Flexible Investment Plan - introduction
The Flexible Investment Plan (FIP) is a flexible offshore investment plan that allows investors to make both regular and single contributions at any time. It can be an ideal way for your clients to enhance retirement planning by maximising the benefits of offshore investment. It offers:
Flexible contributions
Your clients can make single contributions at any time. They can increase or decrease and stop or start regular contributions whenever they want, with no charge - giving them control over how much they invest.
Investment choice
The FIP gives your clients access to a comprehensive fund range suitable for all risk profiles. We have a particularly strong range of funds aimed at cautious investors, including our Protected Growth Fund and new generation with-profits funds. Other innovative solutions include our collection funds and manager of managers funds.
Portability
If you have a client who spends time working abroad it can be difficult to make retirement provision if they're prevented from becoming a member of a UK pension scheme. With the FIP it may be possible for them to continue contributions when they're 'on the move'.
Taking benefits
The main drawbacks with traditional pensions are that clients:
- must take their benefits between the ages of 50 and 75
- can only take some of the fund as a lump sum and must use the rest of the fund to buy an annuity
But, with our FIP they can take benefits whenever they want and they can take as much as they want as a lump sum.
Withdrawals
Your clients can make one-off withdrawals at any time. Regular withdrawals can be set up once regular contributions have stopped, on a monthly, quarterly, half-yearly or yearly basis.
Please note that where your client's plan is linked to our property fund we may delay paying proceeds for up to one year in some circumstances.
