Category: Financial News

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 as it may be appropriate to consolidate them, although this will depend on a number of… Continue reading Retirement clinic

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 for. A pooled investment allows you to… Continue reading Pooling your money

Rise in the number of older peopleselling 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 research. Tenant referencing specialist HomeLet said there had been a 16 per cent… Continue reading Funding retirement

Choosing from different sectors There are thousands of investment funds to choose from and they are divided into different types or sectors. You can buy funds that invest in shares, corporate bonds, gilts, commodities and property among other things; they will also typically have some form of geographical focus. The wealth of choice means you can target any… Continue reading Funding your wealth

Planning for the future is not to be taken lightly We all want to protect our wealth and help ensure our families are provided for when we die. However, increasingly HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) are challenging the valuations of properties given for Inheritance Tax (IHT) purposes, according to accountants UHY Hacker Young. IHT is… Continue reading Protecting Wealth

Retirement income consumed by the basic costs of living Investors buying a level annuity with a pension fund of £80,000 will spend their entire monthly income on basic living costs within seven years of retirement, according to new statistics. Standard Life researchers have warned that many people could see their retirement income consumed by the… Continue reading Financial intelligence

Revolutionising the way pension benefits are taken Your pension is one of your most valuable assets but is it working as hard as it should be? The new retirement rules will revolutionise the way pension benefits are taken, making retirement more flexible. Did you know? 1. Age 75 rule abolished There is no longer a requirement to take pension benefits by… Continue reading Retirement options

UK savers face retirement savings gap The Chartered Insurance Institute (CII) has looked at the cost of living post-work and found that average incomes achieved by retirees are insufficient. UK savers face a retirement savings gap of £9 trillion due to increasing levels of debt, the cost of long-term care and insufficient pension savings. The… Continue reading Saving for old age

Reintroduction of Carry Forward rules From 6 April 2011 the annual allowance for pension contributions reduced from £255,000 to £50,000. While this restricts the levels of contributions you can make without attracting an Annual Allowance charge, on the plus side the Government has brought back the Carry Forward rules. Increasing pension contributions The principle of Carry Forward allows you… Continue reading Building a bigger pension