Don’t miss the deadline to give your pension savings a boost. As another extraordinary financial year comes to a close, it’s more important than ever to make good use of your annual pension allowances. Giving your pension savings a boost and assessing where you stand will give you peace of mind that you are on track to enjoying the retirement you are planning for. The 2021/22 tax year ends on 5 April. Staying on top of your retirement plans is

Millions battling with financial hardship, relationship stress and sleepless nights. Fear, worry, and stress are normal responses to perceived or real threats, and at times when we are faced with uncertainty or the unknown. So it is normal and understandable that people are experiencing fear in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic and the resulting economic impact has negatively affected many people’s mental health. Nearly half of UK adults (47%) have experienced mental health challenges during the pandemic,

Women are being urged to think about their long term savings. Imagine reaching retirement age and discovering that, despite years of saving, you don’t have enough money to get by. Worse still, suppose you’re unable to pay for the right kind of care in your old age. If you and your partner separate or your spouse dies unexpectedly – will you have sufficient funds to see you through retirement? Now, all of these might sound like worst case scenarios but,

Is your wealth protected from the damaging effects of inflation? Many people underestimate the damaging effect of low interest and high inflation on their cash savings. A continued period of low interest rates on cash savings and rising inflation could pose a real risk to savers in 2022 even if the Bank of England (BoE) moves to increase interest rates further in the coming months. Savers with large amounts of money sitting in cash should not to be lulled into

Pension investments to harness a more sustainable planet. Few people are aware of what their workplace pension invests in, let alone how their pension provider incorporates environmental, social and governance (ESG) matters into the process. Almost two-thirds (64%) of UK pension holders say that didn’t know their pension could be invested in ways to help fight climate change. One in six (17%) of UK pension holders currently invest their pension responsibly, but 41% say they would like their pension to

3.6 million Britons have lost track of their pension savings. The more old pensions you do have, the easier it is to end up losing one. Tracing pensions from years ago can be a hassle. Over 3.6 million Britons admit they have no idea how many pensions they have and risk paying more in fees than necessary, according to new research[1]. The number of workers with small pension pots of under £1,000 has surged dramatically in recent years, as auto

How green is your pension? The consequences of inaction on climate change are now impossible to ignore. Every company has an impact on the world around us. And by investing in them, so do we. From devastating wildfires ripping through several countries, the aftermath of Storm Ida that caused unimaginable flooding across the northeast of the US, storm Arwen that brought disruption to the UK in November and last August’s 7.2 magnitude hurricane in Haiti – are all examples of

Setting a financial New Year’s resolution you’ll actually keep. Heading into the New Year, it’s the perfect time to take stock of your budget, liabilities and investments—and check them against your financial goals. The New Year brings an opportunity to reflect on the past year and to set new goals for the year ahead. But before setting financial goals, it helps to understand your financial priorities, and understand your overall plan to achieve the financial life you want. Think about

Time to give your financial future a boost? Savers and investors have less than three months to use the £20,000 they can put into their tax-efficient Individual Savings Account (ISA) before the end of the financial year on April 5. The current tax year started on 6 April 2021 and ends on 5 April 2022. ISAs enable you to minimise the amount of tax you pay on your hard-earned cash. Some ISAs give you instant access to your money and

Make full use of your relevant tax planning opportunities. With the tax year end, 5 April on the horizon, taking action now may give you the opportunity to take advantage of any remaining reliefs, allowances and exemptions. We have provided some key tax and financial planning tips to consider prior to the end of the tax year. Now is also an ideal opportunity to take a wider review of your circumstances and plan for the year ahead. Check your PAYE

A third of Gen Xers not confident they can fund their retirement. With 57% of Gen Xers wanting to save more for retirement but struggling to do so, a quarter (25%) plan to work part-time past the State Pension Age (SPA) to plug an expected income shortfall in retirement, while 17% plan to work full-time. However, they have serious concerns about whether they will be able to continue working later in life.  The findings, which are contained in a report

What are the financial consequences to stopping work in your 50s? Early retirement may be the ultimate dream for some, but the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic made it the only option for many. Figures from the Office for National Statistics show that over-50s had the highest redundancy rate between December 2020 and February 2021[1]. Retiring early can give you that change of lifestyle you’ve been craving, open doors to new experiences and potentially improve your health. But there are financial consequences