The Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) has sounded a warning to people saving for, or in, retirement after research showed that just one in eight is taking advice from an Independent Financial Advisor (IFA) while one in five has considered riskier pensions and investment products because of poor returns from mainstream products. The prolonged, historically-low […]

Two thirds (66%) of 2021 retirees risk not having the pension savings to sustain their planned retirement income, according to a new report from Standard Life Aberdeen. The report also says that almost two in five (37%) 2021 retirees have accelerated their retirement plans due to Covid-19. After surveying UK adults planning to retire this […]

New figures show that older workers are being severely affected by the economic repercussions of the Covid pandemic – not just by a huge rise in unemployment figures but also facing reduced incomes if they do get back into work. The implications long term are that anyone saving for their retirement could find themselves either […]

While many of us are comfortable with the notion that “42” is the “Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything”, some people disagree – and even point out that our perception of the meaning of life actually changes as we age. By Tony Watts OBE Most of us, and not just […]

Two contrasting new reports show how the nation has divided during Covid, with many of those in work saving more, while many are having to delay retirement. First, the bad news. A large number of older workers are delaying their retirement due to COVID-19 according to a new report by Close Brothers. A survey carried […]

A new report reveals that women are at a major disadvantage when it comes to saving for retirement, accruing between 25% to 45% less in their pension pots at retirement. According to analysis from Barnett Waddingham, the gender pension gap really starts to diverge most after the age of 32, with men then contributing up […]

As many of you will know by now, I am an avid fan of classic cars and take a deep interest in the way values have been rocketing over the past few years, making me somewhat sceptical as to whether these prices are sustainable. There are of course plenty of other investment classes that are […]

The chair of a powerful Commons Committee has slammed the hasty way in which pension freedoms were introduced in 2015, leading to “a golden age for scammers”. Work and Pensions Committee (WPC) chairman Stephen Timms has echoed the views of Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey last spring, who told a Treasury Committee hearing that the premature introduction of freedoms […]

With new figures showing that the number of 50 to 64-year-olds out of work has climbed by 175,000 since the start of the pandemic, experts say ageism in recruitment could be the final straw which prevents many of this group ever returning to work. A new report from the Centre for Ageing Better has concluded that “Soul-destroying Ageism” is […]

A new report from insurance specialists British Seniors has revealed the biggest threats to the nation’s retirement plans – with Covid-19 right at the top. In fact, more than three quarters (77%) of those aged over 50 believed it will directly impact their ability to retire. Their “State of Retirement Report” reveals that nearly one in five (17%) of over […]