二塁打 whammy

By JAMES HOPEGOOD
Updated: 00:00 BST, 1 February 2002

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A MONEY Mail reader has 苦しむd a 二塁打 blow on his 年金. Having first 存在 mis-sold a personal 年金 by an 独立した・無所属 財政上の 助言者 (IFA), he then saw an 保険 company use a 財政上の 刑罰，罰則 to wipe out his 補償（金）.

The 事例／患者 土台を崩すs the whole 原則 of people 存在 補償するd for 存在 a 犠牲者 of misselling. Those mis-sold a 計画（する） are awarded money to 許す them to buy themselves 支援する into their 年金 計画／陰謀 without loss.

But Norwich Union 反抗するd that 原則 and has 告発（する），告訴（する）／料金d a man who was mis-sold a 年金 - by a member of 独立した・無所属 財政上の 助言者 網状組織 Countrywide 独立した・無所属 助言者s - £42,700 in 財政上の 刑罰，罰則s.

Neil Davidson, 51, now has a 年金 基金 of £130,758 rather than the £173,671 he should have been able to 移転 to the Port of London 当局's 年金 計画／陰謀. In 1992, Mr Davidson was wrongly advised to leave the 年金 計画／陰謀 of his old 雇用者, the Dover Harbour Board, and put his money into Provident 相互の's 年金 保証するd 基金 instead. Provident 相互の is now part of Norwich Union.

In 1999, he realised he had been 不正に advised, but it took two years to 勝利，勝つ £30,885 in 補償（金）, which was paid into his 年金 保証するd 基金 last August. He planned to 移転 the money to his new 雇用者, the Port of London 当局's occupational 計画／陰謀, to 確実にする his 退職 income would remain 損なわれていない. He made his first 移転 request in 1999.

But 特記する／引用するing 落ちるing 株式市場s, Norwich Union used an obscure 財政上の 刑罰，罰則 to claw 支援する the 補償（金） Mr Davidson had been paid by Countrywide. 海洋 操縦する Mr Davidson, who 減刑する／通勤するs between Ramsgate in Kent and his family home 近づく Glasgow, says: 'This is my money saved over 30 years. The 補償（金） has been 完全に wiped out.'

John Lister, 副 actuary at Norwich Union, says: 'The position in which Mr Davidson finds himself is the unfortunate consequence of the 株式市場 落ちる over the past two years. Mr Davidson is giving up 価値のある 保証（人）s by 身を引くing from the 基金, and we would advise him to 捜し出す 財政上の advice before taking such 活動／戦闘.'

Mick McAteer, 上級の 政策 助言者 at the 消費者s' 協会, says: 'This is やめる shocking. It would be my 見解（をとる） that this is 完全に against the spirit of 年金s 是正する.'

But David Cresswell, at the 財政上の Ombudsman Service, says that any 補償（金） paid is for losses incurred from the time bad advice was given to when it was discovered and 修正するd.

It has no say over what happ ens to the money after 補償（金）.

The 年金 保証するd 基金 was の近くにd to new 商売／仕事 last month because of 落ちるing 株式市場 returns. The 基金 was 開始する，打ち上げるd in 1992 by Provident 相互の, and since then 180,000 savers have sunk a 大規模な £1.9 billion into it.

Since December, it has 告発（する），告訴（する）／料金d an 普通の／平均（する） 出口 刑罰，罰則 of 18% to savers who want to take their money どこかよそで. This 刑罰，罰則 is called the Market 価値低下 割引 (MDD).

Mr Lister says that the 基金 is 支援するd by Norwich Union, so there is no question of 存在するing savers losing any money.

Anyone who has 投資するd in the 基金 since July can 移転 to another Norwich Union 基金 at no 刑罰，罰則, he says.

The MDD looks remarkably like the market value 削減 (MVR) 刑罰，罰則 which with-利益（をあげる）s 会社／堅いs can 課す at will.