What should we do about our Sipp?

By THIS IS MONEY
Updated: 00:01 BST, 17 October 2009

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My husband, 老年の 68, 投資するd £89,000 in a self-投資するd personal 年金 in 2005. Though he has taken out only £3,000 its value has fallen to £74,000. He had a coronary bypass 操作／手術 in 2005. Should he consider taking an 高めるd annuity at this 行う／開催する／段階 or let the Sipp run as it is 改善するing now?

The 推論する／理由 we 投資するd in a Sipp was so I would receive some of this 基金 on his death.

Had he chosen an annuity it would have been very expensive to 供給する something for me and also have it index linked. P.S., Bromsgrove, Essex

Danny Cox, 長，率いる of 財政上の planning 戦略 at 独立した・無所属 財政上の 助言者 Hargreaves Lansdown, replies: 高めるd 年金 annuities 供給する higher 年金 income than 基準 annuities because the annuity company is likely to 支払う／賃金 the 年金 for a shorter time.

高めるd 年金 annuity 率s tend to be the highest for 選び出す／独身-life annuities and much lower for 共同の-life annuities.

This is because they 査定する／（税金などを）課す the 率 of income based on the healthiest life ? since the 年金 income is likely to be paid until this person dies.

索引-linked annuity 率s always look poor value 最初, but become good value in the 未来 if they are paid for 20 years 加える.

An 代案／選択肢 is to have a 直す／買収する，八百長をするd 3% escalation 率 which tends to be better than one linked to the 小売 Prices 索引.

Under a Sipp, on death, the value of the 基金 いっそう少なく 35% 税金 will be paid to you. Or you could 選ぶ to buy an annuity if you wished. In my 見解（をとる） you have to balance three questions:

? How much income do you need now?
? How much income will you need if your husband dies first?
? How much 投資 危険 do you want to take with this 年金?

The last question is perhaps the most important.

Income drawdown in a Sipp is a high 危険 戦略 and should be considered only by those who can afford to take a 危険 with the income.

You should certainly 協議する a specialist annuity 仲買人 to see what level of income you might 達成する if you bought an annuity now.

If this is 十分な for your needs both now and in the 未来, and this income is important to you, banking this now is a much lower 危険 than waiting to see if the Sipp 基金 回復するs.