What kind of regulations are there for SSAS?
A comprehensive guide to Pensions and Investments for Investing in Property
One of the main attractions of a Small Self Administered Scheme (SSAS) is that members have much more control over their pensions than they do with traditional pensions. But does this control come at the expense of security? Not necessarily. An SSAS is regulated by a number of different bodies, as you’ll find out.
To a certain extent, a SSAS is self-regulating. It’s a trust, which means that it’s run by trustees for the benefit of its members. In practice, the majority — if not all — members of a SSAS will be appointed as trustees.
Any member of a SSAS can be a trustee. Most choose to be, but it’s certainly not a requirement
A trustee does not have to be a member of the SSAS.
In the majority of cases, an SSAS is run by the members for the members, meaning there’s no outside influence from trustees who are not members of the scheme. The rules of the scheme are set by HMRC.
Being a trustee comes with certain legal responsibilities. For instance, it’s the responsibility of a trustee to ensure that any tax owed is paid to HMRC. If any member of the SSAS doesn’t want this responsibility, they can choose not to be a trustee.
However, it’s worth considering the pros and cons of having members who are not trustees. Trustees have to demonstrate that they are acting in the best interest of all members of the SSAS. If all members of the SSAS are also trustees, this process is straightforward. If there are any non-trustee members, this can become complex.
It is common practice to appoint a professional trustee to your SSAS. A professional trustee is tasked with the day-to-day management of the SSAS. This person should be experienced and possess a good understanding of pensions, tax laws and investment.
It is not a legal requirement to appoint a professional trustee (as of August 2018), but lawmakers may decide to change this.
Think you might need a professional trustee for your SSAS? The Landlord’s Pension can help. Give us a call on 020 3907 8400 to discuss your options.
Need specific pension investment advice?
Read our SSAS Pension guides:
- SSAS vs SIPP pensions
- What is a Self-Administered Pension?
- How To Set Up A SSAS pension
- What kind of regulations and protections are there for SSAS?
- What Can an SSAS Pension Invest In?
- What are SSAS death benefits
- HMRC Rules
- SSAS Pensions
- How to find the best SSAS provider
- Can a SSAS buy residential property
- A guide to SSAS Pension scheme Loans
Still unsure about something? Please don’t hesitate to contact us about enquiries relating to pensions and investments in property.
What our customers say...
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I recently opened my SSAS through The Landlord’s Pension and they have been professional, approachable and efficient throughout. Simon, Teresa and Michelle have all been great in answering my questions and queries and doing their best to ensure the process of transferring over my existing pension has been a... Read moreI recently opened my SSAS through The Landlord’s Pension and they have been professional, approachable and efficient throughout. Simon, Teresa and Michelle have all been great in answering my questions and queries and doing their best to ensure the process of transferring over my existing pension has been a smooth and seamless one. I would have no hesitation in recommending them. Read less
Steve Brazil08/12/19My experience of Landlord's Pension has been absolutely fantastic, in particular Dan, Teresa and Michelle. They made the whole process of moving my SSAS to a better Administrator easy and seamless, keeping me updated the whole time. I now have more flexibility regarding investment choices and now my pension is... Read moreMy experience of Landlord's Pension has been absolutely fantastic, in particular Dan, Teresa and Michelle. They made the whole process of moving my SSAS to a better Administrator easy and seamless, keeping me updated the whole time. I now have more flexibility regarding investment choices and now my pension is achieving a great return. Highly recommend to anyone who wishes to take control of their pension. Read less
Martin Potts01/10/19My experience of Landlord's Pension has been absolutely fantastic, in particular Dan, Teresa and Michelle. They made the whole process of moving my SSAS to a better Administrator easy and seamless, keeping me updated the whole time. I now have more flexibility regarding investment choices and now my pension is... Read moreMy experience of Landlord's Pension has been absolutely fantastic, in particular Dan, Teresa and Michelle. They made the whole process of moving my SSAS to a better Administrator easy and seamless, keeping me updated the whole time. I now have more flexibility regarding investment choices and now my pension is achieving a great return. Highly recommend to anyone who wishes to take control of their pension. Read less
Martin Potts01/10/19Simon and Teresa have helped me to gain control of my pension and now I am able to invest it in property through a fund with high fixed returns. I will also be able to use it on my own purchases / projects, which gives me much more cash access... Read moreSimon and Teresa have helped me to gain control of my pension and now I am able to invest it in property through a fund with high fixed returns. I will also be able to use it on my own purchases / projects, which gives me much more cash access to do deals.
The set up of the SSAS scheme was easy and straight forward, many thanks to the team. Read lessMartin Littleboy19/09/19
The Landlord’s Pension is an expert in this niche sector of financial planning and have been helping clients to invest in property since 2004