Pension providers manage investments on behalf of their clients who are saving for their retirement When an individual client’s retirement date arrives, then a way needs to be found to convert the accumulated value of the savings (the pension fund) into a regular income for the remainder of the client’s life

We tend to live in a world where yesterday’s brilliant deal becomes rapidly overtaken by today’s even better bargain With a long term investment, such as a pension scheme, where savings are designed to see us throughout our retirement, there are likely to be many occasions when we wonder whether a better deal is going to be offered elsewhere

Investment is about risk While the extent of financial risk any one of us is prepared to take is very much a personal issue, we are fortunate in the UK of having a network of Independent Financial Advisers to consult and to help us consider whether or not to invest – especially if we are doing so for the first time

There is a well-worn saying that no one is indispensable Perhaps not indispensable, but it is equally true that the role of a key player in many a small business can spell make or break in its fortunes

There is probably a tendency to think of the Independent Financial Adviser offering help and advice only in the area of personal finances But the role is not restricted just to the individual

Company pensions are an invaluable part of employees’ remuneration packages They are a central incentive and motivation to staff and an important part, therefore, for successful retention and recruitment

One of the undisputed qualities of this country is the strength, vitality and diversity of its financial services sector This is all very good for the economy at large, but for the individual investor the sheer diversity of the available avenues for investment can be a problem in itself

Who needs investment advice Although many people recognise the sense and rationale of savings – and of making use of those savings for investments that make their money work even harder for them – relatively few people actually do so

If you find it unnecessarily restricting to be tied in to a pension company’s choice of investments, you might find the flexibility and freedom of a Self-Invested Personal Pension (a SIPP, as it’s usually known) attractive The term is entirely self-explanatory in so far as you remain completely at the helm of every investment decision for your pension fund and still enjoy the income tax relief that is granted to all pension plans – that is to say, any money you are investing is invested before the deduction of tax, so that if you would otherwise have paid the basic rate of 20% tax, every £100 investment is effectively made for £80

Good, reliable pension advice needs to be impartial and independent, extremely well-informed and designed with only your own best interests in mind The best way to secure just that advice is through the services of an independent financial adviser specialising in pensions planning