Experts expect record lump sum contributions to be invested in pensions this tax year as employers channel City bonuses into their employees' pensions and highly paid staff make use of the more generous A-day rules to increase sharply the amounts they set aside to fund their retirement.

Under the A-day regime, which comes into effect today, investors will be able to make lump sum investments into their pensions of up to £215,000. This is far higher than the old pension regulations, which restricted contributions to a small percentage of individuals' annual earnings.