Zurich website updates

jetblack · Post by **jetblack** » 30 Aug 2017, 19:23

Anyone check their Zurich funds online ? How often are the funds (value) updated ? Seems to me that it used to be every day (around 7pm) - now it seems more like once or twice a week.
Realtime would be nice (and not asking too much in this day and age) - hey, I may want to sell at the bottom and buy at the top

But once a week ? I have a good chunk invested with Zurich and I'd say its a pretty crap service TBH.

Is this the experience of others ?

Hawkey99 · Post by **Hawkey99** » 30 Aug 2017, 21:25

Never thought about it but will look each day and see.

Are you in the growth fund. Not to shabby a year.

Wife has opened a SIPP and trawling 1000s of fund. Probably go for a Vanguard Lifestyle

Post by **RobertT** » 31 Aug 2017, 15:47

I usually check mine quarterly, plus occasionally in between if there’s been a sudden rise or fall of the markets. I don’t really see the need to look everyday.

I’m not sure whether any shares price websites are updated in real time, they’re usually delayed by at least 15 minutes.

Personally I think an update once a day is enough for our Zurich funds, but once a week is poor if true.

Hawkey99 wrote:Are you in the growth fund. Not to shabby a year.

It's been a great year, as have the last few!

Decky Boy · Post by **Decky Boy** » 31 Aug 2017, 16:21

Any news on what will happen after 1st April next year... will I still be able to put money into my AVC funds each week or will the funds be closed down ? ? ?

Post by **RobertT** » 31 Aug 2017, 16:49

Decky Boy wrote:Any news on what will happen after 1st April next year... will I still be able to put money into my AVC funds each week or will the funds be closed down ? ? ?

Under the original proposals, all existing AVC’s would close. But Flexiplan contributions would be redirected into our new DC pensions. See Q&A’s here: https://www.royalmailchat.co.uk/communi ... 27&t=77960" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

RM have since come up with their ‘improved’ Cash Balance or DC proposal(https://www.myroyalmail.com/pensions/rm-pension-plan" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;). But they have yet to disclose whether AVC’s would be treated differently under these plans or not.

jetblack · Post by **jetblack** » 31 Aug 2017, 18:15

Hawkey99 wrote:
Are you in the growth fund. Not to shabby a year.

Mostly yes - though i'm using the Lifestyle option so some is now getting shifted into low risk stuff.

RobertT wrote:I usually check mine quarterly, plus occasionally in between if there’s been a sudden rise or fall of the markets. I don’t really see the need to look everyday.

I wish I were like that - I have to make several calculations a day otherwise I feel incomplete

I'm a bit like a poor Scrooge, counting his coins.

Decky Boy · Post by **Decky Boy** » 31 Aug 2017, 18:22

The Bonus Plan is/was the Dog's Bollocks ... It'll be sad to see it's demise

Post by **RobertT** » 31 Aug 2017, 18:33

Decky Boy wrote:The Bonus Plan is/was the Dog's Bollocks ... It'll be sad to see it's demise

I’d agree with that!

I’ve being paying into Bonusplan for over 20 years and it’s turned out to be a nice little investment, despite the low amounts going in.

Decky Boy · Post by **Decky Boy** » 31 Aug 2017, 18:40

Aye.... it's like Moya buying (or paying for) a pint of quality Real Ale for you every week in Retirement

I see Zurich are bringing out some new "Fund Options" ... I'm hoping I may be able to invest my AVC money privately (with Zurich) in the event the business close down things ???

Post by **fly-catchers** » 31 Aug 2017, 20:11

My Bonusplan on the Zurich site has always been updated daily apart from weekends and Bank Holidays. It currently shows the 31st August valuation. I do now regret not adding a flexiplan one as well. But did not grasp the tax incentive until many years later and was also a bit put off early on by being burnt on the equitable life disaster. So my spare cash has been added to a stocks & shares Pep and than ISA.

Hawkey99 · Post by **Hawkey99** » 31 Aug 2017, 20:55

My understand for a number of pension people is that AVCs will continue although until its in black and white we still won't know for sure.

What sort of rate does Lifestyle give you compared to Growth currently Jet ??

Cheers

jetblack · Post by **jetblack** » 31 Aug 2017, 22:39

Hawkey99 wrote:
What sort of rate does Lifestyle give you compared to Growth currently Jet ??

The Lifestyle option offered by Zurich just means that when you get closer to your chosen retirement date (at 55 onwards) they start moving money away from the growth fund towards less risky investments - like bonds and cash. Bonds and cash are low return but relatively safe and low risk. IIRC the time period when it starts to kick in is circa 7 years before your chosen retirement date.

In answer to your question, if the growth fund is doing well then the Lifestyle option will not perform as well - but if the growth fund is struggling then the Lifestyle option will perform better (than money solely in the growth fund).
I invest x amount each week. I'm not sure how the growth fund has been doing - but in your previous post you say its been doing well - which means the Lifestyle option (that I'm in) will have performed relatively badly.

The idea with the Lifestyle option is that you are offsetting the risk of a potential stock market crash close to your retirement date. You are, in effect, locking in your gains. TBH at this stage of the game I'm quite happy to forfeit stellar gains on this particular fund - if they offered a Gold fund my Zurich AVC's would be all in it at this point.

I wouldn't be saying the same if I were 19 - or 35 even.

Post by **RobertT** » 01 Sep 2017, 04:46

Decky Boy wrote:Aye.... it's like Moya buying (or paying for) a pint of quality Real Ale for you every week in Retirement

I see Zurich are bringing out some new "Fund Options" ... I'm hoping I may be able to invest my AVC money privately (with Zurich) in the event the business close down things ???

If the current AVC’s do stop, the money that’s already in them will still be able to be used to fund your tax free lump sum when taking your main RMPP pension, just as now. It’s just that no new money would be allowed in.

Zurich are not fund managers, they just provide an investment ‘platform’, as do many other companies! They offer over 3,000 funds to choose from: https://www.zurich.co.uk/en/personal/pe ... sion-funds" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Decky Boy · Post by **Decky Boy** » 01 Sep 2017, 16:35

It's all still a little unclear to me what we will be able (or allowed) to do with our AVC pots after 1st of April 2018... can I transfer them into my Personal Pension... will "the pot" be frozen till I'm 55 (but continue to grow in line with the markets ?) ... I guess really we should stop speculating... and wait for some concrete correspondence from Zurich ? ? ?

Who knows... it may be that we can continue with the Flexi Plan ?

BeamishStout · Post by **BeamishStout** » 01 Sep 2017, 17:48

I check my Zurich AVC's every weekend usually on a Saturday afternoon. Never felt the need to do it more often than that.

But just checked the numbers now. The only difference from last Saturday's number to now is the AVC payment credited to my account otherwise exactly the same as last Saturday pm figure. So it looks as if the investment values are only updated weekly (probably sometime late this Friday) but I could be wrong on that. Will check again Saturday pm usual time to see if there is any movement.