Pensioners ‘in the dark’ over how to protect their pots if markets tumble
Many retirees are at risk of overlooking their pension finances by falling into an avoidable trap, according to new research. A third (36%) of people keeping their pension invested through retirement could be hit harder by falling markets as they do not have a cash safety net to fall back on, research has found[1]. And even though two thirds (64%) of retirees are holding cash in reserve, fewer than one in ten (8%) would think to use it if there was a ‘significant’ drop in the stock market.
Women will now start to qualify for the State Pension at the same age as men, currently set at 65. The move to equalise male and female pension ages began 25 years ago and has been gradually phased in. Your State Pension age is the earliest age you can start receiving your State Pension. It may be different to the age you can get a workplace or personal pension.
Self-employment enables you to exercise your sense of freedom in business decision-making and to choose your own business path. There are many benefits to becoming a self-employed freelancer or running your own business: the flexible hours, the option to work from home, no fixed holiday allowance, and, of course, being your own boss. But it’s vital to remember that there is no sick pay, life insurance or pension scheme benefits, unless you arrange to put these schemes in place yourself.
Selecting the most appropriate investment products and undertaking the right planning at the right time to minimise the amount of tax you pay are key to accumulating wealth over the long term. Add to this general economic factors, business conditions and political events, these are just some of the things that can cause uncertainty and volatility in the markets. Over any given time period, the economy can also go through a series of ups and downs.
Make the most of the early years and maximise from the power of compounding
Retirement might seem a long way off, so it’s easy to understand why saving for retirement isn’t a priority in your 20s – a decade when advancing your career, not planning for the end of it, seems more important. But, youth is a huge advantage when it comes to building wealth for retirement because it gives you time to maximise from the power of compounding.
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 kind of lifestyle you plan on having in retirement. If appropriate to your particular situation, there are several different types of private pension to choose from. But, in light of recent government changes, the tax aspects require careful planning.
Things you can do to increase your chances of success
The future may seem far away, but you need to start planning early. Regardless of your goals, there are things you can do to increase your chances of success! It is important to look objectively at your plans and adapt them as your priorities change over the years and you go through different life events.
When it comes to managing money, one of the things some people find most difficult to understand is the tax relief they receive on payments into their pension. Tax relief means some of your money that would have gone to the Government as tax goes into your pension instead. You can put as much as you want into your pension, but there are annual and lifetime limits on how much tax relief you get on your pension contributions.
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.
