Member Benefits
We aim to be a constant throughout our members’ working life, with our simple and high-quality plan that safeguards your retirement, whether you’re actively planning for it or if it’s still on a distant horizon. It’s never too early (or too late) to get your pension affairs in order, and we know maritime professionals value the pension schemes employers offer. In our recent survey, maritime employees described a decent pension as the most important benefit after salary and annual leave.
Despite their importance, too few of us really understand what makes our pensions work and whether we’ll have enough to retire comfortably. Often, life has a way of throwing up obstacles that have a more immediate and urgent financial outlay, whether it’s a big purchase or change in circumstances. We are here to provide clarity and help you make the most of your pension scheme, no matter what life throws at you in the meantime.
With our help you can steer yourself towards a secure retirement.
Frequently Asked Question
Yes. Ensign is a defined contribution scheme which means that you and your employer both contribute to your personal pension pot which you can then use to take retirement benefits from. The value of your retirement benefits depends on the contributions you and your employer have made, the investment returns achieved and how you chose to take your benefits. If you are not already enrolled you can speak to your employer and ask them to sign up to our scheme.
If your employer has signed up to Ensign and has invited you to join, then you are eligible, irrespective of where you live, your UK tax status, or the location of your employer.
Speak to your employer to see if they are participating in the Plan, or alternatively, please call our Executive Team on 01293 804580.
Ensign is governed by both pension specialists and maritime experts to provide a pension plan that works specifically for the maritime industry. Workers in the industry face unique challenges and we are committed to providing a product that fits in with their job. For example, we know that those working in the sector are often seasonal workers, so we have made it easy for you to keep your same pension pot in place for when you return to your employer.
We allow you to combine your Ensign plan with any other pension pots you have from other providers. We have a range of funds geared to your unique requirements, such as ‘target date’ funds, which enable you to set a ‘retirement window’, plus additional fund options you can choose to invest all or part of your retirement pot into. You also have control over how you take your benefits when you retire, whether you plan to take a 25 per cent tax-free cash lump sum, buy an annuity, decide to draw down your income over time, or a combination of all three.
We understand that not everyone who works in the maritime industry is a seafarer. Ensign is open to all employees associated with the UK maritime industry.
To access TargetPlan please follow this link and enter your log-in details.
If you are an actively contributing member of Ensign you will receive a statement each year. However, you can find out your current Plan value, and view your statement over the time period you choose, by logging in to TargetPlan.
It’s very easy to keep your personal details up to date online on TargetPlan. Visit the TargetPlan page and have your username and password to hand to log in, or if you are logging in for the first time, your account number and National Insurance number. You can amend your address and telephone number, email address, and work contacts, as well as your name, marital status and National Insurance number. You can also amend your password and security settings, change your target retirement age and alter your investment choices, if you wish to.
It happens to the best of us! Visit the TargetPlan page where you can find full contact details for our partner, Aegon, who will help you restore your account number.
We are sorry to hear this. It is important to report the death as soon as possible by calling or emailing Aegon. When you call, it would be helpful (but not essential) to have details of the member’s account number and National Insurance number to hand.
This is a higher rate than some other pension providers. This is because we take a realistic and practical approach to helping workers save for retirement. Contributing a minimum of 10 per cent of your earnings (split between you and your employer), over the course of your working life, increases your chances of having enough money on retirement.
You can increase the amount you pay into Ensign at any time – just speak to your employer about increasing your contributions. To find out how much you may need to put into your retirement pot to give you a good chance of retiring comfortably, log in to TargetPlan and use online tools to help you work out whether you are paying in enough.