Self-invested personal pension (SIPP)
With a £60,000 tax-free annual allowance, this is what investing in the fast lane feels like
Why choose AJ Bell?
We know what we’re doing when it comes to pensions - we were the first investment provider to make it possible to manage your pension digitally. Since then, we’ve become one of the UK’s largest and best regarded investment platforms, trusted by over 762,000 customers.
We don't offer advice, but we give you everything you need to make your investment decisions yourself.
Before you apply, make sure you read our SIPP key features document.
- Low cost
Our annual account charge will never cost you more than 0.25%. And you can buy and sell investments online from as little as £1.50. - Top rated
We're a Which? Recommended Provider eight years running, and our customers rate us as 'Excellent' on Trustpilot. - Secure
We're regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and listed in the FTSE 250, so you can rest assured that your investments are in safe hands. - Wide investment choice
If you’re comfortable managing your own investments, we offer one of the widest range of investments in the market. And our in-house experts are here to help, too.
Why choose AJ Bell?
We know what we’re doing when it comes to pensions - we were the first investment provider to make it possible to manage your pension digitally. Since then, we’ve become one of the UK’s largest and best regarded investment platforms, trusted by over 762,000 customers.
We don't offer advice, but we give you everything you need to make your investment decisions yourself.
- Low cost
Our annual account charge will never cost you more than 0.25%. And you can buy and sell investments online from as little as £1.50. - Top rated
We're a Which? Recommended Provider eight years running, and our customers rate us as 'Excellent' on Trustpilot. - Secure
We're regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and listed in the FTSE 250, so you can rest assured that your investments are in safe hands. - Wide investment choice
If you’re comfortable managing your own investments, we offer one of the widest range of investments in the market. And our in-house experts are here to help, too.
Before you apply, make sure you read our SIPP key features document.
Investing over the long term typically outperforms cash savings, but values can fall as well as rise over time. Any information we provide is to help with your research and isn't financial advice.
Your AJ Bell SIPP account features
- Free pension finding service
Track down your lost workplace pensions and combine them into an AJ Bell SIPP. - Mobile app
Log in 24/7 and deal on the go with our iOS and Android apps. - Invest regularly
Grow your pension gradually by putting in as little as £25 a month with our regular investment service. - Live UK prices
Deal exactly when it's right for you.
Your AJ Bell SIPP account features
- Free Pension finding service
Track down your lost workplace pensions and combine them into an AJ Bell SIPP. - Mobile app
Log in 24/7 and deal on the go with our iOS and Android appsh. - Invest regularly
Grow your pension gradually by putting in as little as £25 a month with our regular investment service. - Live UK prices
Deal exactly when it's right for you. - Free investment magazine
All AJ Bell customers enjoy full access to Shares digital magazine.
AJ Bell SIPP charges
Our low charges mean you can keep more of the money you make. You can hold your SIPP investments for just 0.25% a year, and buy and sell investments for as little as £1.50, never paying more than £5.00 to deal online.
If you were to open a SIPP and transfer £50,000, invested across funds and shares, here's what you'll pay in a year.
Funds Funds allow you to cost-effectively build a diversified portfolio across geographic markets, industry sectors or asset classes. We've more than 2,000 funds you can choose from. You can also invest in unit trusts, OEICs and structured products.
£25,000.00
4
Fund deals per year
Shares There are thousands of companies on UK and international markets for you to invest in.
£25,000.00
8
Share deals per year
Estimated annual charge
£171.00
| Charges | |
|---|---|
| Funds account chargeWhat you pay for holding funds in your account | £62.50 |
| Shares account chargeWhat you pay for holding shares in your account | £62.50 |
| Funds dealingWhat you pay for buying or selling funds in your account | £6.00 |
| Shares dealingWhat you pay for buying or selling shares in your account | £40.00 |
Funds account charges do not include the ongoing charges figure (OCF) levied by fund managers. This breakdown is for illustration purposes only, and doesn't cover all circumstances or charges. See our SIPP charges and rates for full details. If you need help deciding what platform is right for you, or understanding the impact of charges on your investments, you should talk to a suitably qualified adviser. | |
Why invest in a SIPP?
A Self-invested personal pension (SIPP) is the pension that puts you in control of your retirement and investments. You’ve complete flexibility to decide how much you save, and when and where your pot is invested.
Is the AJ Bell SIPP right for you?
It’ll only cost 80p of your own money to save £1, thanks to SIPP tax relief. And you’ll save even more if you’re a higher earner.
All your pots, under one roof
Open a SIPP alongside your existing pensions – or transfer them in and manage everything in one online account.
Your pension, in your hands
In a SIPP, you manage your pension yourself - that includes deciding where it's invested and has the best opportunity to grow. And enjoy free access to it from age 55 (rising to 57 from 2028) onwards.
