Pense

Pense: independent pension advice and retirement planning in the UK

Pense is an independent financial advice firm authorised and regulated by the UK's Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). Its work focuses on helping UK clients understand and manage their pension options, with particular attention to scheme consolidation, annuities, drawdown and pension taxation. The company combines regulated advice with its own technology tools so that users can explore scenarios and make informed decisions about their retirement savings.

Advice services and planning tools

The firm offers an independent, personalised financial advice service tailored to each client's circumstances and goals. Featured services include pension consolidation, the purchase of annuities and flexi-access drawdown. The process begins with retirement tools that allow the user to explore their options with clear guidance: an annuity quote tool that obtains prices from every major UK provider, a flexi-access drawdown modeller to simulate scenarios and estimate how long the fund might last, and a free pension review to identify hidden charges or costs.

After that initial stage, clients receive personalised, independent advice. Pense presents itself as an FCA-regulated firm, which means its recommendations must be suitable for the client's circumstances. The company also handles the entire administrative process: it takes care of complex forms and documentation, contacts existing providers directly to speed up the release of funds, keeps the client informed with regular updates and facilitates the secure transfer of money into the new retirement account. The application is tracked through a secure online retirement portal.

Fee structure

Pense states that it only charges when it makes a recommendation and the client agrees to proceed. The typical initial advice fee is 3.5% of the pension fund amount, capped at £3,495, whichever is lower. This cost is taken into account when assessing whether the recommendation is financially beneficial for the client and is normally deducted from the pension fund itself rather than paid by bank transfer.

Protection and recognition

The firm is authorised and regulated by the FCA, and its Financial Services Register number is 231629. Eligible advice claims and products may be protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS). On leading review platforms, Pense has a rating of 4.9 out of 5 based on more than 250 reviews, and is presented as "Rated Excellent" on Trustpilot.

Informational content and collaborations

Pense maintains a news and analysis section with practical guides for retirement decisions. Its content includes articles on whether a pension decision is final, guides on retirement options, enhanced annuities and drawdown. The firm collaborates with Robin Powell, an independent journalist, author and financial consumer advocate, editor of The Evidence-Based Investor, who recommends Pense. A featured guide, published by the Daily Mail, explains how drawdown works, its key risks and how to judge whether flexible retirement income is right for you.

Corporate details and customer service

Pense Limited is a company registered in England and Wales with number 04229313. Its registered office is at Unit 1 Derwent House, Richmond Business Park, Sidings Court, Lakeside, Doncaster DN4 5NL. Telephone and email support is available Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 5:00pm. The company advises that calls may be recorded for training and compliance purposes.

Location and contact

Unit 1 Derwent House, Richmond Business Park, Sidings Court, Lakeside, Doncaster DN4 5NL