Paul Clifford is our Pension Transfer Specialist who is responsible for providing regulated advice to members wishing transfer from safeguarded benefits including, occupational pension arrangements final salary pensions schemes. He offers this service throughout the South East including Brighton, Eastbourne, Tunbridge Wells, Uckfield, Bexhill and Hastings.

He is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority to provide retail investment advice. In addition, he has the relevant advanced qualifications to provide Pension Transfer Advice and his business has obtained relevant permissions from the Financial Conduct Authority.

Our Pension Transfer Specialist’s main responsibilities are:

• To gather data on the individuals personal and financial circumstances
• To gather all relevant scheme information and actuarial assumptions being applied
• To establish an individual’s needs, objectives and reasons for waiting to transfer
• To apply a common-sense approach combined with high level technical analysis and evaluation of the data harvested from the individual, trustees and scheme actuary based taking into account an individual’s personal circumstances
• To make recommendations appropriate to the individuals needs and objectives
• To explain both the advantages and disadvantages of the course of action recommended
• To facilitate a pension transfer on the individual’s behalf if this was the recommendation
• To provide the scheme trustees confirmation that appropriate independent advice has been obtained by the individual.

The starting point of any pension transfer process remains it’s usually not in the best interest of the individual. However, there are many more reasons to why a transfer may be appropriate. It’s vital to not only considers the personal pension scheme wrapper into which the member might have their capitalised transfer CETV transferred but also the suitability of the portfolio of funds within the scheme which they would invest once transferred.

Developing a sensible and sustainable withdrawal strategy is as important as developing a robust sensible investment strategy. Specific factors to take into account include critical yield, investment experience and expertise, returns required to meet expectations, the strength of the employer covenant and the financial status of the scheme. We would always recommend discussing things with a qualified professional and offer a free initial meeting without obligation with a Pension Transfer Specialist.

• Pension Wise the governments free impartial guidance service provides valuable information about the options available to individuals wishing to access their pension funds. This service is telephone based
• The Pension Advisory Service (TPAS) is an independent organisation that provides free information and guidance on a wide range of different pensions including both individual and company schemes. This service is telephone based
• Your local Citizens Advice Bureau provide free, initial face to face guidance by appointment usually.

The price of units and the income from them can fall as well as rise. The value of this investment is not guaranteed and on encashment you may not get back the full amount invested. Past performance is no guarantee to future performance.

For more information from our Pension Transfer Specialist, please contact our team. Our office is based in Eastbourne, East Sussex, but we can travel to your home or workplace in Brighton, Hastings, Tunbridge Wells, Uckfield, Bexhill and further afield. If you’re looking for another financial service, we offer mortgage advice, retirement planning advice, equity release advice and more.