Meet the pensions helpdesk - the team who answer your transfer questions

The experienced team has been growing over the past 12 months. They are now over 40 consultants strong, working hard to help people with all their pension and retirement needs, including transfers. Over the last 6 months (week commencing 29 March to 30 September) they’ve answered a staggering 93,927 calls and replied to 26,171 emails - they’re always on hand to help. From existing clients to brand new investors, no question is too big or too small.

If you want to know more about how consolidating or transferring a pension works, they are a great place to start. The team can’t advise you on whether you should transfer, but they can explain the process step by step and can give you updates on your transfer along the way.

Below some of the team share their top tips on how to transfer a pension as smoothly as possible.

Just remember to contact your current provider to check for fees and whether you’ll lose any guarantees or benefits first. If your pension is transferred as cash, you will miss out on any market rises or falls for a period. If you transfer as stock, it’s very unlikely you’ll be able to make changes to your investments. This can mean missing opportunities to buy or sell.

This article isn’t personal advice. If you’re unsure what’s right for your circumstances, ask for financial advice. Remember all investments can fall as well as rise in value so you could get back less than you invest.

More on transferring

What to check before you start

Tips to save you time and hassle later

"If you’ve recently moved address, make sure you’ve updated this with your old pension provider before applying for a transfer- this can help you avoid any delays. Our records must match your old provider’s before the transfer can take place."

"If you’re planning to transfer your pension as cash, check with your provider if they use the electronic transfer system called ORIGO. If they do, this normally means your transfer will take less time to complete."

Your transfer application

Tips to help you avoid delays

"When completing your transfer form, double check the policy number is correct. If the policy numbers are different between us and your current provider it can slow down your transfer."

"If you’re only transferring some of your pension, make sure you tick the partial transfer box. Again this could slow your transfer down if you don’t. It could also mean that your provider might attempt to transfer the full value of your pension."

What do our clients like about HL?

Darcy Myles tells why, in his experience, clients choose to move their pension to HL.

"Clients often say that they’ve chosen HL because we’re easier to get in touch with than other providers. Being able to speak to someone on the phone makes a world of difference for something as important as your retirement savings.

Some clients want to bring their pension pots together because it makes managing their retirement savings easier. I speak to lots of people who have a few different pensions dotted around and they just want to have everything in one place."

More on transferring

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