A Low-Cost Alternative for HSE PRSA AVCs

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HSE PRSA AVC
HSE PRSA AVC
For health service employees looking to top up their main scheme, over the long-term ongoing annual management charges (AMCs) can have a meaningful impact on retirement outcomes. Securing a minimal annual percentage charge leaves a larger portion of your money invested in your PRSA AVC to compound over time.

One Quote Financial Brokers uses an upfront, flat-fee structure rather than taking ongoing commissions from your policy. Because our fees sit entirely outside your retirement plan, we can unlock premium provider terms:

  • 100% Fund Allocation: Every euro you save goes directly into your chosen PRSA funds to grow tax-free.
  • Minimum AMC: Secure the lowest Active and Passive AMCs made available by Royal London Ireland.
  • Simple Setup: A simple digital process facilitating regular, lump sum and existing plan transfers.
  • Digital Platform: Once your PRSA AVC is up and running you obtain 24/7 online access.

Low-Cost AMC (Royal London Ireland)

By completely removing hidden intermediary commissions, your policy operates on a clean, low-charge framework:

Fund Management Charge (AMC)

Fund Type AMC
All Active Funds 0.40%
All Passive Funds 0.35%

Important Charging Terms

Individual Fund Pricing: Your exact AMC scales based on your precise portfolio split. If you invest solely in passive fund options, your AMC remains at 0.35%.

AMC Transparency: The annual charge is explicitly shown on both your initial policy schedule and your ongoing annual benefit statements.


Total PRSA Cost Transparency

Additional Investment Expenses (AIE) are operational fund management expenses that apply to all fund-based investments, including PRSAs.

These should be considered alongside the AMC when assessing the total cost of a PRSA. In other words, simply add the AMC on your selected fund to the AIE charge displayed on its fund factsheet.

You can view each fund’s specific AIE by clicking on the relevant fund name or Factsheet (PDF) within the Royal London Fund Centre.

Additional investment expenses currently range from approximately 0.01% to 0.18%, depending on the funds selected.

Examples include:

RL BlackRock Developed World Equity Index Fund at 0.01% and the RL Multi-Asset Balanced Fund at 0.18%.

Important Information

Additional Investment Expenses (AIE) may vary over the lifetime of this PRSA, just the same as with any PRSA contract.

The figures referenced above reflect the maximum range of charges applicable as of March 2026.


Regulatory & Compliance Notice

This facility operates strictly on an Execution-Only basis.

In accordance with Central Bank of Ireland regulations, we do not provide financial advice, personalized recommendations, or pension reviews.

You must be completely comfortable managing your own investment strategy and confirming that a Royal London Ireland Non-Standard PRSA matches your needs.

  • Tax Relief Management: You must claim your own pension tax reliefs manually through Revenue each year.
  • Due Diligence: Comprehensive product literature, fund guides, and mandatory disclosure forms are provided your your application pack.

Investment Allocations

The following structural allocation terms apply to all execution-only Royal London contracts arranged through our office:
  • 100% Allocation on all ongoing monthly or annual contributions.
  • 100% Allocation on all incoming external pension transfers.
  • 100% Allocation on individual lump sums of €10,000 or more.

Contract Details

  • Pre-Contract Pack: Your paperwork includes a standard Preliminary Disclosure Certificate.
  • Customised Projections: A Personal Illustration mapping the exact lifetime impact of these charges will be generated upon receipt of your application forms.
  • Plan Rights: Enjoy full contract flexibility post-setup alongside a regulatory 30-day cooling-off period.

Available Fund Options

The Royal London Non-Standard PRSA provides a comprehensive fund suite to match your risk profile:
  • Multi-Asset Portfolios: Ranging from cautious defensive options to high-growth adventurous mixes.
  • Passive Tracking Portfolios: Region-specific index trackers and asset-focused funds.
  • Cash Funds: Actively managed liquidity vehicles.
Note: You can diversify across multiple funds and switch your balances at any time without provider fees. Track the live asset menu via the online Royal London Fund Centre.

