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. Your retirement might seem like a far-off prospect, but knowing how you can access your pension pot can help you understand how best to build for the future you want….

In trying to answer these questions, you face a problem. Because of longevity trends, we are on average living longer. With longevity increasing, your wealth may have to provide you and your spouse or partner with an adequate income for 30 or even 40 years. Britons aged 30 today have a 50% chance of living to more than 100, while 50-year-olds…

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…

Financial complexities of passing on wealth Passing on wealth is a sensitive subject, not just because of the financial complexities of it all, but also the emotion and family politics involved. Having built up their business or wealth, many families often wish to enjoy it whilst also ensuring that it is passed on to the next generation in their families. Passing…

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. Over time, inflation can reduce the value of your savings because prices typically go…

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…

Getting your date right will help your plans stay on target Some people will have set their retirement date when they were in their 20s or 30s and a great deal will have changed since then, including their state pension age and perhaps their career plans. It may seem like a finger in the air guess when you’re younger, but the…

Considering the practicalities of fulfilling your desired lifestyle If you are aiming to retire within the next five years, its time to get into the mindset of considering the practicalities of fulfilling your desired lifestyle and making plans. You now have just 60 pay packets left until you retire. This is a time when you’ll need to obtain up-to-date pension forecasts…

Tax-efficient ways to fund the next generation It’s natural we may want to give younger members of our family a financial start in life. Especially when we hear about some students graduating with eye-watering levels of debt. If you are able to help your children or grandchildren without risking running out of money yourself, it’s important that you do so effectively….

Reaching specific life goals requires planning If you don’t know where you want to go, you’ll find it tricky getting there! Investment goals cover everything from the old adage of saving for a rainy day to planning for a comfortable retirement. Goal-based investing, which emphasises investing with the objective of reaching specific life goals – such as buying a house, saving…