Bringing all your pension pots together might seem like an obvious thing to do, but new research suggests some savers could lose up to £100,000 by doing so. Here's how to make sure it's right for you.
Most people will work for a variety of different companies over their careers, amassing numerous pension pots along the way.
So, consolidating these pots together in one place might seem to make sense. However, there can be significant risks in doing so.
A recent study found that most savers are unaware that they could lose as much as £100,000 from their pension nest eggs by consolidating them.
Research by Ignition House and pension company The People's Pension found that many savers they interviewed knew little about the impact annual management fees, exit fees and percentage-based charges may have on their pension funds.
A number of interviewees struggled to understand the difference between percentage-based charges and flat fees and believed that any charge less than 1% would have little effect on their pension savings.
However, the difference of just a few percentage points can have a major impact on your nest egg over time.
Fees can eat into your pension pot
For example, according to calculations by The People's Pension, if, aged 30, you move a £50,000 pension to a company charging a 0.9% fee, it would be worth £643,158 by retirement.
This is assuming that you earned £30,000 a year, contributed 8% into a pension, and it generated a 5% annual return on your investment.
However, if the charges were just 0.4%, your pension would be £769,475 by retirement – £126,317 more.
"Savers are transferring pensions for convenience with the absence of consideration of value," Patrick Heath-Lay, chief executive of The People’s Pension, told the Daily Mail.
"They need better support and clearer information when making these critical decisions. At stake is not just money, but the retirement that people have worked so hard to secure."
While it may seem sensible to consolidate these pots so they are easier to manage, there are several things you should consider before you do so.
The full list of pension fees you need to watch out for
Costs and charges to consider
The likelihood is that each pension is set up differently, with different charges, and you may find you incur exit fees when you combine pots.
You may also find that some of your pensions have higher charges depending on what you are invested in for instance.
It is worth going through your different pensions with a financial adviser to compare charges and make sure that the investment strategies you are invested in continue to meet your needs.
Guaranteed Annuity Rates
Some older pension products have valuable benefits attached to them such as Guaranteed Annuity Rates.
An annuity will pay out a fixed level of income to an individual for the rest of their life.
The rates attached to these products can be higher than those currently available and you risk throwing this extra money away by consolidating.
It is always worth checking whether any of your pensions have guaranteed annuity rates attached before making a decision.
Other hidden benefits
You may have other benefits attached to your pension that you would lose if you consolidated.
For instance, some older pension products allow you to access your pension before the age of 55.
Others may allow you to withdraw tax-free cash in excess of the current 25% limit.
Again, it is worth having a chat with a financial adviser to make sure.
How big is your pot?
While having one large pot may seem simpler than having several smaller ones, there are some benefits of having a smaller pot that you could miss out on by consolidating.
For instance, if you have a Defined Contribution (DC) pension worth more than £10,000 that you are still saving into, then if you take taxable cash from it you could fall foul of the Money Purchase Annual Allowance (MPAA).
Every pension saver has an Annual Allowance, which is the amount you can save into a pension while still benefiting from tax relief.
For most people, this will be £40,000 per year.
However, if you access cash from a DC pension you are still paying into, then this limit falls to just £10,000 per year – this is what is called the MPAA.
If you take money from small pension pots worth less than £10,000 then you won’t trigger the MPAA.
How to build up a sizeable pension pot
Ask for pension advice
So, there are plenty of things to consider before making the decision to consolidate your pots.
You could speak to a financial adviser to ensure you aren’t throwing away valuable benefits.