Guide: 7 useful questions if you plan to take a flexible income from your pension
When you start to access your pension, how will you take an income? One of your options may be to withdraw a flexible income that suits your needs through flexi-access drawdown. A flexible income puts you in control and means you can adjust how much you withdraw from your pension if you need to. However, […]
Pensions could be fuelling climate change with huge £88 billion investment
Climate change is a huge global issue. Yet, research indicates that pension funds are investing billions of pounds in businesses that are contributing to the challenge. Does your pension invest in fossil fuel companies? The Make My Money Matter campaign claims UK pension funds are investing £88 billion in fossil fuel companies. On average, this […]
2 excellent ways you could boost your State Pension
While the State Pension may not be your main source of income in retirement, it’s often an important one. If you’re not on track to receive the full amount, there might be things you could do to boost it. For 2023/24, the full new State Pension is £203.85 a week, adding up to around £10,600 […]
Should you take your pension tax-free lump sum to kickstart retirement?
When you access your pension, you can often take a tax-free lump sum. While this may seem an attractive way to fund your early retirement plans, there are some essential things you need to consider first. You can usually access your pension from the age of 55, rising to 57 in 2028. You can typically […]
Want to retire early? Financial planning could make it a reality
Retiring early is an aspiration for many workers looking forward to greater freedom. If early retirement is something you’re dreaming about, a survey suggests financial planning could help you turn it into a reality and enjoy the next chapter of your life more. A Standard Life study found, on average, people receiving financial advice plan […]
Why saving your pension could reduce a potential Inheritance Tax bill
When you start thinking about how you’ll create an income in retirement, it’s probably your pension that comes to mind. Yet, if your estate could be liable for Inheritance Tax (IHT), it could make sense to use other assets first. IHT is paid after you pass away if the value of all your assets exceeds […]
Two-thirds of retirees are planning a flexible retirement, but many don’t understand the potential tax implications
More retirees are planning to work in some way after they retire. While this flexibility can boost your income and help you strike a work-life balance that suits you, it can lead to some tax implications that you need to consider. According to a report from abrdn, just a third of people retiring in 2022 […]
More people than ever are saving into a pension, but 6 in 10 aren’t confident about their knowledge
The latest figures from the Pension Regulator prove that pension auto-enrolment has been a success – more people than ever are saving into a pension. Yet, research also shows that many people don’t think they know enough about saving for retirement. Before the government introduced auto-enrolment in 2012, just 4 in 10 private sector workers […]
Why retirees need to consider the effect of inflation on their long-term income
As you may know, inflation (or the “cost of living”) has been rising at a faster pace than usual. If you’re retired, the effect of inflation can be more pronounced and it’s important to understand how it could affect your lifestyle now and in the future. The Bank of England (BoE) aims to keep inflation […]
The pension Lifetime Allowance: Why you could be closer to exceeding it than you think
The pension Lifetime Allowance limits how much you can have in pension benefits tax-efficiently. While you may think exceeding the allowance is a long way off, you could be closer to the threshold than you think. If you haven’t considered how close you are, you could be liable for much more tax than expected. What […]
The pension gap: Life expectancy means women need to save more for retirement
The pension gap between men and women is closing. But, once life expectancy is taken into consideration, women still need to save an extra £185,000, on average, for retirement, according to the Scottish Widows 2021 Women and Retirement report. The report finds that young women in their 20s today can expect to have around £250,000 […]
Five retirement challenges you could face and what to do about them
Whether retirement is over a decade away or just around the corner, you could face significant challenges that may affect the lifestyle you want. Learning more about these potential obstacles and taking steps to reduce their impact now could make heading into retirement smoother. Almost half of people see retirement as a time of financial […]