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Existing Ready-Made Pension customers


We can help you manage your pension and support you through retirement.

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Your retirement, done your way

Whether it’s just around the corner, or feels like a long way off, we’re here to help you save and plan for the retirement you want.

Sign in to Online Banking or use the Mobile Banking app to view and manage your Ready-Made Pension. You can top up or transfer in old pensions, track your performance, or access your money when the time is right.

If you need to speak to us about your Ready-Made Pension, please get in touch.

Here’s what you can do

Sign in to your Ready-Made Pension and see all the ways to take control of your retirement.

Combine your pensions

Transfer in your old pensions at any time to help boost your pot. Having all your pensions in one place means you won’t have to worry about losing track of them. Plus, it makes it easier to plan for your retirement and access your money when you’re ready. As an existing customer, transfers must be £1,000 or more.

Combining your pensions

Top up with one-off payments

Lump-sum payments could be a great way to help your pension pot grow. If you get a bonus, inheritance, or a maturing investment, you could put it towards your pension. One-off top-ups must be at least £100 after tax relief (if eligible).

Set up or manage regular contributions

Making regular contributions could help you on the road to retirement. Once your account is open, you can set up a monthly payment from as little as £50 after qualifying tax relief.

Check your statements and transactions

View your completed and pending transactions, check your current pension value, see your annual benefit statement.

See how your pension is performing

Use Online Banking or your Mobile Banking app to keep an eye on your pension pot and track the performance of your fund.

Speak to our specialist team

If you’re looking for information or need help, you can speak to us on 0330 123 3269. Lines are open 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.

Update your beneficiaries

Your nominated beneficiary is the person(s) (or charity) you choose to receive the rest of your pension savings when you die. This is also known as an expression of wish.

You can update your beneficiaries at any time by logging on to your account. It’s important to review them after significant life events, such as marriage, divorce, births and deaths. Even if you’d like to keep them the same, make sure their contact details are correct so your pension provider can find them. If you do this now it can make things easier for your family or the closest to you in the future. Don’t forget you can amend these at any time.

If you haven’t told us your nominated beneficiary, we suggest you do this as soon as possible. Please see the FAQ’s for more information.

How and when to take your pension

 

There are several ways you can take your money at retirement. You may already know what could work best for you, but it's worth taking the time to understand all the options.

Our Ready-Made Pension offers flexible options so when the time is right, you can access your pension in a way that suits you. Our retirement partners, Scottish Widows, will help guide you through your retirement options.

The earliest age you can usually access your pension options is 55 (rising to 57 from April 2028). However, that doesn't mean this is right for you, and there’s no maximum age to retire.

Although you can’t contribute into your pension after age 75, you can keep your pension intact as long as you like. We know life and circumstances can change, so don’t worry, you can change your retirement age at any time.

Please see the Retirement options page for more information.

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Retirement options

Looking to get the most out of your pension?

See our top tips for ways to make your pensions work harder for you. Find out how you can grow your pension, maximise your contributions, and access your retirement savings.

Pension top tips

How much will you need for retirement?

Use our pension calculator as a guide to see what your retirement income could look like. See how making changes to your contributions or retirement age could make a difference to your future.

Pension calculator

Sign in

Sign in to access your Ready-Made Pension alongside your everyday banking.
 

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Talk to us

If you need some additional support or would like to speak with someone about your pension, please contact us between 9am and 5pm, Monday to Friday.

0330 123 3269

Frequently asked questions

  • One of the benefits of investing into a pension is tax relief. If the basic rate of tax is 20%, For every £80 you pay in, the government will top this up with an extra £20.

    If you’ve told us you’re eligible, we’ll add basic rate tax relief automatically to any regular or one-off contributions you make into your Ready-Made Pension. If you’re a higher rate taxpayer, you can claim additional tax relief through your self-assessment tax return.

    How much you can pay in without a tax charge will depend on your circumstances.

