Eagle Star is predicting huge demand for self-employed pensions when consumers recognise the improved tax advantages available through the 1999 Finance Act.

"We have estimated that an investment in a pension plan may yield over 70 per cent more than a conventional savings product over a five-year period," says Eagle Star's pension director Mr Brendan Johnston. These figures relate to the tax savings made by an individual who moves from top rate tax to standard rate tax at retirement.