Can I invest my
Pension in Property?
For most people, having financial security in retirement involves taking out a traditional pension plan with a regulated pension provider. Over the years the rules surrounding pensions have changed quite substantially – most notably the relaxation of regulation to allow property to be held within certain types of pension schemes. So, you may be asking: can I invest my pension in property? To find the answer, simply keep reading as we examine the ins-and-outs of investing pensions in property.
Can I invest my pension in property?
The short answer to this question is most probably, no, you cannot invest your pension in property. Only two special types of pensions can be used to invest in property, which are SIPP and SSAS pensions. To learn more about SIPP pensions, you may enjoy our blog post: What Is a SIPP Pension: Know The Basics.
SIPP and SSAS pensions allow certain tax and other advantages, which we shall look at shortly, however, they do come with some restrictions. The big one is that while they can be used to purchase both land and property, it should only be for commercial use. While it is not illegal to purchase buy to let properties using these pension funds, they will be deemed residential property and will incur prohibitive tax charges.
Navigating SIPP and SSAS pension schemes should only be undertaken under the guidance of a qualified financial adviser – as whilst they come with plenty of flexibility, they may not suite everyone. Before investing in any type of pension – be it a traditional scheme or a SIPP or SSAS, you should seek professional advice from a qualified adviser. Often a pension advisor will specialise in one or the other, so it may be necessary to approach a number of different specialists.
The Benefits of a Property Pension Pot
The biggest benefit of buying commercial properties with a pension is your tax bill – or safeguarding your earnings from income tax to be more precise. The property will be owned by the pension fund so therefore any rental income from the property will be paid into the fund, tax free. This is a very tax efficient way of building the pension pot even before we include capital growth.
As property prices increase so too the value of any property within the pension fund will increase. This provides the potential for a secondary stream of wealth creation into the pension. Selling a house that you personally own will incur capital gains tax on any profit earned. However, this will not be the case within a pension and all profits will be added to the fund, tax free.
Along with rental payments into a pension not being liable for income tax, rental payments are also not considered as contributions. The benefit of this small point is that your personal contribution allowance to the pension will be unaffected.
Are there any downsides?
As mentioned, a SIPP or a SSAS pensions will not fit with everyones’ needs or personal circumstances. A SSAS pension, for example, is essentially a workplace pension that is self-managed by the company that set it up. Hence it must operate within the structure of a company.
A SSAS pension, for example, is essentially an occupational pension scheme, usually set up by the directors of a business to allow them greater control over the investment decisions that relate to their pensions. A SIPP on the other hand, is a personal pension that is open to anyone and is usually set up by an insurance company or SIPP specialist.
The investments will be limited to commercial investments, so it may be harder to diversify the property investments within the fund. In contrast, private property investments, can be diversified over many different types of property, types of tenancies and locations. For example: social housing, HMOs, student accommodation, holiday lets and commercial.
Using a pension to invest in property is sometimes viewed with scepticism because property prices can go up but also down and if you need to sell at the wrong time, you could even lose money. The important aspect here is that property is a long-term investment plan. Property prices will have temporary drops, however, by plotting property prices over the last 40 years it is evident that prices steadily grow over time.
Seek professional advice
Any pension fund will need to be set-up by someone who is experienced and knows what they are doing. Additional costs will be involved with these types of pensions so be sure that it is the right decision for your needs and circumstances before going ahead. We reiterate the necessity for professional advice to fully understand the implications and suitability to your circumstances.
If you have stumbled across this blog post with little knowledge of property investing and you want to learn more, perhaps you may like to join a FREE Discovery webinar. It will only be one hour of your time and will provide some useful background knowledge to begin your journey as a property investor.
To learn more about Asset Academy and our passion for helping people to change their lives, you can read more about us here. Or why not see what other people say about us by having a browse through our customer reviews here. The information given in this article is given as guidance only and should not be considered investment advice. Pension planning should be undertaken only with a suitably qualified financial advisor.