Stakeholder Pension Schemes
A Stakeholder Pension (SHP) is a type of Personal Pension Plan designed to provide an optional lump sum and income in retirement. In common with a Personal Pension Plan, Stakeholder Pensions are available to any United Kingdom resident under the age of 75. The minimum age for Stakeholder Pension is 55.
You, in conjunction with your adviser, choose the pension provider and make the arrangements for paying the contributions to the plan.
You can start a SHP even if you have a workplace pension or if you’re self-employed and don’t have a workplace pension. You don’t have to be working to take out a SHP and you can also provide a SHP for your spouse/partner or your child/children.
When you contribute to a SHP, your money is invested by the pension provider (usually an insurance company) to build up a fund/pension pot over a number of years.
A Stakeholder Pension incorporates a set of minimum standards established by the government, which include:
- A capped charging structure is a maximum of 1.5% per year for the first 10 years and 1% per year thereafter; if an employer is using a stakeholder pension to meet their automatic enrolment duties there will be a charge cap of 0.75%
- The minimum contribution is £20 per month
- You can pay in lump sums whenever you want
- You can stop and start payments as you wish
- You can switch to another scheme at any time without penalty
- You do not need to retire to draw your stakeholder pension benefits. You can take benefits from age 57
- At retirement, the option exists to take a quarter of the fund as a tax-free amount
The key point about SHPs, as with any other pension, is to start contributing as early as possible and keep making contributions for as long as possible. That way your pension pot has time to build up and the investment returns compound through reinvestment over many years. The result should be a significant sum of money to invest when you retire.
If you die before age 75 and you have not started to take benefits from your pension the funds will normally be passed to your spouse or other elected beneficiary free of inheritance tax. Other tax charges may apply depending on the circumstances.
It is possible to continue past age 75 without taking benefits. If you die after age 75 your pension pot can still be passed to a nominated beneficiary free of inheritance tax. However, if paid as a lump sum, tax at the beneficiary’s marginal rate will apply (2026/27). If it is paid as an income to your spouse or dependant there will be no initial tax charge, but any income paid would be subject to income tax.
THE VALUE OF PENSIONS AND THE INCOME THEY PRODUCE CAN FALL AS WELL AS RISE. YOU MAY GET BACK LESS THAN YOU INVESTED.
TAX TREATMENT VARIES ACCORDING TO INDIVIDUAL CIRCUMSTANCES AND IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE.
MEET OUR Director/Wealth Manager
Aman Mashiana
Aman Mashiana is a strategic wealth management professional with more than 15 years’ experience building and leading advisory practices, managing substantial client portfolios, and delivering sustainable revenue growth in competitive financial markets.
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FAQ'S
Not at all. We believe great financial planning should be accessible. Whether you are just starting to build your assets, navigating a major life transition, or managing multi-generational wealth, we tailor our advice completely to your current situation and future goals.
Our initial conversation is entirely exploratory and comes at no cost to you. It’s simply a chance to get to know each other. We’ll discuss your current financial picture, what you hope to achieve, and how we might be able to help. You won't need to sign anything or make any big decisions on day one.
We want to make managing your wealth as convenient as possible. We are happy to meet face-to-face at our office, or we can host a secure virtual meeting via video call (such as Microsoft Teams or Zoom) if that fits better into your busy schedule.
We believe in absolute fee transparency, meaning we agree on all costs upfront before any work begins. Depending on the complexity of your needs, our fees may be structured as a transparent percentage of the assets we manage, a flat fixed fee for a specific project, or an hourly rate. There are never any hidden costs or surprise bills.
Absolutely. It's incredibly common to lose track of old workplace pensions over time. We can help you trace your scattered accounts, review their current performance and fees, and—if it makes financial sense—consolidate them into a single, high-performing, and easy-to-manage retirement plan.
We don't believe in cookie-cutter portfolios. We take the time to deeply understand your time horizon, your specific life goals, and your personal comfort level with market volatility. From there, we build a diversified portfolio designed to grow your wealth steadily while keeping your risk well within your comfort zone.
Yes. Making money on investments is only half the battle; keeping it tax-efficient is just as important. We actively structure your wealth to minimize Income Tax, Capital Gains Tax, and Inheritance Tax, ensuring more of your hard-earned money stays with you and your loved ones.
Tax planning, estate planning & Inheritance Tax planning are not regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.
Not at all. We believe great financial planning should be accessible. Whether you are just starting to build your assets, navigating a major life transition, or managing multi-generational wealth, we tailor our advice completely to your current situation and future goals.
Our initial conversation is entirely exploratory and comes at no cost to you. It’s simply a chance to get to know each other. We’ll discuss your current financial picture, what you hope to achieve, and how we might be able to help. You won't need to sign anything or make any big decisions on day one.
We want to make managing your wealth as convenient as possible. We are happy to meet face-to-face at our office, or we can host a secure virtual meeting via video call (such as Microsoft Teams or Zoom) if that fits better into your busy schedule.
We believe in absolute fee transparency, meaning we agree on all costs upfront before any work begins. Depending on the complexity of your needs, our fees may be structured as a transparent percentage of the assets we manage, a flat fixed fee for a specific project, or an hourly rate. There are never any hidden costs or surprise bills.
Absolutely. It's incredibly common to lose track of old workplace pensions over time. We can help you trace your scattered accounts, review their current performance and fees, and—if it makes financial sense—consolidate them into a single, high-performing, and easy-to-manage retirement plan.
We don't believe in cookie-cutter portfolios. We take the time to deeply understand your time horizon, your specific life goals, and your personal comfort level with market volatility. From there, we build a diversified portfolio designed to grow your wealth steadily while keeping your risk well within your comfort zone.
Yes. Making money on investments is only half the battle; keeping it tax-efficient is just as important. We actively structure your wealth to minimize Income Tax, Capital Gains Tax, and Inheritance Tax, ensuring more of your hard-earned money stays with you and your loved ones.
Tax planning, estate planning & Inheritance Tax planning are not regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.
