, locked until minimum pension age.

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Pensions to save into

What is an employer retirement contribution?

An employer retirement contribution is money your employer pays into your pension on top of your pay; the auto-enrolment minimum is 3%.

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Pensions to save into

Which pay counts for pension contributions?

To calculate a pension contribution in the UK, take your scheme's percentage of the pay it counts; which pay counts, such as overtime, bonuses or redundanc…

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Pensions to save into

Who can join Nest? Age limits and eligibility rules

You join Nest through an employer that uses it, automatically if you are 22 to State Pension age and earn £10,000+, or yourself if self-employed.

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Pensions to save into

Who can join The People's Pension? Eligibility explained

People's Pension eligibility follows auto-enrolment: workers from 22 to State Pension age earning over £10,000 are enrolled; others aged 16 to 74 can ask.

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Pensions to save into

Workplace pension charges and the charge cap

Workplace pension charges on an auto-enrolment default fund are capped by law at 0.75% a year when the only charge is a percentage of your pot.

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Pensions to save into

Workplace pension minimum contributions and typical emplo…

The workplace pension minimum is 8% of qualifying earnings, at least 3% of it from your employer. How that is worked out, and what employers typically pay.

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