    • You can normally pay up to £60,000 (the annual allowance) into your pensions each tax year without paying a tax charge (or up to 100% of your taxable yearly income if less).
    • If you’re not working and don’t have any income, you can still pay in £3,600 each tax year (you pay in £2,880, with £720 tax relief).
    • If you’re a high earner, a lower limit could apply known as Tapered Annual Allowance. See further information at www.gov.uk.
    • If you’ve taken out a taxable cash sum or flexible income, the amount you can contribute without paying a tax charge is limited to £10,000 (the Money Purchase Annual Allowance).

    Tax treatment depends on your individual circumstances. Your circumstances and tax rules may change in the future.

  • You may forget about a pension you already have. This could impact how much your pension pot could be worth in the future.

    For further support, you can go to The Pension Tracing Service, which is operated by the Department for Work and Pensions.

  • If you would like financial advice, you could speak to an Independent Financial Adviser. Unbiased and Vouchedfor will let you find a local adviser based on your requirements. There will be a charge for this service.

    You get free help and guidance through Pension Wise. If you’re over 50, you’ll also benefit from a free 60-minute appointment.

    Alternatively, our partners Schroders Personal Wealth could also help. They provide personalised advice on a range of different products and services. It all starts with a free, no obligation chat, then a financial plan that’s tailored to you. To be eligible, you’ll have at least £100,000 in sole or joint savings, investments or personal pensions, or sole income of at least £100,000. Fees and charges may apply.

  • There are several ways to pay money into your account.

    You can make one-off payments by debit card payment or bank transfer. Just tell us the amount you want to pay or the account you want to choose, and we’ll do the rest for you.

    You can also set up regular contributions by letting us know the amount and the day you want the money to be paid.

    Sign in using Online Banking or use the Mobile Banking app to contribute to your pension.

  • It’s straightforward transferring your old pensions into your Ready-Made Pension. All you need to do is tell us the provider’s name, the account number, the type of pension and value being transferred. Single transfers must be at least £1,000.

    We then do the hard work and move it across to your new account, and our expert fund managers invest on your behalf.

    There are some reasons however why you can’t transfer your pensions. If any of the following apply to you or if you are unsure, we recommend you speak to a financial adviser. There will normally be a charge for advice.

    • An employer or someone other than you is currently paying into the pension you want to transfer.
    • You’re taking an income, or you’ve taken a tax-free lump sum, from the existing pension.
    • The pension is with a final salary (defined benefits) scheme.
    • You want to transfer a pension that’s with an overseas provider.
    • You have safeguarded benefits within your existing pension – this may be a Guaranteed Annuity Rate (GAR), Guaranteed Conversion Option (GCO), Section 9(2B) rights, or a Guaranteed Minimum Pension (GMP).
    • You have other valuable features within your existing pension you don’t want to lose.
    • You only want to transfer part of your pension (a partial transfer).
    • The pension is subject to a bankruptcy order, or pension earmarking or sharing order, or other receiving orders.
    • Your pension has been set up using ‘disqualifying’ pension credits from a pension sharing order (a pension sharing order has been applied to a pension already in payment or income drawdown).

    Sign in using Online Banking or use the Mobile Banking app to transfer a pension.

  • To keep track of your pension transfers, please sign in to Online Banking or use our Mobile Banking app, and select the ‘Transactions’ tab.

    This usually takes a few weeks but can take longer for some types of pensions, or if we need to contact you for more information.

    Please note that any pending transactions are not included in your fund value.

  • You can update your beneficiaries at any time by logging on to your account. We’ll then update our records to show who you want to leave your pension savings to in the event of your death. This can either be one or more persons or a charity, and you decide what percentage of your pension they should receive.

    While this isn’t binding, we’ll consider your requests when paying any death benefits. As we use our discretion to decide who is to receive the benefits, they do not normally form part of your estate. This means they’re not normally subject to Inheritance Tax. 

    Find out more about passing on your pension and tax implications.

    Please review your beneficiaries regularly to make sure they’re in line with your wishes, especially if your circumstances change. You can amend your beneficiaries at any time.