Mr Boyden achieves nearly 12% more income by shopping around

Steve Boyden wasn’t prepared to take the first annuity offer he received. Instead, he asked Retirement Line for help, who then maximised the level of income his pension pot delivered.

Steve’s situation

After starting his career in retail, Steve, at the age of 35, moved into the security industry. This is where he built-up a pension fund that he later transferred to a separate pension scheme provider.

When the fund became available, the scheme provider sent him an illustration showing the income it could achieve if used to buy a lifetime annuity.

This was when Steve started to think hard about the situation: “Naturally, I wanted to achieve the maximum benefit from this fund. However, I wasn’t particularly impressed with the income level offered so I decided to see what was available elsewhere.”

How Retirement Line helped

Steve went online and discovered Retirement Line: “I immediately liked the look of them and decided to put some numbers into their online quotation tool. The results that came back looked good, so I responded online and sat back.

“Within a day I had a call from Paul, one of their Annuity Specialists, who offered his assistance. I was glad as I had a few questions and needed to talk to someone in the know. Websites and email are OK, but I’d much rather have a proper conversation when dealing with such a sensitive subject.

“Paul explained everything so clearly and gave me comprehensive information about the annuity plans available from different providers. He went through my options in detail, so I had the information I needed to make the right decision.”

“It’s rare that someone does what they promise, but Retirement Line delivered. Everything came together perfectly.”

A positive outcome

Steve was delighted with the result that Retirement Line achieved by shopping around the annuity market on his behalf. The plan he chose delivered almost 12% more income than his pension scheme provider had originally offered.

He took the full allowance of 25% tax-free cash, with the remaining fund turned into a lifetime annuity paid in quarterly instalments: “The lump sum helped us finish building a home extension. Going forward, regular money from the annuity will pay for a few luxuries on top of the other pensions I have in place.”

Steve’s experience

“It was all most refreshing,” Steve says. “Paul was highly professional throughout, and everything he promised happened just as he said it would. I had the same level of experience with Frances, who handled the administration when my application and fund transfer were going through. Her regular updates meant I always knew exactly what was happening.

“What I particularly appreciated was that Paul and Frances were fully dedicated to me. I dealt with them from beginning to end and nobody else, a really refreshing experience.

“It’s so rare these days that someone does what they say they are going to do. But in this case, everyone at Retirement Line delivered on their promises and the whole thing came together perfectly.” 

Are you considering purchasing an annuity?

Mr Boyden is just one of thousands of clients we've helped to maximise their retirement income through an annuity purchase.  As the UK’s largest specialist pension annuity intermediary, Retirement Line is well placed to help you shop around to find the best deal.

We compare quotes from all the top annuity providers on your behalf, to help you get the best rate and the highest income for your retirement. 

Call our annuity specialists free on 0800 652 1316, or email us at info@retirementline.co.uk.