WARRINGTON based pensions adviser Robert Shaw is urging local residents to understand all their options and maintain control of their pension fund money.
Life-long Lymm resident Robert (pictured right) is one of the Directors of The TailorMade Group, who specialise in mainstream and alternative investments predominantly within the (SIPP) Self Invested Personal Pension market.
Having spent nearly 20 years working in the financial services industry Robert (and his colleagues) have a clear message.
“Understand all our options for, and maintain control of, our money…after-all when we adopt a pro-active attitude towards anything in life, we are usually satisfied with the results.”
Can ‘satisfaction’ be a word that describes the way people generally feel about their investment performance and overall experience in the past?
Well it’s not something TailorMade’s Clients were enthralled about, which is why they have turned to the company to assist with their investment choice and transparent management of their money.
Robert also urges people to ensure “we are aware of where our money is invested, the charges applied for management, fund performance in relation to expectations, where the proceeds go in the event of death, and whether we have a satisfactory degree of asset diversification.
“For far too long we have generally relied on the fund management industry, and it has only been in the last few years that the public have started to question this in relation to fund performance and charging structures applied to their pensions and investments.’
Have they received value for money?
“Well not according to the numerous reports by the UK media and industry watchdogs who have highlighted many cases of extremely poor performance coupled with ‘hidden’ charging structures. The latter has even resulted in pensions minister Steve Webb calling on the industry ‘to clean up its act’ in relation to actual charges, which could be as high (in certain circumstances) as four times that published.
“Poor value is also witnessed when we come to take our retirement benefits, especially if we have purchased an annuity in the last few years. Back in the early nineties annuities were providing over £14,000 per annum in return for £100,000 invested, in today’s world we are lucky to receive over £5,000 per annum, meaning we have to survive 20 years to receive our initial investment back! Poor value yet again, yet so many fall foul of this trap.
‘What I also struggle to answer, is why so many trust solely in the stock market to cater for their future livelihoods, having little understanding of the mechanics, nor the foresight to play such volatile performance to their advantage? My only suggestion is that generally we are not aware of our options, as those that do, tend to act, whilst maintaining control of their strategy.”
For more information visit www.tailormadegroup.co.uk or email [email protected] or call 01925 810595.
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