Category: Uncategorized

Start planning early

Things you can do to increase your chances of success

The future may seem far away, but you need to start planning early. Regardless of your goals, there are things you can do to increase your chances of success! It is important to look objectively at your plans and adapt them as your priorities change over the years and you go through different life events. Continue reading “Start planning early”

Tax relief and pensions

Annual and lifetime limits

When it comes to managing money, one of the things some people find most difficult to understand is the tax relief they receive on payments into their pension. Tax relief means some of your money that would have gone to the Government as tax goes into your pension instead. You can put as much as you want into your pension, but there are annual and lifetime limits on how much tax relief you get on your pension contributions. Continue reading “Tax relief and pensions”

Pension freedoms

Fundamental change in the approach to retirement savings

A revolution in pensions transformed the retirement prospects for millions following the passing of the Pension Schemes Act 2015. April 2019 is the fourth anniversary since the introduction of the pension freedoms, a fundamental change in the approach to retirement savings. Continue reading “Pension freedoms”

State Pension

Move to equalise male and female pension ages

The State Pension is a regular payment from the Government that is claimed when you reach your State Pension age. The State Pension is based on your National Insurance record. It takes into account the National Insurance you built up before the new State Pension was introduced in 2016, as well as contributions and credits since then. This means not everyone will receive the same amount. Continue reading “State Pension”

Defined contribution pension schemes

Building up a pot of money to provide an income in retirement

With a defined contribution pension, you build up a pot of money that you can then use to provide an income in retirement. Unlike defined benefit schemes, which promise a specific income, the income you might get from a defined contribution scheme depends on factors including the amount you pay in, the fund’s investment performance and the choices you make at retirement. Continue reading “Defined contribution pension schemes”

Defined benefit pension schemes

Paying out a secure income for life which increases each year

A defined benefit pension scheme is one where the amount paid to you is set using a formula based on how many years you’ve worked for your employer and the salary you’ve earned, rather than the value of your investments. If you work or have worked for a large employer or in the public sector, you may have a defined benefit pension. Continue reading “Defined benefit pension schemes”

Personal pensions

Saving tax-efficiently for retirement

A personal pension is a type of defined contribution pension. You choose the provider and make arrangements for your contributions to be paid. If you haven’t got a workplace pension, getting a personal pension could be a good way of saving for retirement. Continue reading “Personal pensions”

Self-invested personal pensions

Providing greater flexibility with the investments you can choose

A self-invested personal pension (SIPP) is a pension ‘wrapper’ that holds investments until you retire and start to draw a retirement income. It is a type of personal pension and works in a similar way to a standard personal pension. The main difference is that with a SIPP, you have greater flexibility with the investments you can choose. Continue reading “Self-invested personal pensions”

Pension consolidation

Managing your retirement savings in one place

By the time we have been working for a decade or two, it is not uncommon to have accumulated multiple pension plans. There’s no wrong time to start thinking about pension consolidation, but you might find yourself thinking about it if you’re starting a new job or nearing retirement. Continue reading “Pension consolidation”