How to find the best SSAS providers

Before looking at how to find the best SSAS providers, it is important to understand what a SSAS provider is and what is involved in setting up and managing your SSAS. Essentially your chosen SSAS provider will in most cases replace your traditional pension scheme provider. This means they will typically file the pensions returns to HMRC, manage the bank account of the pension and undertake administrative duties. Depending on the level of service you then choose will dictate the roles and responsibilities that they undertake.

Deciding which SSAS provider to work with is imperative, it’s important to recognise the different levels of services you may be offered.

The main types of services offered by SSAS providers are:

• SSAS Administrators
• SSAS Practitioners
• Corporate Trustees
• SSAS Brokers

Once you have decided the level of service you require you will then need to decide on a provider to work with.

You will need to decide whether you are simply looking for a practitioner to process payments and file scheme returns, a corporate trustee who takes a greater degree of responsibility in ensuring the SSAS pension conforms to HMRC rules or a lifetime SSAS broker who typically would be involved in the establishment of the scheme and also in the investment strategy of the pension. Understanding the SSAS and how it can work for you is the first step in learning how to find the best SSAS providers.

Again there are many variables to consider. For those asking how to find the best SSAS providers, there are many factors to consider but this usually comes down to either cost or flexibility.

One of the great benefits of a SSAS pension is the flexibility of investments you can make within the scheme however some SSAS providers impose their own restrictions on what you can and cannot do within their schemes. It’s vitally important that you work with a provider who understand and specialise in the investment strategy you are looking to undertake.

TLPI receive enquiries every week from people who have established a SSAS Pension with a provider who won’t let them implement their investment strategies, not because they don’t conform to HMRC rules but because they don’t fit within the providers internal rules. In this scenario you would then be looking to move provider and incur more cost, so ensuring you are working with the right provider first time round is important.

When is comes to costs of running a SSAS pension the charges do vary quite considerably, but the key is to thoroughly research the service in question as what is supported and the ongoing support included in the package you choose.