Barclays Bank, Friends Provident and Legal & General are three providers that Barnado's is understood to be considering for its new stakeholder pension next year.

Barnado's, the UK-based childrens' charity, aims to have chosen a provider by the end of October this year, in a bid to have the scheme live by April 1, 2001, when the stakeholder legislation comes into play. The charity is currently waiting for providers to officially register their stakeholder products in October before making a final decision.