Self-invested personal pension

A self-invested personal pension (SIPP) is the name given to the type of UK government-approved personal pension scheme which allows individuals to make their own investment decisions from the full range of investments approved by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC). SIPPs are "tax wrappers", allowing tax rebates on contributions in exchange for limits on accessibility. The HMRC rules allow for a greater range of investments to be held than personal pension schemes, notably equities and property. Rules for contributions, benefit withdrawal etc. are the same as for other personal pension schemes. Another subset of this type of pension is the stakeholder pension scheme. History The rules and conditions for a broader range of investments were originally set out in Joint Office Memorandum 101 issued by the UK's Inland Revenue in 1989. However, the first true SIPP was taken out in March 1990. James Hay Partnership, the parent company of then Personal Pension Management, offered the first SIPP product. The second SIPP provider followed quickly afterwards and was called Provident Life, launching its own version a few months later. All three companies were based in Salisbury, Wiltshire where James Hay Partnership remained one of the largest SIPP providers. The Finance Act 2004 implemented wide-ranging changes to the UK pensions regime, most of which came into force on 6 April 2006 (also known as A-Day) and is commonly referred to as pension simplification.