Invest up to £60,000
You can put 100% of your earnings into a SIPP, up to a maximum of £60,000 per tax year. And you can carry forward unused allowances from the three previous tax years.
Before you apply, make sure you read our SIPP key features document.
Choosing your investments
If you’re happy selecting your own investments, choose from an almost limitless number of options. If you’re looking for some help, our team of experts have cherry-picked their favourite funds in our investment ideas section. And if you want them to take the reins for you, there’s our AJ Bell-managed Pension builder fund.
Everything for the hands-on investor
With a choice of over 2,000 funds, shares from hundreds of listed companies around the world, investment trusts, ETFs, bonds and gilts – we’ve got everything the hands-on investor will need.
Expert-inspired investments
Whether you’re looking for the AJ Bell funds managed by our in-house experts, our Favourite funds from across the market, or entirely pre-built Starter portfolios, we'll help you hit the ground running.
Our no-fuss starter option
Choosing where to invest your pension doesn't need to be tricky. If you don’t know where to start, our Pension builder fund is a low-cost option for the hands-off investor, managed by our experts.
Is the AJ Bell SIPP right for you?
Our SIPP is a great, low-cost option for people who want control of their pension investments. It may be right for you if:
Key benefits:
- You want full control of your pension investment portfolio
- You're confident managing your own investments
- You want access to our entire range of investment options, including funds, shares, investment trusts and many moreinvestment team
If you haven't got the time or confidence to manage your investment portfolio, prefer to choose from a small range of investment funds, and don't need access to your pension for at least five years, our Ready-made pension may be more suitable for you.
Frequently asked SIPP questions
How much your account costs depends on whether you hold funds or shares, and how frequently you deal.
When you buy or sell an investment you’ll pay a dealing charge. You’ll also pay an account charge for holding an investment. Dealing and account charges differ for funds and shares.
You can see an example of the charges you'll pay in a year, based on a starting portfolio of £50,000 further up on this page. Bear in mind this example is for illustration purposes, and doesn't cover all circumstances or charges. You can see our list of SIPP charges and rates for full details.
No, you can’t normally access the money in your SIPP account until age 55. The minimum retirement age will rise to 57 in 2028. After that, it will rise in line with the state pension age – staying 10 years below it. So, if the state pension age rises to 68, the minimum retirement age will be 58.
The government's Pension Wise service also offers free, impartial guidance to help you understand the options at retirement. You can access it online or by telephone on either 0800 138 3944, or +44 20 3733 3495 if you live outside the UK, between 8am – 8pm, Monday to Friday. If you're unsure if a SIPP is right for you, you should speak to a financial adviser.
If you die, your SIPP can be passed onto your beneficiaries. You can tell us who you would like to inherit your SIPP when you open your account. Or you can do it later by visiting the 'My account' area. You can nominate a number of different people, trusts and/or charities, choosing the percentage they’ll each receive.
As the scheme administrator of your SIPP, AJ Bell has discretion over how your pension is passed on. However, it's rare that nominations aren't followed. Usually, this only happens if there's been a change of circumstances (for instance, a divorce), and your wishes haven't been updated.
Yes, they can. Employer contributions are paid gross, i.e. without tax being deducted first.
Your employer can pay into your SIPP by cheque, Direct Debit or BACS.
Each time your employer makes a single contribution to your SIPP, you'll need to send us a completed SIPP additional contribution form. If you want your employer to make a payment by BACS, you can send us a secure message from within your account, asking for our bank details.
If you want your employer to make regular payments to your SIPP by Direct Debit, you’ll need to ask them to complete a SIPP employer Direct Debit form and send it to us.
Yes, you can transfer most types of UK pensions into a SIPP. We won’t charge you for the transfer.
To start the transfer, you’ll need to open a SIPP with us. It takes less than ten minutes, and you can do it online. During the application, you’ll be able to enter the details of the pension(s) you want to transfer.
Before transferring a pension to us, it’s important to consider the following:
- Can the investments in your pension be held in an AJ Bell SIPP? You can check what you can transfer to us on our investment options page.
- If you sell your investments so you can transfer in cash, you'll be out of the market while the transfer takes place. That means you won't be affected by any rises or falls.
- If you’re transferring a different type of pension scheme into a SIPP – such as an occupational pension – you may lose valuable benefits. We suggest you seek professional advice to ensure that transferring is right for you.
- If you know your life expectancy is two years, transferring a pension may make it subject to inheritance tax. Please take financial advice if you think this might apply to you.
If you'd like financial advice, you can search for a suitably qualified adviser on websites including VouchedFor.co.uk, moneyhelper.org.uk and Unbiased.co.uk
The annual allowance for most people is £60,000. If your total pension contributions – including any your employer makes – exceed your annual allowance, you’ll be subject to a tax charge. This is known as the annual allowance charge (AAC).