Your say: Stakeholder scam

By Daily Mail Reporter
Updated: 00:00 BST, 13 June 2001

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AS if 会社／堅いs didn't have enough to fret about with the 開始する，打ち上げる of stakeholder 年金s, it now looks like they're 存在 lined up for a fresh 年金s スキャンダル. Do you feel you're 存在 misled? Discuss this 支配する on our Message boards.

THE spectre of a fresh 年金 misselling スキャンダル is ぼんやり現れるing a 中央の suggestions that salesmen have been 誤って導くing small 商売／仕事s over stakeholder 年金 支配するs.

The bad advice could leave 従業員s exposed to high-非難する 投資s, wiping thousands of 続けざまに猛撃するs off the 可能性のある value of their 年金s. 雇用者s who follow the advice could be 軍隊d to 与える／捧げる to 年金s, putting 追加するd 緊張する on staffing costs.

The problems 茎・取り除く from the 政府 軍隊ing companies with five or more 従業員s to 始める，決める-up a stakeholder 年金 before 8 October, or 直面する 罰金s from the regulator of up to £50,000.

But unscrupulous salesmen are 示唆するing that by setting up 代案／選択肢s - known as group personal 年金s (GPPs) - they can 避ける becoming embroiled in stakeholder. What they don't make （疑いを）晴らす to the 商売／仕事s is that they will have to 与える／捧げる 3% of each 従業員's salary to the GPP, that the GPP will cost their staff more, and that people who leave the 計画／陰謀 could be 攻撃する，衝突する by 抱擁する 出口 刑罰，罰則s.

The 年金s （a）忠告の／（n）警報 Service - Opas - has been inundated with calls from worried 雇用者s. Malcolm McLean, 長，指導者 (n)役員／(a)執行力のある of Opas, says: 'We are 関心d that 雇用者s are 存在 sold 計画（する）s on the 支援する of 誤って導くing （警察などへの）密告，告訴（状） and sharp practices. If 雇用者s are 存在 misled over 告発（する），告訴（する）／料金s and 規則s that is mis-selling.'

The advice would seem to 違反 指導基準s from 監視者 the 財政上の Services 当局 that, when selling personal and group 年金s, 助言者s should take account of 刑罰，罰則s and 確実にする that 顧客s are not materially disadvantaged.

最新の 人物／姿／数字s from the 協会 of British 保険会社s 証明する that an enormous selling 過程 is under way. In the first three months of 2001 there has been an 81% rise in GPP sales to £299m.

GPPs are a group of individual personal 年金s under one 行政の umbrella. 伝統的に GPPs 告発（する），告訴（する）／料金 between 1% and 2.5% a year, with 追加するd costs such as 月毎の 政策 料金s and 企て，努力，提案/申し込む／申し出 spreads - an 効果的な 告発（する），告訴（する）／料金 which can be up to 6% on every £1 投資するd.

Stakeholder 年金s 申し込む／申し出 low-cost 投資 with 最大限 告発（する），告訴（する）／料金s of 1% a year, though some providers 告発（する），告訴（する）／料金 even いっそう少なく. 雇用者s do not have to 与える／捧げる. With （疑いを）晴らす 利益s for both 雇用者 and 従業員, stakeholder should be first choice.

But 保険 companies 支払う／賃金 財政上の 助言者s up to 30% 初期の （売買）手数料，委託（する）／委員会／権限 for selling a GPP, compared with about 5% or いっそう少なく on stakeholder 年金s.

So, based on these （売買）手数料，委託（する）／委員会／権限 率s, a £50,000 出資／貢献 to a GPP would result in a tidy sum of £15,000 to the 助言者. On a stakeholder it would be £2,500. Malcolm McLean says: 'It's very 怪しげな, as there is little 利益（をあげる） in stakeholder but a lot more in 代案／選択肢 年金 手はず／準備 such as GPPs. We have had calls where providers 示唆する that if a GPP is 始める，決める up the 従業員s can 選ぶ up the tab by giving up a 支払う／賃金 rise. Setting up 接近 to 火刑／賭ける-支えるもの／所有者s is not difficult and the 雇用者 isn't 強いるd even to make a 出資／貢献. If anyone is 怪しげな of the （警察などへの）密告，告訴（状） given to them they should give us a call.'

雇用者s already running a GPP with 出口 刑罰，罰則s, who 支払う／賃金 in 3% or more of 収入s, will not have to give 接近 to a stakeholder 計画／陰謀. If the 出口 刑罰，罰則s stay, then 雇用者s will have to 申し込む／申し出 接近 to stakeholder.

Mr McLean says: 'If this is not 存在 explained to the 雇用者 they could be 罰金d for 非，不，無 同意／服従 by the regulator.'

Most of the big providers dropped 出口 料金s and other 告発（する），告訴（する）／料金s on new 契約s in April, to 落ちる into line with stakeholder. But those 説得するd to 調印する up before then will 一般に 直面する the old higher 告発（する），告訴（する）／料金s.

Norwich Union has done more than any other 保険 company by automatically switching all GPPs on to a 選び出す／独身 告発（する），告訴（する）／料金 structure. But Scottish Equitable, for instance, still has GPPs with 企て，努力，提案/申し込む／申し出 spreads and 政策 料金s, although it 許すs 雇用者s to choose from what it 述べるs as a 'stakeholder-friendly' 選択.

会社／堅いs will have to be 極端に organised to 始める，決める-up GPPs as they mu st also be open to part-time 労働者s and 収容する／認める anyone within three months of them joining the company.

Robert Reid, a 財政上の 助言者 at Syndaxi, says: 'What's the point of putting 3% into a GPP when you can put nothing into a stakeholder. But if an 雇用者 手配中の，お尋ね者 to 与える／捧げる, why not put in 3% of salary into a stakeholder with lower 告発（する），告訴（する）／料金s.'

Call the Opas stakeholder helpline on tel 0845 601 2923