FOS reveals annuities new complaints battleground

Laura Miller
clock •

Annuities have become the new focus for complaints according to figures from the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS), a year after the product was publicly abandoned by the Chancellor.

George Osborne declared in his 2014 Budget that "no-one will have to buy an annuity", sweeping away many of the regulations on pensions and freeing savers to do what they like with their retirement savings. In the year that followed up to the end of March 2015, new complaints to the FOS about annuities, while still relatively few in number at 776, have jumped by a third, the biggest increase of any pension product. The only other financial product in that category where FOS reported a rise in complaints was one that has seen sales increase since the pension reform announcement, income...

To continue reading this article...

Join Professional Adviser for free

  • Unlimited access to real-time news, industry insights and market intelligence
  • Stay ahead of the curve with spotlights on emerging trends and technologies
  • Receive breaking news stories straight to your inbox in the daily newsletters
  • Make smart business decisions with the latest developments in regulation, investing retirement and protection
  • Members-only access to the editor’s weekly Friday commentary
  • Be the first to hear about our events and awards programmes

Join

 

Already a Professional Adviser member?

Login

More on Investment

Stock market crashes – the rational and the emotions

Stock market crashes – the rational and the emotions

'Several characteristics associated with previous pre-crash periods are present today'

Paul Wood
clock 30 September 2026 • 5 min read
Baillie Gifford workforce faces 10% reduction following voluntary exit programme

Baillie Gifford workforce faces 10% reduction following voluntary exit programme

Around 160 roles vacated

clock 23 September 2026 • 1 min read
Nine SJP funds flagged for underperformance in AoV despite improvements on last year

Nine SJP funds flagged for underperformance in AoV despite improvements on last year

89% of assets given green light

Alex Sebastian
clock 22 September 2026 • 2 min read