Useful Articles

Taking the reins and having more control over your pension pot

Saving for retirement is one of our greatest financial priorities, especially as life expectancy is growing and retirements are likely to last longer. Continue reading “Retirement resilience” →

Looking after your lifestyle during a time of uncertainty

Nobody wants to worry about how they’ll pay the bills if they become sick or injured and can’t work. But illness or injury can strike at any time and can lead to serious financial trouble. The latest government figures[1] report the dramatic increase in the likelihood of long-term sickness absence when we age, leading to an employment absence of four weeks or more. Continue reading “Financial support” →

Winners and losers under the new State Pension

The number of people qualifying for the full new State Pension following its introduction in April 2016 reveals almost two in five pensioners (365,290 people, or 38% of claimants) receive less than £150 a week, while a further 62% receive more than £150 a week – of these, 282,447 are receiving a new State Pension[1]. Continue reading “What you need to know” →

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]. Continue reading “Cashing out” →

How much should you try to save to have a comfortable retirement?

The number of people saving enough for a comfortable retirement has hit its highest ever level, with almost three in five Britons (59%) now saving adequately for the future[1]. This is a significant improvement from the 55% proportion recorded 12 months ago, suggesting this April’s auto-enrolment step-up had an immediate positive impact on saving habits. Continue reading “Saving adequately for the future” →

Almost half of UK employees expect to work beyond the age of 65

When you picture yourself in your golden years, are you sitting on a beach, hitting the golf course or working behind a desk? Not ready to give up working and retire? For those who find adjusting to retirement difficult, the transition can be made smoother by working. For many, working provides more than a salary. It provides happiness and purpose, and staying in the working world can provide many lifestyle benefits in addition to financial gains. Continue reading “Not ready to give up working and retire?” →

Don’t miss out on this little-known tax rule

For those parents who have spare cash, putting money into their children’s pension will boost the retirement prospects of their offspring. The money will be topped up by the addition of tax relief and could also earn their children a tax refund if they are higher rate taxpayers and reduce the penalty they face if they are a higher earner receiving child benefit. Continue reading “Give a triple boost to your children” →

Helping you realise your long-term financial goals

So you’re looking to accumulate a sum of money by investing. You may have a specific amount in mind. This could be to go towards helping to fund your child’s university fees or to pay for a trip of a lifetime. Continue reading “Stocks & Shares ISA” →

Turning on the taps for an extra income stream to help you realise your ambitions

The best time to start investing was 20 years ago. The second best time to start investing is now. But as you have been building up your investment wealth over the decades, in all likelihood you’ve probably pursued growth above all else, looking to maximising the value of your savings. Continue reading “Investing for income, growth or both in retirement” →

Your five-year plan to a comfortable retirement

Retiring is a huge life event. And the very concept of retirement is changing with phased retirement becoming more common. The way we access our pension is now a lot more flexible, and it’s no secret that in the UK we’re living longer than ever before which means we need to make the right choices. Continue reading “What’s your magic number?” →