Pensions

Pensions are a key part of everyone's and every business's financial planning in spite of all the bad news around us. There are both public and private schemes to provide pensions on retirement, with increasing emphasis on private provision.

The financial aspects need, it goes without saying, good independent financial advice for businesses as well as individuals, but there are also important legal issues involving pensions, where we can offer you help and guidance:

• Establishment of schemes
• Corporate acquisitions and disposals
• Compliance - pension scheme legal audit
• Updating scheme documents
• Contracting-out or not
• Conversion from final salary to money purchase
• Conversion from company schemes to personal pension plans
• Scheme merger
• Appointment and removal of trustees including member nominated trustees
• Employers' and trustees' duties
• Members' rights
• Conflicts between employers and trustees or between classes of members
• Managing scheme defecits and closing schemes
• Refunds or other applications of scheme surplus
• The pensions cap and unapproved schemes
• Small self invested schemes
• "Self investment"
• Discretionary death benefits
• Employee benefit packages
• Scheme and employer winding

For further information or guidance on pensions please contact Roderick Ramage, solicitor - consultant with Mace & Jones