Your top 10 most-read IPM articles for 2025

This article is intended for financial services professionals only. None of the information contained in this article should be received as advice. Pensions are a complicated area of financial planning and IPM suggests that financial advice from a suitably regulated financial adviser is sought before an individual takes any action in respect of their pension savings.

It always feels almost beyond belief that another year is over when we reach December. But whether you’re ready or not, the festive period is upon us, and a new year is just around the corner.

At this time of year, you’ll no doubt be taking a moment to reflect on the previous 12 months, something that we like to do at IPM, too.

2025 has been another year of celebrating our successes, as well as learning from the things that didn’t go quite so well.

Regular readers of our content will know that we also take this chance to look back at our most popular articles of the year.

Our newsletters cover a range of subjects. From specific technical information about the IPM SIPP and how it could be an effective choice for your clients, to explanations of significant changes in the pensions market as a whole, you’ll find plenty of insights that could help you find the right pension scheme for your clients.

We hope you find the information in our articles useful. As ever, please do let us know if there’s anything you’d like to read about in 2026.

Otherwise, take a look back at the 10 articles our adviser community found most useful this year.

1. The different types of properties we can hold within the IPM SIPP – including some you might not expect

As many of you will know, commercial property purchase within SIPPs is a big part of what we do at IPM.

However, what you might not expect is the range of properties you can hold within our Scheme.

From offices and shops to a polo club and an airfield, read about some of the different types of commercial property you can hold within the IPM SIPP.

2. Meet the IPM team: Who you’ll speak to when you work with us

With 35 members of staff at our Stevenage office, there’s now a whole team working hard behind the scenes to deliver our service.

So, in this article, get to know a little more about IPM, including our different teams, who does what, and how we can help you and your clients when using the IPM SIPP.

3. Case study: How commercial property purchase in a SIPP can benefit business owners and their companies

No statistic demonstrates how much of our work revolves around commercial property purchase better than the fact that we owned more than 1,200 properties in our Scheme, as of August 2025.

Using a real example of a case we worked on at IPM, this article explains why owning a commercial property in a SIPP can be beneficial for business owners and their companies.

4. What the next Budget might mean for pensions, and why they’re still a tax-efficient option

With Rachel Reeves reportedly needing to fill a £51 billion “black hole” before the 2025 Autumn Budget, pensions naturally came up in the conversation as one potential source of revenue.

In the end, the chancellor left pensions alone, aside from the new cap on contributions that are free from National Insurance when made under salary sacrifice.

Still, this article is an interesting look back at the rumours and why pensions would still have been tax-efficient regardless. It also serves as a reminder for your clients why it’s important to only act once they know exactly how the changes might affect them.

5. Reminder: Why the pension recycling rules are important to keep in mind ahead of the 2025 Autumn Budget

Speaking of reminders, our other pre-Budget article reminded advisers and their clients about the pension recycling rules and how the cooling-off period works for any pension commencement lump sum (PCLS) clients might have drawn in the lead-up to the announcement.

These were especially relevant rules to be aware of ahead of the Budget, but they remain important at all times, regardless of any upcoming (or rumoured) changes.

6. SIPP v SSAS: Which pension is most appropriate for your client?

Choosing between a SIPP and a SSAS for your client is a key decision. And, although we exclusively offer a SIPP, we know the relative benefits of the two types of pension and will always discuss with advisers which one would be most appropriate in a specific client’s circumstances.

This article outlines the key differences between SIPPs and SSASs, and what these variables mean when finding the most appropriate pension for your client.

7. Why we prefer to use one of our panel solicitors for commercial property purchase, and how it helps you

As we own so many properties on behalf of our clients, we naturally need to work closely with solicitors when completing the purchase.

To facilitate this, we maintain a panel of solicitors who we prefer to use for the process.

We explain why in this article, and demonstrate the benefits of operating in this way.

8. The government’s changes to pensions and Inheritance Tax treatment: What we know so far

When we produced this article in April, the government had only recently completed its consultation on the new rules that will see pensions brought into the scope of Inheritance Tax (IHT).

With no further clarification at the 2025 Autumn Budget, this article continues to reflect as much as we currently know about how this change will function in practice.

9. Welcome Chris, the latest IPM recruit

Alongside giving you an insight into the wider business this year, we also used our newsletters as an opportunity to introduce new members of the team who you might interact with at IPM.

In August, this was Chris Bottoms, the newest recruit in our General Administration team. This article gives you a bit more information about Chris’s background and what he does in his spare time when he’s not working hard on helping your clients manage their pensions.

10. 5 top tips for avoiding unnecessary delays on your client’s SIPP property purchase

While being able to hold commercial property is one of the key benefits of a SIPP, it can also be one of the biggest frustrations. That’s because property purchases can be long and drawn out.

Fortunately, you and your client might have more control in this respect than you think, as there’s plenty you can do to speed up a purchase.

In this article, we outline our five top tips for avoiding delays on a property purchase in a SIPP.

Get in touch

We hope you find these 10 articles useful in supporting your clients, and also in seeing how we can work together with you to ensure the best outcomes for them.

If you have any SIPP-related queries, or if you have any clients for whom SIPP advice would be beneficial, please get in touch.

Email info@ipm-pensions.co.uk or call 01438 747151.