 | | Wrapping up your pension
Do you want more control over where your money is invested?
Self-Invested Personal Pensions (SIPPs) were introduced in 1989 to give those planning for retirement greater control over where their pension fund is invested. Essentially, a SIPP is a pension wrapper that is capable of h... Read more... |
 | | New Retail Sales of Funds
The highest first half on record
According to the Investment Management Association (IMA), net retail sales of funds of funds (an investment strategy of holding a portfolio of other investment funds rather than investing directly in shares, bonds or other securities) totalled &pou... Read more... |
 | | Planning for Tomorrow
What retirement income should you aim for?
Retirement may seem a long way off but are you saving enough now for a comfortable retirement in the future? A general rule of thumb suggests that you should aim for a retirement income of two-thirds of the amount you would expect to be earni... Read more... |
 | | Bridging the gap
Will you be faced with an income shortfall?
While pensioners said they needed an average of £22,000 a year to live comfortably, their actual income averaged £15,800, according to a recent report by Prudential, the insurer. Almost two in five said they found livin... Read more... |
 | | Getting a good mix of assets
Spreading your capital across different investment vehicles
Having the right mix of investments will enable you to plan to keep your savings ahead of any inflationary concerns you may have. Spreading risk and getting a good mix of assets is known as ‘diversificatio... Read more... |
 | | Sacrificing your salary
Contributing a preferential sum into an employee’s pension plan
Salary sacrifice (sometimes known as ‘salary waiver’) in the context of retirement planning is a contractual arrangement whereby an employee gives up the right to receive part of their cash remu... Read more... |
 | | Locating lost assets
Many organisations can help you track down your forgotten wealth
At any one time it is estimated that between £15 - £20 billion is lost in the financial system. Some of it belongs to people who have died but the majority has just been forgotten. For t... Read more... |
 | | Retirement dreams undermined
Retired people making more requests for financial assistance from relatives
The latest figures show the number of pensioners relying on financial assistance from family members has more than doubled to a quarter of a million since last year because of rising inflation.
N... Read more... |
 | | Securing an income for life
Converting your pension fund into an annuity
Whether your retirement is a long way off or just around the corner, it’s important to think about how much income you’re going to have. And as you approach retirement, you’ll also have to decide how you&rsquo... Read more... |
 | | Shared investments
How to diversify your portfolio
The risk of directly investing in a single investment is that if the price drops in value, or the issuing company goes bust, you could lose money.
A way of reducing this risk is having a spread of investments in different types of a particular asse... Read more... |
 | | Life for pensioners could be about to get easier
Proposals announced to unravel a raft of complicated tax laws
Life could be about to get easier for the retired. The Office of Tax Simplification (OTS) will turn its attention to pensioners in an attempt to unravel a raft of complicated tax laws relati... Read more... |
 | | Will your dependants cope financially in the event of your premature death?
Obtaining the right advice and knowing which products to choose is the key
Making sure you have the correct amount of life assurance will enable you to protect your loved ones from having to deal with your financial burdens. That&rs... Read more... |
 | | In search of income
Is your cash struggling to keep pace with inflation?
The current low interest rates are good news for mortgage repayments but not so good if you are relying on your savings to produce an income. If you are a saver rather than a borrower, you will have noticed the intere... Read more... |
 | | Social care costs
Keeping pace with the growing size of an ageing population
The funding of long-term care remains one of the biggest public policy challenges facing the government. As the baby-boomer generation grows older, it is estimated that spending on social care needs to double in real terms o... Read more... |
 | | Trust in your future
Passing on wealth in a tax-efficient manner
Inheritance Tax (IHT) is an issue affecting increasing numbers of households across the country. Changes introduced in Chancellor Alistair Darling’s pre-Budget report in October 2007 have made it possible for couples and civil partners ... Read more... |
 | | Investment decisions
New figures reveal the best-performing investment sectors
We understand that choosing investments can be difficult, so we are here to support you in making your investment decisions. Whether you’re a first-time or an experienced investor, we can help you explore your options... Read more... |
 | | Retirement clinic
Consolidating your pension plans
The reasons people transfer their pensions vary, with some looking for better fund performance and lower charges, and others having been made redundant.
If you have a number of pensions from previous employers you should obtain professional advice a... Read more... |
 | | A new national pension scheme
Helping people save more for their retirement
More than half of workers are not aware that they could be automatically enrolled into a new national pension scheme starting in October 2012 and many are likely to be surprised when employers start taking deductions from their pay... Read more... |
 | | Pooling your money
Creating a wider spread of investments in your portfolio
If you require your money to provide the potential for capital growth or income, or a combination of both, provided you are willing to accept an element of risk pooled investments could just be the solution you are looking f... Read more... |
 | | Funding retirement
Rise in the number of older people selling their homes
Falling pension incomes and the rising cost of living have led to a rise in the number of older people selling their homes and moving into rental properties in order to fund their retirement, according to latest r... Read more... |
 | | The critical factor
Choosing the right cover can help ease your financial pressures
You really need to find the right peace of mind when faced with the difficulty of dealing with a critical illness. Critical illness cover is a long-term insurance policy designed to pay you a tax-free lump sum on the diagno... Read more... |
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