What is a SIPP?

A Self Invested Personal Pension (SIPP) is a Registered Pension scheme under the terms of the Finance Act 2004.

SIPPs are designed for investors who want maximum control over their pension without being dependent on any one fund manager or insurance company. As such, a SIPP requires active management and a degree of investment expertise. Furthermore, the charges (levied by the SIPP manager) may be higher than for a personal pension or stakeholder plan.

Unlike a standard personal pension, a SIPP holder has a much wider choice of assets to invest in, each of which can be selected to meet the individual's circumstances and requirements.

Investments which can be held in a SIPP include:

• UK and overseas equities
• Unlisted shares
• OEICs and unit trusts
• Property and land (but not most residential property) insurance bonds

It’s possible to use a SIPP to raise a mortgage to fund the purchase of commercial property, where the rental income paid into the SIPP either completely, or partially, covers the mortgage repayments and/or the property’s running costs.

Please note SIPPs are not suitable for everyone investing in a pension, we will conduct an assessment of your situation to determine suitability.