Retirement planning

Fix any gaps in your National Insurance record before April 23 and boost your state pension

If you have any gaps in your National Insurance record, now is a very good time to plug them. The more complete your NI record, the more state pension you are entitled to.
The generous Government scheme which allows people to fill historic gaps in their NI record will come to an end in April 2023, so you may want to apply before the deadline.

Thinking of working part time or from home to stay in work for longer?

The balance of retirement income planning

Are annuities making a comeback? The increase in gilt yields over the past six months particularly have seen a corresponding increase in annuity rates.

Pension fund's default option - one size doesn't fit all.

Why one size doesn’t fit all when it comes to your pension fund’s default option

Workplace pensions are a great place to start building your retirement savings. But is a ‘one size fits all approach’ right for everyone?

Pensions and Retirement Report with Wren Sterling and the Sunday Times

Under pressure: the unwelcome return of inflation to the UK

Despite government assurances that it’s a temporary blip, inflation is trending upwards. What are the implications for pension schemes and their members? Originally published in The Sunday Times, written by Stephanie Hawthorne. Inflation is an old foe, now almost forgotten in many countries. But should we be worried that it seems to be making a [...]

Pension consolidation: The top three reasons for consolidating your pensions.

What’s going on in the final salary market?

Financial advisers are accustomed to dealing with unintended consequences of decisions made by those who set policies – including DB pension schemes.

Thinking of working part time or from home to stay in work for longer?

Some clients are taking advantage of homeworking, choosing to remain employed past their planned retirement date, others have found they can retire earlier than expected. How has Covid affected your retirement plans?

Separate futures: sharing pensions on divorce

Lots of thought goes into combining a couple’s finances. And the longer a marriage, the more finances become entwined. If they’ve decided on divorce, a lifetime of assets will need to be divided – and not just joint bank accounts and household bills, but also pensions. It can be tempting to ignore pensions, due to [...]

How to calculate the value of a pension.

A hard act to follow: testing times for trustees

The Pension Schemes Act 2021 imposes several stringent measures designed to safeguard funds. Chief among them is a new onus on trustee boards to play a stronger role in this effort. Originally published in The Sunday Times, written by Simon Brooke The UK seems to legislate on pensions with metronomic regularity, with a new act [...]

Active and index investing in your portfolio to secure your children's future.

Kids cost more than you think – so plan ahead

Originally published at brewin.co.uk Many people vastly underestimate the cost of raising a child. Plan now to avoid nasty surprises scuppering your finances. Raising a child is one of the most rewarding things you can do in life – but it can also be eye-wateringly expensive. We all know things like childcare, private school and [...]

Dr Bronwyn King TED talk ESG tobacco investing

What’s in your workplace pension default fund?

Default pension funds appeal to those who want a ‘hands off’ approach to their investing. But what are fund managers investing in? Look under the hood of your investments.