What is a pension’s cash equivalent transfer value (CETV)?

If you have a final salary pension scheme, you may have heard about the option to transfer it into a pension pot.

This process involves valuing your current pension to get something called a cash equivalent transfer value – or CETV.

This is the size of the pension pot you’d be given in exchange for giving up your defined benefit or final salary pension (note these terms are often used interchangeably).

Read on to learn more about CETVs and how yours might affect your decision to transfer your pension or keep it where it is.

What is a cash equivalent transfer value (CETV)?

The cash equivalent transfer value is the amount your current pension scheme will offer you if you want to transfer out of your defined benefit pension and into a defined contribution scheme.

It’s expressed as a lump sum, but you won’t receive it as a lump sum. Instead, this amount will be used to purchase a pension pot that could generate a similar retirement income to your current defined benefit pension.

However, this is not guaranteed, and the new pension might generate less income (or sometimes more).

How do CETVs work?

If you are considering transferring out of your final salary pension scheme (also known as defined benefit), you’ll be quoted a CETV figure.

This is used to purchase a pension pot, of the defined contribution type. Alternatively, if you are ready to start drawing your pension, you can use it to set up a drawdown scheme.

You can even use it to purchase an annuity – although there aren’t many reasons why you’d choose to do this, since your original final salary scheme works like an annuity, but is probably more generous.

What’s the difference between pension fund value and transfer value?

The pension fund value is the current value of a defined contribution pension pot. It includes all of the investments in a pension plan, including your savings.

The CETV is the amount your provider will offer you for transferring out of your defined benefit scheme. In other words, your CETV will become your pension fund value after transferring out.

What affects your CETV?

Working out your CETV is a complex process involving many factors. Factors that are considered include how much you and your employer contribute and how long you’ve contributed.

It’s also based on some personal and social factors, while other considerations include the following:

The cost of living: Because defined benefit pensions provide inflation protection, expected future inflation will impact the transfer value.

Your relationship status: This may affect the value indirectly as trustees will factor in the expected cost of paying an income to a surviving spouse.

Gilt yields: Gilt yields affect the cost of paying future pension income. Put simply, high yields mean it costs less to fund your future pension.

The pension transfer index: This tracks market trends in transfer values over time.

How much your pension provider wants you to transfer out: Scheme trustees occasionally offer enhanced transfer values to reduce their long term liabilities, however this is less common recently.

CETVs can rise or fall depending on all of these factors. It’s worth keeping an eye on the pension transfer value index, which tracks the current value of pension transfers.

Higher figures mean you’ll be offered a higher amount, so if the figure drops, so may your CETV.

In recent years, the value of CETVs has generally gone down compared with the very high offers people saw in the past. This is because gilt yields, used to generate pension incomes, have increased in recent years. 

While it seems counterintuitive, present higher gilt yields mean it costs less to generate the same pension income and this has caused reduced cash transfer values.  As a result, fewer people have been transferring out.

In addition, some schemes may temporarily limit or pause transfers during periods of market volatility or during scheme restructuring.

What is the CETV in divorce?

Pension pots are considered joint assets, so you may need to divide them if you separate from your spouse or civil partner.

So, even if you don’t choose to transfer out of a defined benefit pension, the CETV will be used to work out the value of your pension which forms part of the total marital assets.

In cases of divorce, how to treat pension assets is determined by the court. For example, a pension sharing order uses the CETV to transfer a specific percentage of the pension into a separate pension pot for the other spouse.

Find out more about pensions and divorce.

What are the rules surrounding CETVs?

You can request a CETV free of charge once every 12 months, and the figure you’re offered is guaranteed for three months.

Once you ask for your CETV, your provider must give you it within three months. 

You typically can’t transfer a pension once you’ve retired or within one year of your scheme’s retirement age (although the trustees may waive the rules at their discretion).

Once your transfer is complete, you have to be at least 55 (rising to 57 in April 2028) to begin to withdraw cash.

Any transfers are made into a defined contribution pension or personal pension plan from which you can usually withdraw up to 25% of its cash value tax-free.

If your CETV is over £30,000 and you are thinking of transferring your pension, it’s compulsory to take financial advice. Some schemes strongly recommend or even insist on financial advice for valuations below this threshold, too.

Should I transfer my final salary pension scheme?

Many employers are moving to defined contribution schemes as defined benefit schemes can be costly for employers to run.

You won’t be transferred out of a defined benefit pension without your consent, though an employer may close it to new contributions and move you onto a defined contribution scheme going forward (in which case you retain the benefits you’ve built up to date).

Here are some of the main pros and cons to transferring out of a final or average salary scheme:

This is why it's vital to seek expert independent pension advice first, as a pension transfer is final – you can't go back on your decision.

Therefore, any decision must be based on a careful, expert assessment of your circumstances.

Get expert financial advice

Understanding your CETV value is the key to making smart decisions about your retirement and financial planning.

Take into account factors such as interest rates, inflation, your personal health, and financial goals to determine which pension option is the best for you - and whether or not a pension transfer will suit your goals.

Let us connect you with an expert financial adviser who can assess your CETV, explain the financial and tax implications of your pension, and help you navigate risks to maximise your retirement income.

If you found this article helpful then you might also find our article on pension recycling informative, too.