General

Yes, IVCM offers a wide range of retirement solutions including; SIPP, QROPS, QNUPS and company pension schemes.

IMPORTANT NOTICE

Before applying, you should ensure that the product is appropriate for you. We recommend that you seek professional financial guidance on the suitability of this type of arrangement. This should include the payment of contributions and withdrawals. The charges levied by Heritage Pensions Limited and/or your Financial Adviser may increase in the future.

A SIPP is a UK registered pension scheme whereas a QROPS is an overseas pension scheme which meets certain criteria set out by HMRC. There is usually no real advantage to a QROPS over a SIPP before you start to take benefits.  However, there may be some benefit to using a QROPS after taking benefits but only once you have completed ten consecutive tax years outside of the UK and intend to retire and remain. From 9th March 2017, certain transfers to and from a QROPS will be liable to a 25% tax charge called the Overseas Transfer Charge (OTC). The charge would apply if none of the following five conditions are met:

  • the member is resident in the same country in which the QROPS receiving the transfer is established
  • the member is resident in a country within the European Economic Area (EEA) and the QROPS is established in a country within the EEA (Gibraltar is in the EEA)
  • the QROPS is set up by an international organisation for the purpose of providing benefits for or in respect of past service as an employee of the organisation and the member is an employee of that international organisation. It does NOT simply mean a multi-national employer.
  • the QROPS is an overseas public service pension scheme and the member is an employee of an employer that participates in the scheme
  • the QROPS is an occupational pension scheme and the member is an employee of a sponsoring employee under the scheme

If you have any questions or require any further information, please contact your financial adviser.

Occupational pension schemes will be established by an employer under trust whereas a personal pension can be established by any individual who meets the eligibility requirements. Occupational pension schemes can either be defined benefit Schemes or defined contribution schemes. With a defined benefit scheme your benefits at retirement are guaranteed and based on your pensionable salary and length of service with your employer, and the contributions required are variable. By contrast, personal pensions are always defined contribution schemes. They operate in a similar manner to occupational defined contribution schemes in that they have limits on contribution levels which attract tax relief but benefits are based on the level of contributions paid in and investment returns achieved. Whilst there are no limits on the emerging benefits, these are not guaranteed.

A SIPP is one of the most flexible pension plans which gives the member better control over how to invest and take benefits while at the same time being very cost-effective. A SIPP is a regulated UK Pension Scheme which gives members a level of consumer protection not always found with other international pension options.

A Self-Invested Personal Pension (SIPP) is a tax-privileged savings plan with the purpose of building a capital sum to provide an income in retirement.  A SIPP offers more investment and retirement flexibility within the UK registered pension market, offering the individual the opportunity to create and develop a truly bespoke retirement product.