How big a part do statistics play in your life? No, I’m not talking about the stream of bogus stats that both sides in the EU Referendum have been producing (quite possibly through a clockwork random fact generator, operated by a hamster on mind altering drugs). But really important stats – such as who has […]

A combination of falling interest rates and rising property prices is helping those taking out lifetime mortgages, according to new figures released by Age Partnership. Lifetime mortgage rates have remained below 6% (at 5.87%) for the second consecutive year, while the current average house price of £288,000 marks a record high. Analysis of Age Partnership’s […]

The first quarter of 2016 saw an uplift in retirement housing sales, according to the latest quarterly review from Retirement Homesearch. Despite 18% fewer viewings and enquiries than the same time last year, the company recorded an 11% rise in sales – thought to be fuelled by buyers rushing to complete deals ahead of the […]

Have you paid into a pension sometime in the dim and distant past and forgotten about it… or are unsure how to see if you are due to receive any money? Then here’s some good news: a new DWP website has been launched by the Pension Tracing Service to help people locate lost pension savings. […]

The decision by Halifax to move its upper age limit for mortgages to 80, followed by Nationwide upping the ante to 85, has caused a ripple in the financial press – but is it that surprising? Moreover, does it come with a hidden cost? While some lenders have stolidly sat on their hands in the […]

Just for a while it had all looked so hopeful… Ros Altmann had declared her heart had all along been on the side of the WASPI campaigners (Women Against State Pension Inequality), but had only been held back by that difficult Iain Duncan Smith. Stephen Crabb’s appointment to Secretary of State for Work and Pensions […]

What rate of inflation have you put into your RetireEasy LifePlan calculations There’s new evidence today that while using overall CPI or RPI may provide a rough guide to how much your cost of living has gone up in the last year, it can never be an absolutely precise measure – because not everyone makes […]

Ros Altmann has come in for a lot of stick from the “WASPI” women campaigning for a transitional approach to the changes in the state pension age (SPA) for women, and stated on more than one occasion that nothing more could be done. But now the Pensions Minister is saying that she not only wants […]

Consultations on the so-called “second hand annuities market” are about to start, and Pensions Minister Ros Altmann is already sound out a warning on the potential dangers The changes are due to come into effect next April. Speaking on Radio 4’s Moneybox, Ros Altmann acknowledged that while those who missed out on pensions freedom may […]

Some recent research published by Prudential has revealed just how important the State Pension remains for many of us – making the current debate around future provision even more relevant. By Tony Watts OBE How much does the State Pension matter to you? Perhaps you’re one of those who represent the “average retiree” in the […]