19 June 2008                                

ALLIANCE TRUST PUBLISHES ‘HOW-TO’ FACTSHEET AND WEBCAST ABOUT INVESTING IN PROPERTY IN A SIPP

PLEASE NOTE: A special preview of the webcast for journalists only is available at www.alliancetrust.co.uk/pressplayer

 

Alliance Trust Savings has published a webcast and bulletin to explain to advisers the pros and cons they should consider when looking at investing in commercial property in a SIPP. The bulletin and webcast also detail the process involved in putting property in a SIPP, explain when a mortgage is needed, and outline points to consider once you are holding the property in a pension.

 

Pensions Development Manager Steve Latto said, “We have a number of clients who find it suits their needs to put a property in a SIPP and often these are professionals who place their work premises within their pension scheme. For example, a dentist may put his surgery in a SIPP or a group of barristers might put their legal offices in their SIPPs. Obviously property valuations can fluctuate and this can be an illiquid investment, so advisers must look at the property being considered, who will occupy it and the likely rental income to be received by the SIPP.”

 

“Investing in commercial property in a SIPP can be attractive to clients because the investment is held in a tax-free environment where rental income is not taxable and there is no liability to capital gains tax when the property is sold. These tax breaks and the opportunity for the pension to borrow to help fund a property purchase have to be balanced against other factors such as the potential costs, which can be significant, and that holding a property may offer little liquidity. In our bulletin and webcast, we have tried to give advisers a clear starting point when considering using this interesting option that SIPPs offer their clients.”

 

“Fads for investing in commercial property come and go with market fluctuations. However, investing in a pension is a long-term decision and advisers should always consider the longer term trends for property because the capital value of the investment will be locked up inside the pension, and the purpose of a pension is to build a fund for your retirement.”

 

 In its latest Pensions Bulletin Alliance Trust Savings lays out some of the advantages and disadvantages advisers should consider when examining whether to invest in commercial property through a SIPP. Advisers can read the analysis in the Pensions Bulletin called ‘SIPPs: investment in commercial property”’ and in a webcast that is available on the Adviser Centre of Alliance Trust’s website at www.alliancetrust.co.uk/adviser

 

Advisers can request future e-newsletters from Alliance Trust Savings by emailing businessdevelopment@alliancetrust.co.uk and they can register for all additional services on the adviser centre at www.alliancetrust.co.uk/adviser

 

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Contacts

Jane Holligan, Media Relations Manager          Anna Schirmer / Stuart Lerman / Anna Moulds

Alliance Trust                                                   Lansons Communications

Tel  +44 (0)1382 306064                                   Tel  +44 (0)20 7294 3605 / 3674 / 3681

Mobile  07745 783212                                      Email  alliancetrust@lansons.com

Email  jane.holligan@alliancetrust.co.uk      

Web  www.alliancetrust.co.uk 

 

 

 

 

  1. Alliance Trust Savings offers investment dealing and pensions to individual investors and their advisers through its enhanced wrap platform. Alliance Trust Savings provides sharedealing, investment wrapper accounts such as ISAs, a full range of Self-Invested Personal Pensions, and accounts for investing for children such as First Steps and its Children’s SIPP.

  2. Alliance Trust Savings is one of the UK’s top ten SIPP providers by number of accounts. It offers a full range of SIPPs from the sharedealing Select SIPP, which allows a choice of more than 3,000 investments, to the Full SIPP that permits investment in commercial property and other assets.

  3. Alliance Trust Savings administers assets on behalf of more than 53,000 customers (at end March 2008)

 

  1. Photographs of Steve Latto and the Pensions Bulletin factsheet are available on request.