Stop Pensions Being Overly Taxing
Since April 2015, pensioners have had greater freedom over how they manage their retirement savings. No longer forced to buy an annuity, they can now leave their money invested and draw an income from it (known as flexi-access drawdown). Whether you’ve already stopped working, or you’re planning to retire soon, you should be familiar with […]
Achieving your financial goals
We lead complex lives in an increasingly complex world. As financial planning experts we can help you better understand your financial challenges, goals and needs, and help you find appropriate ways to meet them. Even a seemingly straightforward financial goal can involve numerous decisions and a lot of time and effort getting it right. Whether […]
State Pension – All You Need To Know
Changes to the State Pension which took effect on 6 April 2016 were designed to simplify the system. With the earnings-related part applying to employed people removed, what you could qualify for depends on your National Insurance (NI) record For the current tax year 2017/2018, the new State Pension is £159.55 per week. To be […]
Pension Advice Allowance
Financial decisions affecting your retirement income will be among the most important you’ll make during your lifetime and investing in timely financial advice could provide a welcome boost. Since April 2017 it has been possible to withdraw £500 from pension pots (defined contribution or hybrid pension scheme savings with an element of defined contribution) in […]
The Downside of Downsizing
The decision to sell up and move to a smaller property could come as a result of children flying the nest, the need to free up cash, or both. Whatever the reason, there are costs to downsizing that are important to know about before you make the move. The ‘hidden’ fees Research from online estate […]
Saving for retirement: as easy as 1, 2, 3
Much is made of the tax benefits of saving into a pension scheme but there are other benefits to consider. As many corporate pension schemes and even government pension schemes become unsustainable, the onus to create a comfortable retirement is increasingly on the individual. But, if we are honest with ourselves, by the time many […]
Pension Death Benefits
With the introduction of pension freedoms in 2015, we now have a range of options when deciding how to fund our retirement. But few of us stop to consider what might happen on our death: retirement itself seems far enough away! Under the previous regulations, only one dependant of the pension plan holder could inherit […]
Automatic enrolment and you
Auto-enrolment is a Government initiative where all workers will be automatically enrolled into a workplace pension. New figures show that by 2020 over 10 million people are expected to be newly saving or saving more as a result of automatic enrolment. This means that an additional £17 billion a year is projected to be saved […]
State Pension Rules
If you’re a man born after 6th April 1951 or a woman born after 6th April 1953 then you are, or will be, receiving the state pension under the rules introduced in April 2016. Admittedly the younger you are, the likelier it is that these rules could be changed before you reach pension age, but […]
Pension & Brexit
Much of the post-Brexit discussion has focused on what might be called “visible” topics, such as immigration. It is, however, also important to think about financial matters and to take whatever steps are necessary to mitigate any potential negative consequences. In this article, we’ll take a look at Brexit and what it means (or could […]
