r/PensionsUK

I'm 61, a divorced man with no dependants, and own my home with no mortgage. I'm looking to retire next year and want to consolidate my 6 personal pensions (plus a DB I'm not moving) before I do, as they're not all performing as well as they could.

I've met a representative of a well regarded (positive write ups on unbiased and vouchedfor) local IFA firm and they've got up to date valuations of my plans. He's recommended transferring them all into funds managed by his firm. I had thought he would have reviewed my existing plans and recommend which one to pick to move the other ones into.

Admittedly their funds do seem to do pretty well, and the charges for the funds are similar to my existing fund charges (although they add an extra 1% on top). I have asked for example annuities to compare (although he didn't seem to think much of them).

I was wondering if this is a normal outcome and if anyone else has had similar advice from their IFAs?

From a previous thread I posted about early retirement, it was clear there’s still some confusion around the difference between private and public Defined Benefit (DB) pensions. The core distinction is that private‑sector DB schemes rely on the employer’s financial health and, if things go wrong, the Pension Protection Fund. In contrast, state‑backed DB schemes are ultimately guaranteed by the government, which makes them significantly more secure and typically more generous in terms of indexation.

In short: private DB pensions depend on employer solvency and investment returns, whereas public‑sector DB schemes (NHS, teachers, civil service, armed forces, local government) are underwritten by the UK government or local authorities. As a result, the risk to members is far lower.

Hi

Slightly unusual position that I had an 8 year career break as a carer, but am now back working.

I have -

No house or debt but renting.

500k in savings (currently cash).

350k in pension pot.

I earn £100k and get 5% pension. There is no matching for contributions.

My question - should I be maxing out my pension contributions due to the tax relief? Is this the best return I could get for a "sensible" investment.

I won't be immediately looking to buy a house but will in the next couple of years.

Thanks

I've got a few pension pots, including small one with a protected pension age. I'm about 17 years from that age and it only contains about 18 months of expenses.

I'm contributing to other pensions now with lower fees, but obviously those ages are higher and potentially going up further. I've just been ignoring it for years but I'm unsure what to do. Should I pay more in now incase it gets closed for more payments in? The fees aren't great and I'm handling everything right now with salary sacrifice because that's simpler. Could I do some kind of partial transfer to put a bit more in so it covers the difference in the years I can access?

Or should I just plan to wait until a couple of years before, throw a lump sum in and then nearly immediately start to withdraw it?

Thanks

My employer uses NEST which I dislike from previous experience. They noted this when offering me the job and have said they are happy to explore other options for me.

I have a Fidelity SIPP currently. It seems it is possible for them to contribute but I'm not sure how much of a headache it would be for them? Does anybody know if it's easy or a major job? It would just be for the normal auto enrolment amounts and I earn under £50k if it makes a difference.

If this is too difficult what else could I suggest to them that would be easy but better than NEST! I should add it's a small employee (less than 10 staff).

Thanks in advance.

I have a few pensions dotted around. 2 years civil service and two from my time in private sector.

I’m wondering whether it is possible and even advisable to move the public one into a sipp? As the public one is a fixed return for years of service, for life, how does that translate to a cash lump sum?