Pensions - Articles - LV= launches pensions microsite for advisers

 Retirement specialist LV= has launched a new pensions microsite www.LV.com/2012opportunities to provide advisers with greater clarity on forthcoming technical changes to pensions legislation.

 The site focuses on changes in four key pensions areas - lifetime allowance, contracting out, flexible drawdown and the new carry forward rule and aims to highlight the key issues; which clients will be affected; and which types of clients to approach to help advisers maximise business opportunities.

 For instance, the current lifetime allowance of £1.8m will be reduced to £1.5m from 6 April 2012. Fixed protection rules enable clients to fix their protected lifetime allowance at £1.8m, but they must do so before 6 April. Getting this right could avoid a significant tax bill at retirement.

 Through a link on the website advisers can also ask LV= any questions they have about the technical changes or just general pension queries.

 Ray Chinn, LV= Head of Pensions said: "There is a good opportunity for advisers, in the run up to the end of the tax year, to assess their clients' position in relation to the technical changes coming into force. We understand that many advisers are busy preparing for the bigger regulatory changes ahead such as RDR, so we designed this website to make it easy for advisers to quickly identify the impact these pension-specific changes could have on their clients' pension plans, before it's too late."

 For more information you can visit the LV= pensions microsite at www.LV.com/2012opportunities.