Welcome to March's Latest News

With 5 April fast approaching, we give you a link to our handy guide that has all the tax year end deadlines you need to be aware of for Aegon Retirement Choices.

We share two new brochures with you this month. The first is our new platform brochure that highlights the benefits of using an investment platform and the second is our new Core Portfolios guide.

We also include details on our new additional support service for protection clients. And, there's details on the increase in minimum contributions for auto-enrolment pensions as well as information you may find useful from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).

Important deadlines for tax year end

5 April is only weeks away. Make sure your clients don’t miss out by having everything submitted in time.

Our Platform tax year end 2018/19 – timelines guide has all the deadlines you need to know. It covers:

• electronic payments to us;
• cheque payments to us;
• GIA to ISA transfers, and
• income payments.

You can also find a link to our Tax year end zone in the guide where you’ll find a range of support material.

Download our guide now

New client-facing platform brochure

You can use our new client-facing brochure to help your clients understand the benefits of using an investment platform. Our new brochure covers:

• what an investment platform is;
• how an intermediary can utilise an investment platforms’ functionality to create the right portfolio for each client;
• the range of products and investments available on platform;
• the relationship between a platform provider and an intermediary, and
• Why Aegon?

Read Your investments - all in one place now.

Additional support for protection clients

We’ve partnered with RedArc to introduce a second medical opinion service.

Your protection clients can get a confidential face-to-face consultation with a UK-based specialist who’s local to them, as well as ongoing support and guidance from a dedicated personal nurse adviser.

Find out more about our added value services, plus download our second medical opinion service leaflet.

A guide to our Core Portfolios

We’ve developed this new guide to support you with your clients.

It introduces your clients to our Core Porfolios range of funds and explains how the funds work, the benefits and risks of investing, and how the funds are governed.

Read our Core Portfolio guide now.

Increase in minimum contributions for auto-enrolment pensions

On 6 April 2019, in line with legislation, the minimum contributions that must be paid in respect of employees to auto-enrolment or qualifying schemes will increase.

We’ve written to all our employers to explain these increases and suggested actions that they should undertake in advance of the changes being implemented. Further help is available on our website where we explain the changes in more detail. Employers can find sample communications to download and use with their employees, as well as posters they can use in the workplace to raise awareness of the changes.

Take a look at Phasing on our website.

DWP - get to know your pension

The DWP has recently been producing content on the theme of ‘Get to know your pension’ that aims to provide guidance on pensions, working options and health.

It includes:

• links to financial guidance services;
• a pension calculator;
• the ability to check state pension entitlement, and
• the option of carrying out a mid-life MOT.

You may find this useful when advising your clients.

Fund changes and news

Find out about changes to our insured funds, including governance news, fund closures and fund changes.

Platform tip of the month

Aegon Retirement Choices - Pension transfer report

Access Report Zone and you'll find the Pension transfer report under Product wrappers opened & Held section. The report shows a breakdown of in-flight and completed pension transfers.

Pensions Technical Zone

Visit our home for all our technical material relating to pensions. You’ll find articles covering the latest pensions' issues and links to our comprehensive range of technical FAQs.