New guidance from The Pensions Regulator (TPR) asks trustees to warn DB members looking to move retirement funds of the risks during the pandemic and urging them to consider the decision carefully. Since 2015, pensions freedoms have given scheme members more flexibility in how they can access their pension: many have taken advantage of this […]

Savers are continuing to see their future retirement incomes suffer – with pension funds and annuity rates still well below their pre-pandemic levels. The latest Moneyfacts UK Personal Pension Trends Treasury Report shows that in the first quarter of this year, the average annual standard annuity income for a 65-year-old (based on a single life […]

By Mark Soper Shortly before the outbreak of Covid-19, a confident, newly-installed Chancellor stood up in the House of Commons and delivered a raft of measures and stimulus that effectively put an end to austerity. With a landslide win in the December Election and the first phase of Brexit accomplished, the Government – the non-team […]

Are you somewhere north of 45 and still employed on a full time or part time basis… but worrying about how the coming years might pan out as your aspirations and situation changes? Then a new book has just been published which can provide the guidance you need to navigate the future. The book – […]

Firstly and most important, we hope you’re safe and well. Your mind may be racing with all the things that need rearranging, postponing, cancelling, how to stay afloat financially and keep friends and family safe. So there has never been a more important time to take control of your finances. As I’m sure you are well aware, […]

New data from the Department for Work and Pensions shows a sharp dip in the average weekly income from occupational pensions – down to £181 in 2018-19 from £199 in 2016-17 – for those who have reached State Pension Age (SPA). The fall in part reflects the steadily reducing numbers of people retiring with defined […]

Aviva has called on the Government to take a more flexible approach to the State Pension – ensuring that more people will have enough to retire on while encouraging some people to remain in the workforce for longer. They say that 4.5 million current mid-life employees may not have enough money to retire when they […]

If you are contemplating continuing to pay a mortgage into retirement, or to borrow money against your property and only pay interest payments, there’s some good news from Moneyfacts.co.uk: the number of products available in the last year has almost doubled – from 38 to 74. The other positive news is that the increased competition […]

The Association of British Insurers has issued a warning that the average rates at which people are withdrawing money from their pension could see people running out of money in retirement if they do not have other sources of income. In a wide-ranging report to mark five years since the introduction of pension freedoms, they […]

Equity release has long been a fallback for “asset rich, cash poor” pensioners, and the first nine months of 2019 saw £2.8bn borrowed in this way against the value of people’s homes – a record. But while they are popular, do they actually represent good value? And are they always the best option? New analysis […]