Add a little more to your retirement pot
Most people will be aware of the tax incentives around paying into a pension such as income tax relief on contributions, tax free growth on the fund and a tax-free lump sum and replacement income in retirement. Many pension providers will bring a shutter down on pension contributions post age 75 as tax relief is […]
Return of the annuity
Purchasing a secure stream of income, an annuity, in recent years has often been dismissed by many people in favour of income drawdown. Income drawdown is a retirement option where you keep control of the pension fund and usually take an income of your choice from your pension fund that remains invested. With an annuity, […]
Take control of your finances
We are now in the middle of the summer with many people taking a week or two’s holiday and spending time with family, loved ones or friends. These annual breaks often give people time to reflect on what is important in their lives. This could be more “me time,” greater freedom to pursue existing hobbies, […]
Conflict and the planet
Not only is the conflict between Russia and Ukraine a disaster from a humanitarian perspective which should not be belittled, it could also have a knock on effect on the wellbeing of the planet. Russia historically has been the world’s second-largest gas producer, making up 17% of global output. Until the introduction of recent sanctions, […]
“Old” and active…
I recently read an interesting article which resets the concept of riding gently into the sunset on retirement and contemplates the real prospect of a more dynamic race into the sunset and done in some style. Historically, there has been the concept of three life stages, education, employment followed by retirement. With the retirement phase […]
Your money in uncertain times
Everything is getting more expensive from petrol to pasta to wine. The cost of living is currently reported to be at 7% but this is very much dependent on your own basket of goods. It is forecast that inflation will increase to 10% by the end of the year. Interest rates on easy access accounts […]
Investing in volatile times
With many investment portfolios having experienced losses in recent months, a combination of increases in the cost of living (inflation), interest rate rises, energy shortages and more recently the conflict in Ukraine it is worthwhile reflecting upon the steps taken to arrive at a suitable investment strategy. When considering an investment and assuming you take […]
How is your activity impacting the environment?
There is £2.6 trillion of investments within pension funds in the UK. Rather like your own consumption, your pension fund leaves a carbon footprint. The footprint from the average pension fund is 26 tonnes per year, a much greater impact than heating your house, barbecuing, or running a bath. The average consumer in the UK […]
Boost your State Pension whilst doing something with someone you love
The average cost of providing full time childcare in the UK now runs at around £260 per week*1 and this will be more in London. For working adults this cost needs to be funded out of net pay, so take home pay after National Insurance (NI) and Income Tax. Earnings would need to be around […]
Safe as Houses
Scams and frauds are a growing part of our daily lives with increasingly clever techniques being used to hoodwink innocent parties. One such scam which has been receiving Press comment in recent weeks is where someone’s home is sold without the knowledge or consent of the homeowner. This is more likely to occur when the […]
