Pension Awareness Day 2017

Select the links below for everything you need to know about pensions.

Pension freedoms

The Pension Freedoms were introduced in April 2015, marking one of the most radical changes to pensions in almost a century.

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Carry Forward

If you have not used your full allowance in the past three years you could use the *Carry Forward* rule. 

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Higher rate tax payers

If you are a higher rate or additional rate tax payer your annual allowance may differ to that of a basic rate tax payer. As  basic rate tax payer  you can receive tax relief on personal contributions up to 100% of your earnings, or £3,600 (if you do not have relevant earnings).

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How to spot a pensions scam

One in five over-50s have been targeted by a pensions scam between May 2017 and July 2017, according to a recent study carried out by Retirement Advantage. They found that a growing number of scammers are using sophisticated techniques to convince individuals to hand over their savings.

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Five tips for inflation-proofing your pension

According to the Office of National Statistics, consumer price inflation (CPI) rose to 1.6% in November 2016, its highest level since July 2014. Although this is still below the Bank of England's 2% target (the level they think is a sign of a healthy, growing economy), it suggests that inflation is finally starting to make a come back.

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Changing allocation to meet retirement needs

According to the Office of National Statistics (ONS) one in three children born today will live to be 100. Those readers with a 'glass half full' attitude, or those who are familiar with the eight wonder of the world, compounding, might say that this gives our children longer to save a decent retirement pot.

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30 years of age or younger? Come and visit the eighth wonder of the world.

Our 20s and 30s are more about spending than saving. With university fees, mortgages and children to budget for pensions can often be the last thing on your mind, especially as it may seem a lifetime away. However, when you reach 40 or 50 years old and start thinking about your retirement, hindsight has a habit of popping up to say “gosh, I should have started saving earlier”.

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Asset allocation: ignoring rules of thumb when it comes to your retirement portfolio

Our investment portfolios can, and should, change a lot over time. When we are younger we can afford to take more risk. After all, we have decades in which to save and time to recover from any stock market crashes. As we get older and start approaching our retirement, we then start to 'de-risk' as we can't take as many chances with our money. But what does de-risking actually mean and how should we go about it?

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