Coronavirus market and your pension

 

Virtual Member Engagement

Our team of experienced pension experts are committed to helping you access the information you need when you need it to make informed decisions about your future. The member engagement team is best known for in person, onsite engagement delivering group presentations, answering frequently asked questions and providing access to information when you need it.

Naturally, we’ve had to change our approach recently and focus our efforts digitally to continue to provide you with access to this information online.

We have also created a new resource centre so you can access the information you need when you need it, including - How to videos, How to access our Member Portal, FAQs, Retirement planning tools and much more.

Click here to visit our employee resource centre now.

Market update

We know that when it comes to investing, uncertainty is uncomfortable for most people. The spread of the coronavirus has created sudden and significant uncertainty, not to mention a lot of emotion.

It can be tempting to switch some or all of your retirement savings to lower risk funds or even cash. This tends to erode the value of your savings over time. Getting invested and staying invested has been shown to be the most effective strategy. Irish Life Investment Managers have both the experience and expertise to manage the impact of Coronavirus. It is crucial to stay invested to get the benefit of the recovery which is closer now than before.

  • Read our monthly market update to find out more about the long-term investing.
  • Get the latest fund price and performance information here.

 

Frequently asked questions from our customers

The recent change in markets has created a lot of uncertainty and nervousness around investments, and for most people their pension is one of the largest investments they own. The challenging environment has prompted our customers to get in touch with their questions and concerns.

To help you get the information you need, we’ve answered some of the most frequently asked questions below:

How can I see my fund value?

 If you are wondering about your pension, log on to our online portal. To get the latest fund price and performance information click here.

How can I get access to my pension online?

 Log on to our online portal where you can access all of your plan information, view transactions, update contact details and download documents. If you haven’t signed up already, you can sign up here.  We have also created a short 30 sec video to help you get set up.

How can I make a fund switch?

 You can switch funds two ways – online or by post. The below steps are for members of Defined Contribution schemes, Additional Voluntary Contribution (AVC) schemes and PRSA policies.  

          

Online:

If you are going online, you’ll need to be at your PC or laptop, not from your mobile phone.

1. Log onto your pension online

2. Visit the Investment Section. You will see a switch funds button, click this.

3. Follow the simple steps from there.

 

 

 

 

By post:

1. Simply download and complete the form here

2. Post the completed form to

Irish Life Assurance plc

CODE

Corporate Business

Lower Abbey Street

Dublin 1

3. Alternatively, email the completed form to - Happytohelp@irishlife.ie

If you would like to contact us directly you can email code@irishlife.ie.

If you have a Personal Retirement Bond (PRB) policy you can download and complete the form here, please remember to include the name of the fund you wish to switch to and email code@irishlife.ie, alternatively you can post this to:

Irish Life Assurance plc

CODE

Corporate Business

Lower Abbey Street

Dublin 1

How long does it take to make a fund switch and when will I see the change in my investments?

 It can take up to 4 working days to show the updated investment information online. Rest assured your switch request applies from the date we receive it. Please note, the date we receive your request is defined as before 5pm, Monday - Friday.

How can I transfer my previous pension benefits into my Irish Life plan?

If you're wondering how you can transfer your previous pension benefits into an Irish Life plan, click here.

The rules around transferring benefits from a previous pension plan into your Irish Life plan will depend on a number of factors.

I'm invested in a Personal Lifestyle Strategy fund - how can I learn more?

 Saving into a Personal Lifestyle Strategy (PLS) has two main benefits over the years of saving for retirement: Managing investment risk and Personalised fund switches. PLS includes a whole range of options to manage market volatility.

We’ve created this short video which outlines the fund options and characteristics within a Personal Lifestyle Strategy to help you better understand your long-term investment.

I'm invested in a PRSA fund - how can I learn more?

 Saving into a PRSA allows you to choose whether you want to be guided throughout your retirement journey with the Personal Lifestyle Strategy (PLS) or choose your own mix of investment funds through our ‘I’ll decide’ strategy.

We’ve created this short video which outlines the investment choices within a PRSA and the options and characteristics within the Personal Lifestyle Strategy (PLS) to help you better understand your long-term investment.

 

Online access

Log on to our online portal for 24/7 access to your plan information. Here you can access all of your plan information, view transactions, update contact details and download documents. If you haven’t signed up already, you can sign up here. We have also created a short 30 sec video to help you get set up.

Current Market Value Adjustments (MVA) on Capital Protected Fund & Secured Performance Fund

A Market Value Adjustment (MVA) is a negative adjustment that life companies reserve the right to apply to certain withdrawals or switches from certain funds, and it is normally applied when extreme investment conditions have adversely affected investment performance.

This adjustment is necessary in order to protect the interests of those long-term investors who remain in the fund.

To find out more about current MVAs – click here.

Property Funds

With effect from 19 March 2020 Irish Life is introducing a six-month notice period for all switching and encashments from the Irish Property Fund.

This decision has been reached as these Funds continue to see more clients encash or switch money from the Funds than invest in the Funds. In recent weeks, economic uncertainty arising from the Covid-19 virus has increased the level of withdrawals from the fund and created some market uncertainty around property valuations. Find out more here.

Contact us

The safety and well-being of our customers, colleagues and our wider community is our priority at all times. Our business remains open with a focus on key customer services. We are continuing to manage all critical day-to-day services and the timely processing of financial transactions like paying claims and paying pensions.

We’re here to help in any way we can. 

 

You can contact us in the way that suits you best. Just a reminder, if you're going to call, we're sorry that you might not get to speak to us as quickly as usual.

If possible, you might want to use our online services for a quicker way to get information.