A Defined Benefit (DB) pension, otherwise known as a final salary scheme, is a type of workplace pension scheme in which an employer promises a specified pension payment, lump sum (or a combination of both) on retirement.
The benefits payable are predetermined using a number of factors, typically including an employee’s earnings history, tenure of service and age, as opposed to relying directly on individual returns. A typical DB pension scheme usually continues to pay a pension to a spouse, civil partner or dependents (for a restricted period) when the member dies.
There are advantages and disadvantages to DB schemes, and in most cases, the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages.
Advantages:
Disadvantages:
Our regulator, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), is clear that we should start by assuming that any transfer of a DB pension into a personal pension would most likely not be suitable. Also, you cannot transfer from a DB pension scheme if you are already taking your pension. There are also some types of DB pension schemes where transfers are not possible, for example, public sector schemes for teachers, nurses and civil servants.
If your pension savings are worth £30k or more, you will be required to seek financial advice before even considering transferring a DB pension. If you leave your DB pension scheme, the benefits you’ve built up still belong to you and they can remain there until you retire or you can transfer them to a different type of pension scheme.
Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results