About Jennie Gray

IFA with Retirement Solutions an independnent financial adviser

Jennie Gray specialises in equity release advice and retirement solutions. Qualified in Annuites and all aspects of financial advice. An IFA can give unbiased advice and acts on behalf of the clients.

The popularity of group self-invested personal pension plans (Sipps) has risen steadily over the past few years. Much like other occupational pension schemes, group Sipps are individual contracts that allow staff to save for retirement in a tax-efficient way, but it is the product's flexibility that is behind its true appeal.

To get the Best Annuity Rates and Pension Annuities you need to shop around and use your Open Market option

The minimum investment is typically £5,000 or £10,000. When you buy a bond you will be allocated a certain number of units in the funds of your choice. Each fund will hold a portfolio of investments, such as shares or bonds, and the price of your units – in other words the value of your capital – will normally rise and fall in line with the value of these investments. Technically investment bonds are single premium life insurance policies. This means an element of life insurance is provided. But it is tiny, typically adding an extra 1 per cent or less to the value of your investment, if it is paid out after your death.

Independent Financial Adviser

Nowadays almost all of the investment funds offered within investment bonds can be bought directly as unit trusts or Oeics (open ended investment companies). But increased annual charges on unit trusts and Oeics mean they are not always cheaper than investment bonds over the long term. But they are much more flexible. You can take your money out of a unit trust or Oeic at any time without penalty. The other advantage is that no capital gains tax is paid by the fund managers.