⚠️Warning: Minimizing your contract charges improves net investment returns, but does not alter underlying market behavior. Final fund values always depend on market performance, asset selection, and time horizons.


Clean Product Framework

This commission-free execution-only model is designed to maximize capital preservation:
  • No Policy Fees
  • No Fund Switching Costs
  • No Early Termination or Exit Charges
  • No Built-in Trailing Commission

Transparent Flat Broker Fee

Unlike commission-based arrangements, our remuneration is not deducted from your PRSA and is instead charged separately as a transparent fixed fee. Our fees are invoiced only after your PRSA AVC is successfully established and funded, with No VAT applying.

1. Setup Pricing 

A fixed fee of 2,000 covers the professional setup of your contract, whether built as a personal direct debit.
  • Minimum Threshold: Regular savings plans require a minimum payment of €500 per month (or annual equivalent).
  • Lump Sum Add-ons: Single premiums can be processed at setup. Each simultaneous lump sum adds €100 to the baseline setup fee.

2. PRSA AVC Consolidation Fees

Moving existing PRSA AVCs into this new PRSA triggers a one-off transfer fee alongside the base plan setup cost.
  • Standard Rate: 1% of the total aggregate transfer value.
  • Minimum Floor: A baseline charge of €500 applies.
  • Maximum Cap: Total transfer fees are strictly capped at €3,000.
  • Multi-Provider Rules: Combined values are used for the 1% calculation. Fees are billed progressively as assets clear. A supplemental administrative fee of €150 applies per extra provider when consolidating from multiple sources.

Special Protocols for HSE AVCs

HSE staff members can access this execution-only option provided they share detailed information regarding any retained Irish pension benefits from past private employment, alongside current Defined Benefit main-scheme membership details. The information required forms part of the PRSA AVC application form supplied in the Application Pack on request.

Review our comprehensive General Guide to Public Sector AVCs.


The Compounding Value of Lower AMCs

Even small reductions in ongoing management charges can significantly improve long-term wealth accumulation, as a larger fund benefits from the effects of compound growth over time.

Annual management charges are deducted every year from the value of a pension fund. As a fund grows over time, the monetary impact of these charges also grows.

For this reason, long-term pension investors often pay close attention to ongoing percentage charges, as even relatively small differences can accumulate significantly over multi-decade investment horizons.

The actual impact of charges will vary depending on contribution levels, investment performance, time horizon and fund selection.


Upfront Outlays vs. Ongoing Percentage Charges

A common pitfall when assessing pension costs is focusing solely on how many years it takes to recoup a broker fee.

An upfront fee is a fixed, one-off cost. In contrast, an AMC (Annual Management Charge) is a recurring fee deducted from your entire, growing pension fund every year.

Over a 15–30 year horizon, even a slightly higher AMC effectively acts as an escalating drag on wealth accumulation, absorbing a substantial portion of the eventual retirement pot.

When modelling long-term outcomes, it is sensible to assume realistic career progression, including 5% annual inflation indexation on regular contributions alongside periodic lump-sum injections.


When Financial Advice is Recommended

This structure may not be suitable for individuals who require personalised financial advice, are unfamiliar with investment risk, or prefer ongoing advisory support.

You should consider seeking regulated financial advice if you are unsure about any aspect of this product.

Learn more about our advisory PRSA options.

You should ensure you fully understand the risks associated with investing in financial markets before proceeding.


⚠️ Investment Risk Warning

The value of investments may go down as well as up and you may get back less than you invest. Tax treatment depends on individual circumstances and may change. Currency movements may affect returns where funds have non-euro exposure.


Requesting Your Application Pack

If you wish to receive an Application Pack, it will include a step-by-step outline of the process and the actions required from you.

When requesting the pack, please confirm if a plan transfer is intended, so we can confirm our fee when forwarding your application pack.


Request PRSA Application Pack


Blog Author

Ken O’Gorman – Director, CB, QFA, RPA, SIA – Retirement & Investment Specialist

One Quote Financial Brokers is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland. Our execution-only PRSAs operate in line with applicable regulatory requirements.

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