Pension Review Ireland | Are You Being Overcharged? | Ferris
A pension review in Ireland could be the most valuable financial conversation you have this year — and it costs you nothing to find out.
You saved for it. You planned for it. You’ve been paying into it for years. But what if your pension has been quietly working against you — charging fees that are years out of date, while your broker hasn’t been in touch since the day you signed up?
According to the Pensions Authority, Irish consumers have the right to clear information about the charges applied to their pension — and to seek advice on whether those charges represent value for money. You can find out more on the Pensions Authority website.
The Pension Fee Problem Nobody Talks About
Here’s something that might surprise you.
Richard Ferris recently reviewed a client’s pension plan and found they were being charged a fee of 1.75%. That might sound like a small number — but on a €100,000 pension fund, that’s €1,750 every single year, quietly deducted before you ever see a return.
Worse still? The client hadn’t heard from their broker in years.
PRSA and pension pricing in Ireland has improved significantly over the last decade. There is simply no justification for fees like this in today’s market. But thousands of Irish workers are still sitting in old plans with outdated charges — paying far more than they should, year after year, often without realising it.
The money isn’t disappearing overnight. It’s draining slowly. And by the time most people notice, it has already cost them tens of thousands of euros in lost retirement savings.
This Is Not Your Fault — But It Is Your Problem
Nobody sits down to sign a pension and thinks: I wonder if I’ll still be on this plan in twenty years, paying fees that haven’t been reviewed once.
But that’s exactly what happens to most people.
You took out a pension when you started a job, or because someone recommended it, or because you knew you should. That was the right thing to do. The problem isn’t that you have a pension — it’s that the Irish pension market has changed dramatically, and your plan may not have kept up.
If you haven’t had a pension review in Ireland in the last two or three years, the chances are your charges haven’t been reviewed either.
What a Pension Review Actually Involves
A pension review with Richard Ferris is straightforward and pressure-free. Here’s what it covers:
Step 1 — Examine your current charges Richard looks at exactly what you’re paying in annual management fees, allocation rates, and any other charges applied to your plan. Most people are genuinely surprised by what they find.
Step 2 — Benchmark against the current market Pension and PRSA charges in Ireland have come down considerably. Richard compares your current plan against what’s available today so you have a clear picture of whether you’re getting value.
Step 3 — Review your fund performance Charges are only part of the picture. Richard also looks at how your fund has been performing relative to your risk profile and retirement timeline.
Step 4 — Recommend the right action Sometimes a simple switch to a lower-cost plan makes a significant difference. Sometimes your existing plan is fine and just needs rebalancing. Either way, you leave the conversation knowing exactly where you stand.
What the Difference in Fees Actually Means for You
Numbers tell the story better than anything else.
Imagine two people. Both have a pension fund of €100,000. Both contribute the same amount every month for the next 20 years. The only difference is their annual fee.
Person A is on a modern PRSA with a 1.25% annual management charge.
Person B is still on an old plan charging 1.75%.
That .50% difference compounds every year. Over 20 years, Person B could end up with tens of thousands of euros less in retirement — simply because nobody reviewed their pension.
That’s not a small difference.
Who Should Get a Pension Review in Ireland?
A pension review is worth having if any of the following apply to you:
You took out your pension more than three years ago and haven’t reviewed it since
You’ve changed jobs but left a pension behind with a previous employer
You’re self-employed and unsure whether your PRSA or personal pension is competitively priced
You’ve never been clearly told what percentage fee you’re paying
Your broker hasn’t been in touch in the last year or two
You’re within 10–15 years of retirement and want to make sure your fund is on track
If you’re nodding at any of these, a pension review in Ireland with Richard Ferris is a straightforward next step.
Common Questions About Pension Reviews in Ireland
Is a pension review free? Yes. Richard offers a no-obligation pension review with no upfront cost. If there’s nothing to change, he’ll tell you that too.
Can I switch pension providers without losing my fund? In most cases, yes. Transferring a pension or PRSA to a lower-cost provider is a standard process and your accumulated fund transfers with you.
What is a reasonable annual management charge in Ireland? In today’s market, a competitive annual management charge on a PRSA or personal pension typically ranges from 1.00% to 1.50%. Anything significantly above that warrants a review. It also depends on service 1.50% with a great service while 1.00% with no service could be costing you in lost performance.
I have a pension through my employer — does this apply to me? It depends on the scheme. Some employer schemes have excellent terms. Others don’t. It’s worth understanding what you’re paying, even if you can’t switch the employer contribution element.
What about pension advice Ireland — is it regulated? Yes. Pension advice in Ireland is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland. Richard Ferris is a qualified financial advisor authorised to provide pension advice across Ireland.
Don’t Let an Old Plan Cost You Your Retirement
The pension you set up years ago may have been the right choice at the time. But the market has moved, charges have come down, and if nobody has reviewed your plan in the meantime, you could be paying far more than you need to.
A pension review in Ireland with Richard Ferris takes the guesswork out of it. No jargon. No pressure. Just a clear, honest assessment of where your pension stands — and what, if anything, you should do about it.
