Investing your pension

When you open a Retirement Account with Scottish Widows online, they take out the hassle of choosing individual funds and have designed investment choices to suit you. The first thing you need to think about is how you feel about the risks associated with investing – are you a cautious, balanced or adventurous investor?

What are the options?

The below table shows you how each Governed Investment Strategy (GIS) could potentially perform and whether it is right for you. A GIS is a type of investment that automatically adjusts how your pension is invested over time, gradually moving into lower risk funds as you get closer to your retirement.

Investment choice	How your pension pot could perform
Investment choice Cautious You’re cautious with your investments and don’t feel comfortable taking much risk with your money.	How your pension pot could perform You can expect your pension pot to have some ups and downs in value. While there’s potential for some growth, there’s also potential for some losses.
Investment choice Balanced You’re a balanced investor and feel comfortable taking some risk with your money for, potentially, more reward.	How your pension pot could perform You can expect your pension pot to go up and down in value. While there’s potential for growth, there’s also the potential for losses.
Investment choice Adventurous You’re an adventurous investor and feel comfortable taking high risk with your money for, potentially high rewards.	How your pension pot could perform You can expect your pension pot to have a lot of sharp ups and downs in value. While there’s potential for high growth, there’s also potential for significant losses.

How your pension is invested?

Depending on how you feel about the risk you want to take, they will invest your pension in one of their Governed Investment Strategies.

Governed Investment Strategies are the only choice available when you apply for a Retirement Account online. If you would like to look at other options for investing, you should seek independent financial advice. If you don’t have a financial adviser, you can find one here. Please be aware you will be charged for this service.

Your questions answered

How does a Governed Investment Strategy(GIS) work? expandable section

A GIS is a type of investment that automatically adjusts how your pension is invested over time, gradually moving into lower risk funds as you get closer to your retirement.

Get more details about how your money is invested, download the guide (PDF, 1.2MB).
Where is your money invested? expandable section

Your money is invested in shares (known as 'equities') and bonds. These are shares within the UK, emerging and developed markets overseas.

Shares are considered riskier investments than bonds, so a portfolio investing in a large percentage of shares will carry more risk than one investing in a larger percentage of bonds.

Get more details about how your money is invested, download the guide (PDF, 1.2Mb).

If you don’t feel comfortable making an investment choice yourself, you can speak to Scottish Widows or a financial adviser, or you can speak to an Independent Financial Adviser. Bear in mind Financial Advisers will charge for the Advice they give.

If you’ve already reviewed and decided transferring is right for you and read about your investment and retirement options you can start the application. You’ll need the following:

Your National Insurance number
Your existing pension providers name
The policy numbers of each pension you want to transfer
The Scheme name if it’s a workplace pension
A recent transfer value for each pension
You know how you want to invest and access your new pension

I have all of the above

Yes

No

Important legal information

Lloyds Bank plc. Registered office: 25 Gresham Street, London EC2V 7HN. Registered in England and Wales No. 2065. Lloyds Bank plc is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority under registration number 119278.

Eligible deposits with us are protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS). We are covered by the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS).