Sisters are doin’ it for themselves

Whether you are Annie or Aretha it is safe to say that you are taking the pretty serious role of retirement planning by storm, much in the same way as Lennox and Franklin did for music. Women are not only playing a major role in the workplace and paying their way but they are also…

Father’s Day and Pensions

It may not be considered the most scintillating of conversations to have with Dad on Sunday but you could be doing him a massive favour! When you and the rest of your siblings are sitting around the dinner table quaffing the odd glass or two of vino and playing games in the olympic kingsway casinos…

Don’t bury your head in the sand!

Ignoring the need to save for retirement or not accepting we are all living longer is not an option. It may work if you are an ostrich however burying your head in the sand is not a solution for building a decent pension. You might be forgiven for switching off at the mere mention of…

The goalposts have been moved yet again

The biggest problem for pension savers is keeping up with the constant changes imposed by Government. The latest change affects savvy savers who decided to divert some of their National Insurance to their own pension pot in respect of the state second pension (S2P). As part of the proposed improvements to state pensions, contributions will…

Sex equality may not be all it is cracked up to be!

There are major changes afoot that will affect pensions for those coming up to retirement from the end of the year. The Gender Directive is set to land on 21st December 2012 and this will mean that annuities can no longer be offered on a single gender basis. Potentially men will suffer most as providers…

Ski instructors need to plan their pensions too

Once the Easter holidays are over this marks the end of the year’s ski season meaning ski and snowboard schools will begin to wind down. The British contingent of ski instructors and stagiaires, high altitude guides and off-piste experts will be planning to leave the slopes in readiness for the summer.   Winter work means…

Budget gives a clear message to pension savers

No change to pensions tax relief or to the annual allowance is excellent news for those individuals squirreling away their earnings into pensions. This means you can make a contribution of up to 100% earnings, capped at ?50,000. Even non-earners can contribute up to ?3,600 gross into pension, and benefit from basic rate relief. The announced changes…

Small pots with nowhere to go?

Converting your hard earned pensions savings in to an annuity at retirement is anything but simple. Get it wrong and it could cost you thousands of pounds throughout your retirement, and so taking expert advice at the point of no return is a priority. Accessing advice where you only have a small pot is another matter. Some advisers are…