Pensions

Xafinity, a major player in pensions administration, has launched a flexible SIPP with a menu charging structure which will allow clients to pay for what they use.

Open Annuities, the UK parent company of London & Colonial Assurance, has acquired The Fiduciary Corporation, a UK SIPP specialist trading as L&C Pensions.

A board member of the Pension Protection Fund (PPF) has been appointed acting chair of the Personal Account Delivery Authority (PADA) following Paul Myners's resignation.

Pensions minister Mike O'Brien has been moved to the energy and climate change department as part of a cabinet reshuffle that has dealt a fresh blow to UK pensions reform.

A J Bell's SIPPcentre adviser registrations have risen by 44% in the twelve months to September 2008, compared to the same period in 2007, as savers fear market volatility.

Friends Provident has enhanced its corporate pensions offering by adding SIPP and income withdrawal options to its New Generation Group Personal Pension.

Today is the first day that around £100bn of protected rights money currently sitting in insured funds can be consolidated into a registered pension scheme including a SIPP.

HSBC has hired Standard Life to provide a Group SIPP for employees wanting to invest maturing HSBC Share Reward Plans into a pension.

Each month we ask our industry to answer one big question!

Self investment of protected rights will bring a whole new flexibility to retirement planning. However, Richard Ellis points out some of the potential hurdles