Freetirees – Pension freedoms usher in a new generation The introduction of pension freedoms has been a huge enabler for over 55s, allowing millions to draw income from their pensions flexibly. Pension freedoms offer the opportunity to transition into retirement by continuing to work with reduced hours beyond traditional retirement age. This emerging trend enables you to choose a middle path, allowing for reduced working hours, more flexible quality leisure time, whilst also receiving your retirement benefits. Taking a phased

Retirement options Greater responsibility on individuals to plan for financial security in old age Deciding what to do with your pension pot is one of the most important decisions you will ever make for your future. The ‘pension freedom’ changes of April 2015 represented a complete shake-up of the UK’s pensions system, giving people much more control over their pension savings than before. New research[1] has revealed that the number of savers who have embraced their freedoms now exceeds one

Wealth protection Planning your legacy Unforeseen life events and circumstances can potentially impact your finances in a number of ways. Believe it or not, you have an estate. In fact, nearly everyone does. Your estate is comprised of everything you own – your car, home, savings accounts, investments, life insurance, furniture, personal possessions – the list goes on. No matter how large or how modest, everyone has an estate and therefore shares something in common – you can’t take it

Safeguarding your wealth for future generations Steps to mitigate against Inheritance Tax Unforeseen life events and circumstances can potentially impact your finances in a number of ways. We can help you to safeguard your wealth for future generations. But for many of us, there can be a remarkable gap between our intentions and our actions. Inheritance Tax (IHT) affects thousands of families every year. It comes at a time of loss and mourning and can have an impact on families

Retirement income Plan to enjoy the kind of lifestyle you want in later life ‘Will I be able to afford the retirement lifestyle I want?’ is a question that many people ask but struggle to figure out. There are many ways to assess your likely income in retirement and work out how much you need to put away now to enjoy the kind of lifestyle you want in later life. This is why more and more people, where appropriate, are

Pension freedoms Fundamental change in the approach to retirement savings A revolution in pensions transformed the retirement prospects for millions following the passing of the Pension Schemes Act 2015. April 2019 is the fourth anniversary since the introduction of the pension freedoms, a fundamental change in the approach to retirement savings. Announced by the then Chancellor, George Osborne, in Budget 2014, pension freedoms gave over-55s full control of their retirement savings. The changes which commenced on 6 April 2015 gave

Can you afford to retire? Making the most of the next chapter in life Pensions can seem complicated, but the basic idea is a simple one. And increasingly, if appropriate, people are turning to private pensions as a tax-effective way to increase their retirement income. Once you’ve decided to start saving for retirement, you need to choose how you’re going to do it. The precise amount you’ll need to save each month to retire at 55 depends entirely on the

Turning pensions into money you can use One of the most important decisions you will make for your future Under the pension freedoms rules introduced in April 2015, once you reach the age of 55, you can now take your entire pension pot as cash in one go if you wish. However, if you do this, you could end up with a large Income Tax bill and run out of money in retirement. It’s essential to obtain professional advice before

Are you making use of unused annual pension allowances? 2018 to 2019 could be the last tax year it may be possible for high earners to use a carry forward allowance of £40k. If you haven’t contributed your full tax-relieved allowance into your pension for the past three tax years, you could be eligible to top up this year. Our chartered financial planners are well versed in the ins and outs, so please don’t hesitate to contact us to find

Exploring your ISA options Time to give your financial future a boost? The end of the tax year on 5 April is fast approaching, so make sure you’ve made the most of your annual allowances before it’s too late. No matter what, why or how you want to save and invest, an Individual Savings Account (ISA) could help make your money work harder for you. ISAs are tax-efficient wrappers. Every tax year, we each have an annual ISA allowance. If

Blending your retirement options Balance of flexibility and security to suit your circumstances If you are looking for a balance of flexibility and security to suit your circumstances, you could consider blending your retirement options. You don’t have to choose one option when deciding how to access your pension pot – you could set up a combination of options to suit you. You can usually take up to 25% of your pension money as tax-free cash as you choose which

Plan, prepare Making new year’s tax saving resolutions At this time of year, we think about New Year’s resolutions, and it’s also a good time to start planning our tax affairs before the end of the tax year on 5 April. As you think about 2019 and your goals for the coming year, we can help to start you off on the right financial footing. It’s well worth spending some time in January to think about your money so you