Jelf launches annuity service as standalone product

Jelf Employee Benefits is launching its whole-of-market annuity-broking service as a standalone product.

The Retirement Income Finder is already available to its existing pension and financial-planning clients, but will now be rolled out to the wider market as a standalone product.

The service encourages pension scheme members to select the most appropriate type of annuity, before selecting the best deal for them. It includes a comparison report which sets out details of the options available and the implications of their choices.

Lee Coles (pictured), head of Jelf Money after Work, said: “There has been a lot of noise about joining pension schemes recently, but we shouldn’t ignore the immediate needs of those individuals who have already been saving hard for their life after work.

“We urge employers to use experts to educate their staff on the options they have when they come to retire. A lot of people still don’t understand the choices they have when they retire, and that if they make the wrong choice, there’s no going back.

“The Pensions Regulator has considered at-retirement services in a number of publications, acknowledging that the best and worst-case scenarios for scheme members can be poles apart.

“It is clear that those employers and trustees which are interested in following good practice, and delivering positive outcomes for pension scheme members, need to offer comprehensive at-retirement support.”