Transfer of Defined Contribution Pension to HL Vantage SIPP

[fid]

I currently have a defined contribution pension via. Friends Life with contributions coming from my employer, and from me via. salary sacrifice. However, the investment options aren't particularly impressive or exciting and Friends Life are useless in my view.

I also have a SIPP with Hargreaves Lansdown, which offers far more flexibility and in my experience, far better customer focus and customer service.

I can transfer into my HL SIPP - presumably all of my company pension, and I can request future payments to go to the SIPP instead. However, I think that would result in the life insurance I recieve from the current arrangement, and also possibly the benefit of salary sacrifice.

Presumably I could continue paying into my company pension to maintain the benefits, and then make a yearly transfer into the SIPP?

Is there anything obvious that I'm missing? I need to check current charges against HL's. Life insurance via. my current pension is presumably based on salary rather than pension funds. If that's all ok, I don't see any reason to keep the majority of my pension with the numpties at Friends Life.

Edited by fid on Saturday 12th March 15:33

[PurpleMoonlight]

Is your current employer pension arrangement an occupational pension scheme or a group personal pension plan?

[fid]

PurpleMoonlight said:

Is your current employer pension arrangement an occupational pension scheme or a group personal pension plan?

It's a group personal pension plan.

[PurpleMoonlight]

You can usually effect a partial transfer with a GPPP, but check with both your employer and the insurer to make sure doing so does not invalidate membership.

[fid]

So even if I continue to pay into the GPPP, and maintain a small holding in there, it could potentially invalidate the insurance? I will of course check, but just wondering if it's usual.