Pension changes brought a whole new range of options to consider Unadvised retirees who are now able to dip into their pension are having to return to work to cope with juggling their finances, according to a new report[1]. Pension freedoms have given individuals control over how to spend their retirement savings, but a number of unintended consequences have emerged. Since rules governing how pensions can be taken were dramatically relaxed in 2015, more than …
Don’t lose your life savings or be persuaded to invest in high-risk schemes Don’t let scammers enjoy your hard-earned pension proceeds. Anyone can be the victim of a pension scam, no matter how savvy they think they are. It’s important that everyone can spot the warning signs. Latest figures show that nearly one in ten over-55s fear they have been targeted by suspected scammers since the launch of pension freedoms, new research[1] shows. Cold-calling has …
Make sure your pension savings don’t get left behind The employment landscape has evolved significantly over the last few decades, and changing jobs multiple times before retirement is now very much the norm. Even if you have not had that many jobs, you may still have a number of different pensions to keep track of. Nearly two thirds of UK savers have more than one pension, and changing work patterns mean that the number of …
Critical gap in consumer awareness Drawdown allows most pension holders to withdraw a tax-free lump sum and reinvest the remainder as an income. But hundreds of thousands of DIY drawdown investors are unaware they can scale back or stop their withdrawals, putting them in danger of draining their retirement savings too rapidly, according to new research[1]. Half (52%) of all over-55s taking an income in drawdown do not know they can reduce the value of …
Why longevity also brings with it some unique financial challenges Statistics clearly show that Britons are living longer. While a long life can be a good thing, longevity also brings with it some unique financial challenges. Our ageing population is drastically altering the economic landscape of the UK, the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) have indicated. According to the ONS, nearly a quarter of the UK population (24%) will be 65 …
Income gap between the wealthiest and poorest pensioners is growing The members of Britain’s baby boomer generation who are now entering retirement have been called ‘the richest generation in history’. But the income gap between the wealthiest and poorest pensioners is growing, with those in the top pension income band now having an average weekly income of almost £1,000. Government figures on pensioner wealth show that the average weekly income for the wealthiest pensioners has …
Signs you are not financially ready to retire Those potentially most exposed to a pension shortfall are not people just entering the workforce, most of whom presume they will work until their 70s and will receive limited support from the state. Those most at risk of enduring a more frugal older age are those currently in their 40s and 50s who grew up assuming that the pensions system their parents enjoyed – generous income and …
Don’t be penalised by the tax system when you exercise your freedoms The ‘pension freedom’ reforms of 2015 were welcomed by consumers, as they vastly widened options available to most savers at retirement. Pension freedoms allow savers to have the flexibility on how and when to spend their money without being penalised by the tax system, but it is worrying that some individuals plan to withdraw more than the tax-free lump sum limit. Potential tax …
Turning pensions into money you can use Today, you’ve got a number of options and permutations available when it comes to what to do with your pension in retirement. But lots of choice can also mean increased confusion. Your retirement might seem like a far-off prospect, but knowing how you can access your pension pot can help you understand how best to build for the future you want. You must have reached a certain minimum …
Nearly £20 billion unclaimed money and growing The scale of the UK’s lost pensions mountain has been exposed by the largest study yet on the subject[1]. The Pensions Policy Institute surveyed firms representing about 50% of the private defined contribution pensions market[2]. From this the Pensions Policy Institute found 800,000 lost pensions worth an estimated £9.7 billion. It estimates that, if scaled up to the whole market, there are collectively around 1.6 million pots worth …