25 Jan Reaching Your Financial Goals In A New Age Of Retirement Planning
We’ve now entered a new age of retirement planning with the introduction of pension freedoms. But Britain has an ageing population, highlighted by the fact that the number of telegrams sent by the British Monarch to 100-year-olds has risen from 24 in 1917 to nearly 7,000 today.
It is projected that the number of centenarians (people who live to 100 years old and beyond) will continue to rise by more than tenfold over the next 30 years (when the NHS will also celebrate its 100th birthday). This growth is due to the higher birth rate between the first and second world wars, and dramatic improvements in health and healthcare.
Thinking about pensions sooner rather than later can mean the difference between a comfortable retirement and struggling to make ends meet. Unfortunately, some people put off retirement planning when they are young because they think they’ve got time on their side. However, the earlier you start saving for your future, the bigger the pension pot you’ll end up with when you’re older.
7 pension tips for nurturing your nest egg in 2018
Research shows we’re more likely to achieve our financial goals if we write them down and start with a clear plan of action. Work out what financial goals you want to achieve, then break them down into realistic steps that will lead you there. We’ve provided seven pension tips for you to consider to keep your retirement plans on track at the start of the New Year.
1. Consider consolidating your pension pots – whilst it might be hard to keep track of pensions with job changes, the Government offers a free Pension Tracing Service. Bringing your pension pots together may help you manage them, but seek professional financial advice to see if it’s suitable for you.
2. Make use of your tax reliefs on pension contributions – when you are able to do this, particularly at higher rates, this can be beneficial. The Government may well revisit pension tax relief post-Brexit to help ‘balance the books’.
3. Maximise your workplace pension contributions – if your employer pays a contribution that is linked to your contribution, see if it’s affordable for you to pay the maximum in order to receive your employer’s maximum.
4. Invest for the long term – there have been various moments of uncertainty in the markets – think back to the ‘crash’ of 1987, which now looks like a blip. Keep an open mind, and don’t panic or make knee-jerk reactions. You must remember that when investing in the stock markets, it is inevitable that there will be times of volatility when you need to weather the storm.
5. Review your State Pension entitlement – given so many changes, it is worth keeping your finger on the pulse and looking at what you may need to do to top up to the maximum entitlement available.
6. Review your expected expenditure in retirement – it’s key that you clearly establish ‘essential’ and ‘discretionary’ spending, so in poor market conditions you can always look to reduce income from pension funds if necessary to cut back on discretionary expenditure that can wait for another day.
7. Ensure your income in retirement is set up as tax-efficiently as possible –making full use of all available tax allowances/exemptions is crucial. Don’t forget to look at how different tax wrappers can work for you.
What does retirement mean to you?
From stopping work altogether to a slow and gradual reduction of commitments, retirement means different things to different people. Making sure you can sustain the level of income you need as you move away from full-time employment or your business interests is key to a long and happy retirement. To discuss your requirements, please contact us.
Source data:
[1] Investor Pulse Survey – BlackRock’s Global Investor Pulse Survey examines investing attitudes and behaviours across the world. The 2017 survey included 28,000 respondents in 18 countries. The UK sample included 4,000 respondents between the ages of 25 and 74. Survey conducted in Q1 2017.
No Comments