Explaining Terms and Expressions - Pensions

Explaining terms & expressions is important but nothing beats Regulated and Qualified Financial Advice

·       Cut through the jargon

·       Check Further Reading

·       Beware: Unauthorised ‘advisers’ about!

A Day
6 April 2006 was the day the UK Government pension simplification rules came into effect.

ASP - Alternatively secured pensions
At the age of 75 an alternatively secured pension would allow an individual withdrawal of income, similar to an unsecured pension fund such as income drawdown

AVCs – Additional Voluntary Contributions
A pension top-up for an occupational pension scheme. The scheme members pay contributions into an arrangement run by the employer to boost the main pension.

FSAVCs – Free-Standing Additional Voluntary Contributions
A pension top-up policy for an occupational pension, but separate from the employer’s pension scheme and normally run by an insurance firm.

CNMV
Comision Nacional del Mercado del Valores is the principal financial services regulator in Spain and responsible for authorising investment products. A CNMV adviser can be recommended, please click here

DGS
Direccion General de Seguros y Fondos de Pensions is the Spanish regulator for insurance products which can be marketed in Spain. Email me to be referred to an authorised adviser

FCA
Took over from the FSA in April 2013. The Financial Conduct Authority is the UK's financial services regulator. The FCA also ‘passports’ authorised advisers to operate in Spain. For a recommended adviser click 

Group Personal Pension
A type of personal pension offered by some employers but not classified as occupational (see money purchase pension).

Lifetime annuity

A lifetime annuity converts money from a pension fund into pension income, which is taxable. There are different types to suit different circumstances and generally treated favourably for tax purposes in Spain.

MiFID
Markets in Financial Instruments Directive is the EU legislation which covers investment intermediaries and their activities. It also enables, for example FCA approved advisers to be' passported' into other EU countries such as Spain .

Money purchase pensions
Some occupational pensions and all personal, group personal, stakeholder, FSAVCs and some AVCs are money purchase pensions. The contributions are invested in, for example, the stockmarket or bonds. The size of the fund depends on the contributions and how well the investments perform. At retirement, there is a choice of options to provide you with a retirement income.

Occupational pension
These are only available through employers and run by pension scheme trustees. There are two types – salary-related (defined benefit) and money purchase (defined contribution).

Pension Liberation
It should be made clear that Pension Liberation is illegal. Typically, unauthorised advisers offer access to your pension before the statutory retirement minimum age of 55. Proven cases attract a penalty of up to 55% of the funds liberated.

Personal pension
A pension policy taken out by an individual from an insurance company or another financial institution and into which personal contributions are made. It may also be offered by employers.

Protected rights pension
This is the part of a pension fund which was used to contract out of the UK State Second Pension (SERPS or S2P) that must be used to buy a protected rights annuity.

QNUPS -  Qualifying Non UK Pension Scheme, which meets the criteria set by the regulations the UK government brought out in February of 2010. This means that for a UK or non-UK resident, there is an opportunity to make contributions to overseas schemes, established as QNUPS, with the knowledge that those funds will be sheltered from UK IHT. Individual advice should be taken in all circumstances from a regulated and authorised adviser. Please email for a recommendation. Also see reading below

QROPS - Qualifying Recognised Overseas Pension Schemes
These became available from A-Day. It is a pension scheme set up outside the UK that is regulated and recognised for tax purposes as a pension scheme in the country in which it is located. QROPS have been established in various countries across the world, many in jurisdictions with beneficial tax rules. For specialist advice click here Also see reading below

Salary-related pension scheme (final salary or defined benefit)
A type of occupational pension. The amount of pension you get is worked out on your salary at or near retirement, or when you left employment, and your pensionable service.

Stakeholder pension
A type of personal pension that has to meet certain standards set by the UK Government. An individual can take one out or it may be available through an employer, but is not classified as occupational. 

State Pension
The UK Pension Service (part of the Department for Work and Pensions) will pay the basic State Pension based on an individual’s National Insurance contribution record. In addition, individuals may also qualify for the State Second Pension based on their own earnings and National Insurance contributions.

State Second Pension
The State Second Pension is an additional State pension paid on top of your basic State Pension. This was called SERPS. Self-employed people cannot build up a State Second Pension.

Tax-free lump sum
More accurately, tax free cash should be called Pension Commencement Lump Sum (PCLS). This is an amount of cash set by tax law which you can take at retirement free of tax under UK rules. Salary-related occupational pension schemes may have different rules on the amount of tax free cash you can take.

Unsecured Pension (Income Drawdown)
This is an alternative to buying an annuity but provides an income whilst the pension is still invested. At age 75, the unsecured pension must cease and be replaced by either a Lifetime Annuity or ASP. For non UK residents or those intending to become non-resident, QROPS could be another alternative.


Pensions Advisers, including the ones that I recommend, will be happy to cut through the jargon. Email me for a recommendation


Further reading

QROPS 2015

QNUPS 

La Torre Fx – Foreign Exchange



David Goodall
Financial Pages in Spain

davidgoodall.spain@gmail.com