Are there any good non-self administered ARF options?

[Bluecup]

I'm looking in to ARFs on behalf of my mother who will be cashing in her pension in the next while but didn't expect the ARF landscape to be as confusing as it is. She isn't keen for a self administered ARF as investments and stocks etc isn't her thing but I've struggled to find a resource that lays out the charges for ARFs in a way that I can compare them directly.

Does such a resource exist? (I fear I already know the answer ). I was looking for something similar to Appendix 3 of the Pension Council's report on ARF charges [broken link removed].

If one doesn't exist, has anyone had a positive experience of a managed ARF that they'd be happy to share?

Bluecup

 

[GSheehy]

There's no such resource, that I'm aware of, @Bluecup

Each product provider could have 40/50 charging structures on their A(M)RF product/s.

The charging strucutres that agents/intermediaries use are usually dependent on a) the agent/intermediary b) the level of advice your mother needs and c) the fund/s selected and d) the value of the A(M)RF

Gerard

www.prsa.ie

 

[Bluecup]

Thanks Gerard, you'd think it would be something the Pensions Council or similar would keep track of to help the public make informed decisions. The usual advice with this stuff is to shop around but that involves sinking a significant amount of time into one to one meetings with different brokers and financial advisors. Right, might step off my soapbox here and keep digging.

 

[GSheehy]

@Bluecup

If your main concern is buying what you deem is a 'good' product, and finding out a few months later that there was/is a 'better' one available, then allow yourself the flexibility, by not buying one now that has early exit charges on it.

That way you won't suffer buyer remorse, as you'll have the flexibility to move it without penalty.