Pension fund performance - do you monitor yours, how is it doing, do you actively change it?

Soldato
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Make sure you are comparing the correct funds, e.g not mixing the accumulation and income versions.
Yes definitely the ACC variant.
Lifestrategy vanguard 5y 62.12% Trustnet 55.3%

Definitely correct though, clicked through and selected factsheets and they list them correctly VGL100A and VAFTGAG
 
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Soldato
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I thought I'd found the two I wanted to compare but the figures for 6m 1y and 5y don't match what are on the vanguard site.
Specifically Lifestrategy 100% and the FTSE Global All Cap Fund.
Sometimes there are different categories of the same fund (A shares, B Shares, Z shares etc) - This is for retail clients, institutional etc.

You want the retail funds i'm guessing...??

Also dates don't always tie up to be exactly the same from the provider to trustnet etc - so you end up with differing numbers
 
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Soldato
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Sometimes there are different categories of the same fund (A shares, B Shares, Z shares etc) - This is for retail clients, institutional etc.

You want the retail funds i'm guessing...??

Also dates don't always tie up to be exactly the same from the provider to trustnet etc - so you end up with differing numbers
Yeah I think it was just the dates not matching. The fund ID matches so they're definitely the correct ones.

Thanks all, makes it easy to see the FTSE Global All Cap Fund is probably what I want to switch to from my Target Retirement 2055.
Time to see how easy it is to switch.
 
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Lucky you. My provider doesn't give me the option of Vanguard funds, so I can't pick the funds I really want. I can get close with one of them, but the 2 best funds available are a StateStreet global fund, and a seemingly unknown factor fund, although that has done particularly well for me in the last year or so.
 
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Lucky you. My provider doesn't give me the option of Vanguard funds, so I can't pick the funds I really want. I can get close with one of them, but the 2 best funds available are a StateStreet global fund, and a seemingly unknown factor fund, although that has done particularly well for me in the last year or so.
Im with Vanguard at least for one pension. My current workplace is with Scottish Widow.
 
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Lucky you. My provider doesn't give me the option of Vanguard funds, so I can't pick the funds I really want. I can get close with one of them, but the 2 best funds available are a StateStreet global fund, and a seemingly unknown factor fund, although that has done particularly well for me in the last year or so.
State Street are big, 5th in world... they are half the size of vanguard, but vanguard is 2nd of the biggest.
 
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State Street are big, 5th in world... they are half the size of vanguard, but vanguard is 2nd of the biggest.

For sure. I am aware. And to be honest, it is looking like one of the best options. I am nervous just now as I am 100% invested in the one fund, and it's not the State Street one yet. I think it's new to the platform, or I missed it when I actually decided to look last year. But my companies platform is absolutley terrible. It gives almost zero information. I can see my current fund size, but I can't get any historical data. I have a selection of funds, but no information on fees and charges. It's a ******* mess to be honest, for what will be my biggest lifetime investment.
 
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those two vids popped up on my youtube last night...
even thou the life time pension limit has been removed, the amount that you can take 25% tax free from your pension still remains.


this video chats about how to be most tax efficient


My personal thoughts on it, is that the more a person can place into their pension the more tax efficient they will be.. but IF they do get rid of NI; taxes will go up and I do suspect the basic tax percentage will go up before I retire even if they don't get rid of NI. It's better to pay the taxes now at 20% and put the cash into private investment than have to pay them at 22%, 25% or whatever percentage that they will raise to.

I seems like getting the money out tax efficently is more complexed than getting the money in.
 
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My personal thoughts on it, is that the more a person can place into their pension the more tax efficient they will be.. but IF they do get rid of NI; taxes will go up and I do suspect the basic tax percentage will go up before I retire even if they don't get rid of NI. It's better to pay the taxes now at 20% and put the cash into private investment than have to pay them at 22%, 25% or whatever percentage that they will raise to.

Been thinking about tax lately and my conclusion is there is no point getting hung up on it. Right now I earn c.30% more than I get paid because of tax, and if that's the same in retirement so be it. I think it's ultimately better to put more money in now (pre tax) so that more growth occurs in your pot, rather than limiting the growth to pay less tax in future.
 
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You have no control and no more insight into potential tax changes that mystic meg.

So as Dan says, focus on what you can control, your contributions.

It wasnt that long ago the government was consulting on completely flipping the tax on pensions on its head and making contributions taxable, but pension taken later as tax free.
There is a massive benefit for the government here in that it increases the tax take right now, quite noticeably.
The step after that, reintroduce some tax on pensions ;) IMO. It wouldn't be the full amount I would say, but some small amount.
 
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Been thinking about tax lately and my conclusion is there is no point getting hung up on it. Right now I earn c.30% more than I get paid because of tax, and if that's the same in retirement so be it. I think it's ultimately better to put more money in now (pre tax) so that more growth occurs in your pot, rather than limiting the growth to pay less tax in future.
Agree with that, in that I think James Shack or Chris Bourne may have done a video that shows the different to income in retirement between saving into an ISA and paying the tax up front or saving into a pension and paying the tax at the end. The conclusion was that it was better to pay into a pension for the tax relief as getting £100 for ever £80 you put in (plus the higher rate if salary sacrifice or the tax refund if going via SIPP) makes it unbeatable. Think you need to have some in as ISA as well TBH but the majority should be in a pension, rules might change but it's easier to minimise tax via SIPP/ISA/GIA come pension age IMO.
 
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I wonder if they'd ever ditch/reduce the tax free lump sum?

Its a huge perk that I will absolutely make use of. But there must be some substantial tax to be grabbed there. Would it also keep people in work longer if it went?
 
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I wonder if they'd ever ditch/reduce the tax free lump sum?

Its a huge perk that I will absolutely make use of. But there must be some substantial tax to be grabbed there. Would it also keep people in work longer if it went?
Would be a massive vote loser and I assume they'd have to put some sort of protections in place for existing pensions.
 
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Would be a massive vote loser and I assume they'd have to put some sort of protections in place for existing pensions.
Yeah I guess so. It would be one of those where all parties would have to agree I guess. Probably also impact many of the party themselves.

Hope the age doesn't go up for it.
Looking forward to equity release and that tax free lump sum.. Although by that time I'll be old and probably not be able to use it.
 
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Soldato
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I think they could at some point remove the 40% tax break, it costs a lot an generally only benefits the more well off. Also SIPPs and how they are inherited will change at some point I think, its basically just a massive inheritance gift for the rich.
 
Soldato
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I should know this already really but how does the tax free lump sum work? Don't you simply hit the personal allowance limit as soon as its in a "normal" account and therefore start paying tax on it?
 
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