Whether you’re in Mullingar, Westmeath, or anywhere across Ireland, Richard can help.
[Book your free pension review today →]
There’s no obligation. Just clarity.
Your retirement is too important to leave to chance. Find out what you’re really paying.
A pension review in Ireland could be the most valuable financial conversation you have this year — and it costs you nothing to find out.
You saved for it. You planned for it. You’ve been paying into it for years. But what if your pension has been quietly working against you — charging fees that are years out of date, while your broker hasn’t been in touch since the day you signed up?
According to the Pensions Authority, Irish consumers have the right to clear information about the charges applied to their pension — and to seek advice on whether those charges represent value for money. You can find out more on the Pensions Authority website.
The Pension Fee Problem Nobody Talks About
Here’s something that might surprise you.
Richard Ferris recently reviewed a client’s pension plan and found they were being charged a fee of 1.75%. That might sound like a small number — but on a €100,000 pension fund, that’s €1,750 every single year, quietly deducted before you ever see a return.
Worse still? The client hadn’t heard from their broker in years.
PRSA and pension pricing in Ireland has improved significantly over the last decade. There is simply no justification for fees like this in today’s market. But thousands of Irish workers are still sitting in old plans with outdated charges — paying far more than they should, year after year, often without realising it.
The money isn’t disappearing overnight. It’s draining slowly. And by the time most people notice, it has already cost them tens of thousands of euros in lost retirement savings.
This Is Not Your Fault — But It Is Your Problem
Nobody sits down to sign a pension and thinks: I wonder if I’ll still be on this plan in twenty years, paying fees that haven’t been reviewed once.
But that’s exactly what happens to most people.
You took out a pension when you started a job, or because someone recommended it, or because you knew you should. That was the right thing to do. The problem isn’t that you have a pension — it’s that the Irish pension market has changed dramatically, and your plan may not have kept up.
If you haven’t had a pension review in Ireland in the last two or three years, the chances are your charges haven’t been reviewed either.
What a Pension Review Actually Involves
A pension review with Richard Ferris is straightforward and pressure-free. Here’s what it covers:
Step 1 — Examine your current charges Richard looks at exactly what you’re paying in annual management fees, allocation rates, and any other charges applied to your plan. Most people are genuinely surprised by what they find.
Step 2 — Benchmark against the current market Pension and PRSA charges in Ireland have come down considerably. Richard compares your current plan against what’s available today so you have a clear picture of whether you’re getting value.
Step 3 — Review your fund performance Charges are only part of the picture. Richard also looks at how your fund has been performing relative to your risk profile and retirement timeline.
Step 4 — Recommend the right action Sometimes a simple switch to a lower-cost plan makes a significant difference. Sometimes your existing plan is fine and just needs rebalancing. Either way, you leave the conversation knowing exactly where you stand.
What the Difference in Fees Actually Means for You
Numbers tell the story better than anything else.
Imagine two people. Both have a pension fund of €100,000. Both contribute the same amount every month for the next 20 years. The only difference is their annual fee.
Person A is on a modern PRSA with a 1.25% annual management charge.
Person B is still on an old plan charging 1.75%.
That .50% difference compounds every year. Over 20 years, Person B could end up with tens of thousands of euros less in retirement — simply because nobody reviewed their pension.
That’s not a small difference.
Who Should Get a Pension Review in Ireland?
A pension review is worth having if any of the following apply to you:
If you’re nodding at any of these, a pension review in Ireland with Richard Ferris is a straightforward next step.
Common Questions About Pension Reviews in Ireland
Is a pension review free? Yes. Richard offers a no-obligation pension review with no upfront cost. If there’s nothing to change, he’ll tell you that too.
Can I switch pension providers without losing my fund? In most cases, yes. Transferring a pension or PRSA to a lower-cost provider is a standard process and your accumulated fund transfers with you.
What is a reasonable annual management charge in Ireland? In today’s market, a competitive annual management charge on a PRSA or personal pension typically ranges from 1.00% to 1.50%. Anything significantly above that warrants a review. It also depends on service 1.50% with a great service while 1.00% with no service could be costing you in lost performance.
I have a pension through my employer — does this apply to me? It depends on the scheme. Some employer schemes have excellent terms. Others don’t. It’s worth understanding what you’re paying, even if you can’t switch the employer contribution element.
What about pension advice Ireland — is it regulated? Yes. Pension advice in Ireland is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland. Richard Ferris is a qualified financial advisor authorised to provide pension advice across Ireland.
Don’t Let an Old Plan Cost You Your Retirement
The pension you set up years ago may have been the right choice at the time. But the market has moved, charges have come down, and if nobody has reviewed your plan in the meantime, you could be paying far more than you need to.
A pension review in Ireland with Richard Ferris takes the guesswork out of it. No jargon. No pressure. Just a clear, honest assessment of where your pension stands — and what, if anything, you should do about it.
Whether you’re in Mullingar, Westmeath, or anywhere across Ireland, Richard can help.
[Book your free pension review today →]
There’s no obligation. Just clarity.
Your retirement is too important to leave to chance. Find out what you’re really paying.
[Get in touch with Ferris Financial →]
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