The recent coronavirus epidemic has many people wondering how it will impact their final salary (also known as Defined Benefit) pension. Provided your former/current employer manages to stay in business – your pension should be safe*, which is great news.
Public sector schemes, such as those for teachers, nurses or civil servants are also protected because most are funded by taxation. Because of this, they remain unaffected by movements in the stock market or companies going bust.
On the other hand, if you work in the private sector then your Final Salary pension is backed by a fund purposely allocated to pay your pension, along with your colleagues. That fund is controlled by a group of trustees who make decisions such as how best to invest it, along with how it should be managed.
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Analysis of HMRC data* highlighted the fact that pensioners are continuing to save for their future and to increase their retirement funds in later life. The latest HMRC statistics reveal that the average value of an ISA held by someone aged over 65 now stands at £47,000. This an increase of £4,500 compared to the previous year. The extra money is being used alongside their personal pension when extra expenses come around.
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When considering a pension transfer, there may be a thousand questions running through your mind that you want to ask a pension advisor. As experts in pension transfers, we manage and transfer pensions daily for hundreds of clients. With our Pension Transfer Gold Standard award by the Personal Finance Society, we are ideally placed to answer any queries or concerns.
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If you are counting down the days, weeks, months and years until your retirement day, you may want to reconsider taking early retirement. Working into your 70’s can bring many benefits to you personally. Mental and potentially physical happiness, as well as extra income you can invest in your pension.
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You might have arranged a loan, set up a mortgage, or even set up your own business without any help from a financial adviser. It’s tempting to take that approach to pensions – after all, retirement planning is a personal decision. However, for many people, using the services of a pension adviser can be not only helpful in a pension transfer, but also save money.
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A pension assessment may not be something you have considered. Perhaps it sounds like it’s only for people who have large personal pension pots, or even those who are having problems with their private pension. However, a pension review is suitable for everyone, no matter how close you are to retirement. It is designed to benefit you, and the financial advice you are given will not only make sure you are getting the right deal but could save you money.
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Many people have a few different pension pots from previous employers, and you may have heard of pension consolidation: putting all your pension plans together in one, single pension fund. For your retirement planning, it’s essential to have an idea of how much income you could expect to receive from your final pension.
Consolidation for easy management
Pension consolidation could make this much easier: no-one wants to spend hours trawling through filing cabinets or peering at different websites trying to work out what all your pension funds add up to. It can also reduce the chances of losing track of any old workplace pension pots you may forget about as they are lower in value. When it comes to your retirement fund, every penny counts.
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Many people consider transferring their pension funds, from consolidating their old workplace pensions to moving out of a final salary scheme into a personal pension. If you have considered transferring your pension pot to another scheme or provider, here are six reasons why it could be beneficial.
1. Looking for better performance
Some people opt to move their pension because they are in an under performing scheme delivering poor – or non-existent – growth. If your private pension is performing poorly, you may well want to move your pension funds elsewhere.
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1. Get Advice
A private pension assessment by an independent financial adviser, like Pension Works, does more than just give you peace of mind or present you with a list of figures. It can be a real help to your retirement planning, and could save you money. If your pension savings are being eaten up by hidden fees, a pension assessment will check if you’re getting the best deal. The financial adviser can also review your investments to check whether switching funds might earn you more money over time.
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Living through decades of increasing prosperity has undoubtedly given baby boomers a lot of advantages, but they can also face several challenges. Today, many feel pressured into working past their normal retirement date, often because of the number of demands being made on their finances by their families. If they are unable to work, they can have concerns about outliving their retirement savings.
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