'No-brainer' to reintroduce permitted investment lists for SIPPs

Permitted investment lists used to be a feature of self-invested personal pensions (SIPPs) but were scrapped in 2006 when pension simplification rules were introduced. According to Smith-Hughes (pictured), the set of rules worked well. However, the then-Labour government scrapped the mechanism, instead saying investors could invest their pension in whatever they liked, though some things would be taxable. As a result, there was a rise in investments in unregulated schemes that offered investors the chance to put money into the likes of Store Pods and off-plan overseas properties. Typi...