Month: July 2019

What’s your magic number?

Your five-year plan to a comfortable retirement

Retiring is a huge life event. And the very concept of retirement is changing with phased retirement becoming more common. The way we access our pension is now a lot more flexible, and it’s no secret that in the UK we’re living longer than ever before which means we need to make the right choices.

Smart investments

Should I invest into a pension or an ISA?

Investors looking for tax-efficient ways to build a nest egg for retirement often look to both Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs) and pensions. Tax-efficiency is a key consideration when investing because it can make a considerable difference to your wealth and quality of life.

Goldilocks economy

How to prepare your portfolio for inflation

Very low or very high inflation is damaging to the economy. The aim is usually to try and keep the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) at 2% in order to maintain a ‘Goldilocks Economy’ – not too hot, not too cold.

Choppy waters, not full-on gale

Wait for the bad weather to pass and stay the course

Volatility fluctuates based on where we are in the economic cycle, but it is a normal feature of markets that investors should expect. When stock markets start correcting, daily injections of bad news may sound as though it will never end. This can spark anxiety, fuel uncertainty and trigger radical decisions in even the most seasoned investors.

Retirement longevity

Your destiny is now in your own hands

If you are in your 50s or 60s, your thoughts are probably turning towards retirement. When should you retire? How much money do you need?

Taxing times

‘Top 5’ list of planning areas

Making sure you use up any allowances you are entitled to is the first step to reducing the amount of tax you may be liable to pay. We’ve provided our ‘Top 5’ list of planning areas to consider before 5 April 2020, the end of the 2019/20 tax year. The rates given are correct for the 2019/20 tax year.

Show me the money

Turning pensions into money you can use

Today, you’ve got a number of options and permutations available when it comes to what to do with your pension in retirement. But lots of choice can also mean increased confusion.

Investing for income, growth or both in retirement

Turning on the taps for an extra income stream to help you realise your ambitions

The best time to start investing was 20 years ago. The second best time to start investing is now. But as you have been building up your investment wealth over the decades, in all likelihood you’ve probably pursued growth above all else, looking to maximising the value of your savings.

Give a triple boost to your children

Don’t miss out on this little-known tax rule

For those parents who have spare cash, putting money into their children’s pension will boost the retirement prospects of their offspring. The money will be topped up by the addition of tax relief and could also earn their children a tax refund if they are higher-rate taxpayers and reduce the penalty they face if they are a higher earner receiving child benefit.