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Aviva: Pension reviews

1.94
Based on 159 reviews, last reviewed 13th Jan 2025
50% decrease in 5 star reviews
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Latest highest rating:

5

Aviva provide a great SIPP. Aviva provide a great SIPP. Easy to access and use online with lots of information provided along with a safe place for all online correspondence. Reviewed on: 13th January 2025
Nick S's avatar
Nick S

Latest lowest rating:

1

Poorest investment pension returns Having invested for around 15 years and year on year investment loss. Nearly 40pc. And that on money put in. With no returns. Now fees are eating at w... Read more Reviewed on: 22nd December 2024
norman dodds's avatar
norman dodds

About this product

Aviva offer a self-invested personal pension (SIPP).

There are five ways to invest in the Aviva SIPP. You can decide between the Universal Retirement Fund, a ready-made fund or choose an option from a fund shortlist provided by experts. You can also build your own portfolio or buy and sell shares and investments.

Aviva pension reviews share what it's like to have this pension. If you've used Aviva before, you can also leave your own review.

Aviva Pension reviews (159)

Review of the Aviva, Pension:

Unsure as pensions are confusing!

4
I have a small pension here from a secondary job. Whilst I accept it isn't as good as my NHS pension, it perhaps doesn't seem like it will be as fruitful as my NHS one. The online service is good, with lots of information though. Easy to change beneficiaries, age to claim pension etc - much easier than NHS pensions! Lots of emails too, whereas nothing from NHS Pensions! Reviewed on: 13th March 2023

Huge Loss

1
My pension pot has lost over 30% in last twelve months. I have reached retirement age and wanted to use drawdown only to discover my pot is worth around £125k less than it was at end of last year. In the interim I have received no recent statements so was unaware of this until too late. I am devastated and terrified for my future. Reviewed on: 18th October 2022

Devastating loss

2
Transferred my defined contributions pension from Lloyd's in 2018 to a low risk Investment platform and initially it had been doing well. I use the online website to check my balance and since my initial investment of £112k approximately it has risen to just under £140k in December 2021 and since then I now find it has gone down almost £25000 in less than a year and has lost £5000 in a week I now have less.than I started out with! Worst decision I have ever.made moving to Aviva and have no idea what to do next. Their website does not allow you to manage your own Investment asks you to contact your financial advisor but when I transferred I chose not to have ongoing advice as so expensive. I expected more from Aviva. I know there has been a pandemic and now a war.in.Ukraine but as I am only 5 to 6 years away from retirement it looks like I will be lucky to get anything back. Its sole destroying and very frightening Anyone else in the same position with advice? Customer Services no.help. Reviewed on: 13th October 2022

Awful

1
Have just begun to try to take my pension pot. I have been cut off, left in cues and when I requested a call back none was forth coming. I had a similar experience with a solicitor and after reading reviews online saw that many people advised putting a complaint to the Legal Ombudsman. I did do this and as a result my claim was upheld and I received compensation. I have today advised Aviva that I am documenting their failings and will submit to the Financial Ombudsman. You have to provide evidence of their lack of customer service so I will be submitting daily complaints and monitoring their responses. I would suggest that anyone with similar issues does the same. You have to give the company 8 weeks to rectify your complaint before you can submit to the Ombudsmen. Reviewed on: 4th October 2022

appalling

1
it took the company 4 yrs to provide me with account statements, so that I could determine how well my investments are doing. As a result and having received now, 4 yrs later, my statements I seems to have lost over 6 k !! Reviewed on: 28th September 2022

CATASTROPHIC PENSION LOSSES IN 10 MONTHS

1
I want to publish an email I sent to Aviva today so that it might help warn other investors, and also so it is on record: RE PENSIONS FUNDS - TK10370929 and TK10329410 Further to my earlier email today (and 5 days ago) - since no one from Aviva is replying to my emails or calling me to advise about the CATASTROPHIC LOSSES in my pension funds, as before I have been trying to call Aviva to discuss this with someone.  However, I am not able to speak to anyone at Aviva because of this message "We are not able to talk to you because of an emergency. Try again later" So because I can't actually speak to someone at Aviva - I have attempted to take control of my Pension Funds myself. But, once again, Aviva is preventing me from doing this - see the following: In my Online Account, under the heading 'HOW YOUR PENSION IS INVESTED" - there is an option to "Choose Your Funds" However, although it states: "Press the button below to start the process of moving from your investment approach and telling us which individual funds you want to invest in." BUT....there is NO BUTTON TO PRESS!! - see the attachment Instead, there is a Call Us icon. But as I've explained above, when I call Aviva to speak about my Pension Fund, the reply is: "We are not able to talk to you because of an emergency. Try again later" So - at a time when my Aviva Pension policies - TK10370929 and TK10329410 - are incurring huge, seemingly uncontrollable losses - due probably to the high percentage of the policies being invested in High-Risk funds - I am being prevented from taking control of my own Pension Funds and moving them into Low-Risk funds. As I've explained in previous emails - the combined loss of my policies - TK10370929 and TK10329410 - since December 2021 is £38,273.54 + £9,653 = £47,926.54 in 10 months!!! The total funds left in my policies - TK10370929 and TK10329410 - today (28/09/2022) is - £77,469.46 + £19,377.20 = £96,846.66 My retirement date is September 2023 - less than a year away - but at the current rate of loss, there will be no money left in either policy. Therefore, because Aviva is not helping me - I want to take control myself - BUT I'M BEING PREVENTED FROM DOING SO BY AVIVA. I WANT SOMEONE TO CALL ME BACK PLEASE Reviewed on: 28th September 2022

Abysmal Service

1
Contacted Aviva on 18th July to request to take my pension pot. Today is 20th September and I have still not received the paperwork to complete. I have emailed them on 12 occasions and called them from abroad on 4 occasions. Each time with the exception of one I have been told that I must read my options first, despite my having advised them that I have read and understood all of the options available to me. On the one occasion that I was not asked to do this I was advised that forms would be emailed to me in 5 days, this was 19 days ago. I have since emailed twice with no response. I also called again this morning and after 12 minutes of holding (at my cost from abroad) I hung up and have emailed again requesting a call back. Truly unbelievable abysmal service Reviewed on: 20th September 2022

responsive helpful understanding

5
business was conducted without fuss,and had great one on one interaction Reviewed on: 18th September 2022

pension has lost 50k how can this happen and nobody is made accountable this is my pension. yet they still charge me admin cost to reduce my income

1
bad news think i will end up getting less out than i have paid in Reviewed on: 16th September 2022

Pension loos

1
If you want to loose £10 000 in three months this is the company for you.Daylight robbery At least Dick Turpin would have worn a mask CYFIAWNDER A DDAW GYDA AMSER JUSTICE WILL COME WITH TIME . Reviewed on: 11th September 2022

The company that does not listen or respond

1
My UK tax code was changed this year in my favour. I was also advised by HMRC that they had notified Aviva twice since May 2022 with the new code. After contacting Aviva several times over the past two months all they say is that they have not been notified by HMRC and that the original code still applies. Reviewed on: 6th September 2022

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