The Thinc Group, a financial services group and independent subsidiary of AXA insurance, has added MetLife’s retirement portfolio to its IFA network, Working in Partnership. The portfolio brings unit-linked guarantees into the mainstream of retirement planning.

“MetLife is providing UK consumers with a real alternative to the traditional annuity and drawdown options offering greater flexibility whilst at the same time limiting exposure to risk by guaranteeing either capital or income,” said Richard Stokes, training and development director at Thinc.

The retirement portfolio provides guarantees which protect clients against markets falling, but has the potential to lock-in gains when markets rise and guarantees income for life.

A flexible personal pension drawdown plan, which allows investors to future proof their savings by opting into guarantees when required, builds on MetLife’s existing product range.

The product is available from age 23 and offers guarantees with charges starting from just 0.5 per cent a year demonstrating the value of being able to protect both income and capital.

The minimum investment is £50,000 and clients have access to a range of MetLife best index funds, managed and index portfolios chosen with the assistance of leading independent investment research company Morningstar Associates Europe limited.

Index portfolios have annual management charges starting from 0.2 per cent. It is factory-gate priced and adapted for customer agreed remuneration. There is no establishment charge unless initial commission is funded that way.

MetLife is a global insurance and financial services organisation. MetLife Europe is an Irish company authorised by the Irish Financial Services Regulatory Authority and regulated by the Financial Services Authority for the conduct of its UK insurance business.

MetLife Europe operates under the MetLife brand name, and has the ability to do business in any of the EU member states. In the UK, MetLife Europe Limited works with financial advisers to help deliver retirement and long-term savings solutions.

Services are delivered from MetLife Europe Limited’s head office in Ireland, and from UK offices in London and Salisbury. 

MetLife serves approximately 70 million customers in the Americas, Asia Pacific and Europe.