# Best Pension Funds for Self-employed



## esperanza2 (5 Sep 2007)

I am self employed (sole trader) and want to choose a private pension, just to be on the safe side for later in life. ((I'll most likely have funds from other sources, but...)

Could someone please point me in the direction of a good guide or book that would provide me with information about pensions. I don't have a clue what means what. Ta.


----------



## LDFerguson (5 Sep 2007)

Some of the Links and Key Posts, perhaps?


----------



## Homer (6 Sep 2007)

This gude might also be a good starting point. I don't know if there's a link to it elsewhere in AAM, but I came across it by accident a short time ago.

Regards
Homer


[broken link removed]


----------



## esperanza2 (14 Sep 2007)

Thanks for that info. I've read somewhere that mortgage should take priority over pension. However, i have no interest in ever buying a property, not yet anyhow, perhaps when i'm 50 or something. Basically because I can deduct rent for tax purposes, but not a mortgage. Is it really momre important to buy a property than have a pension?

Does anyone know of a site that compares PPPs at different pension providers. 

Has anyone had experience of Friends First?


----------



## ClubMan (14 Sep 2007)

esperanza2 said:


> Basically because I can deduct rent for tax purposes, but not a mortgage.


Can you explain this in more detail? If you mean the [broken link removed] then this is worth (for a single person under 55) a maximum of €1,800 @ 20% = €360 p.a. into your hand while [broken link removed] (for a single _FTB _in the first 7 years of mortgage) is worth a maximum of €8K @ 20% = €1,600 p.a. into your hand.


> Is it really momre important to buy a property than have a pension?


Not necessarily - it depends on the individual.


----------



## esperanza2 (14 Sep 2007)

ClubMan said:


> Can you explain this in more detail? If you mean the [broken link removed] then this is worth (for a single person under 55) a maximum of €1,800 @ 20% = €360 p.a. into your hand while [broken link removed] (for a single _FTB _in the first 7 years of mortgage) is worth a maximum of €8K @ 20% = €1,600 p.a. into your hand.
> 
> Not necessarily - it depends on the individual.



No, I actually meant I deduct half of my rent as half of my home is my workplace. So if I pay 600 a month, 300 is deducted as a business expense, thereby reducing my profit and consequently my income tax burden.


----------



## ClubMan (14 Sep 2007)

Is that legit?


----------



## esperanza2 (14 Sep 2007)

ClubMan said:


> Is that legit?



Yes, it is, if you can prove that 50% of the metres squared in your home is office space. It is a necessary business expense.


----------



## IHateTolkien (14 Sep 2007)

Many moons ago, I used to claim 25% of the cost of my rented accomodation cost as a business expense for similar reasons.  Eventually, however, the desire to own my own home got the better of me.  

This thread is making me consider that there's an argument in favour of home-workers to rent indefinitely, especially with rental yields quite low at present.  But the Irish love of property ownership will probably always prevail.


----------

