Retirement & pension planning

We consider the facts and figures, and provide some top tips to help you on your way to a comfortable retirement.

For many people, a pension is their largest source of income in retirement. And traditionally, when you retire, your pension fund would immediately be used to provide a secured income for your lifetime. Although there has been some flexibility around this since the mid-1990s, the ‘Pension Freedoms’ announced in 2015 allowed even more choice but also more complexity.

There is a limit to how much you can save into your pension tax-free over your lifetime, known as the lifetime allowance (LTA). It’s been controversial because the government has steadily reduced the limit down from £1.8m in 2012. From this April 2019, the limit will be £1.055m.

Venture Capital Trusts (VCTs) and Enterprise Investment Schemes (EIS) have always been a grey area for investors. Warned off by the “at your own peril” signs put up by the FCA, many people have been frightened off by the level of risk they would have to take, despite returns being pretty decent.

Has COVID-19 affected your financial plans? Our Head of UK Financial Planning, David Goodfellow explains why you should review them now.

If you’re thinking, ‘But retirement is miles away’ or ‘I haven’t reviewed my pension for a while’ it may be time to consider your options. It’s never too early to start planning ahead or to review your existing pension arrangements.