Articles - December 2011
This Is Money - 29th December 2011
Late in 2012, the Government's great hope in stimulating pensions savings will kick in. It's revolutionary. Or at least has that potential.It's called auto-enrolment and will eventually see all workers earning upwards of £7,475 (2011-12 levels) and aged over 22 slotted into a pension...
Money Marketing - 29th December 2011
Financial advisers and the rest of the pension industry have faced two major challenges in 2011 - adjusting to fast-changing Government reforms and regulatory rules and navigating clients through an economy seemingly intent on punishing savers.
Citywire - 29th December 2011
Ros Altmann is an independent voice in pensions but has used her position as director general of Saga as a platform to campaign on reform of long term care funding and against state pension age changes.As an a economist and former Downing Street...
Pensions.co.uk - 29th December 2011
Q. I've just turned 45 but haven't yet started a pension. Is it too late to start?A. It's never too late to start. The great thing about saving into a pension is that it's tax free. So whatever you put in the taxman adds more depending on your tax bracket. So a basic rate...
EDP24 - 28th December 2011
A recent poll of Britain’s top worries in 2011 found that one of the main concerns people have is not having a pension or enough savings.The current financial context is challenging, but this year is going to set us on a better future for pension saving in Britain.
Lovemoney - 28th December 2011
This fantastic pension scheme is only open to VIPs, but you pay into it!One of the biggest problems Britain faces in the coming decades is a 'pension time-bomb' caused by workers saving not nearly enough towards retirement.
Mindful Money - 21st December 2011
Charges levied on pension and other investment funds are under attack - and not for the first time. This week, The Observer joined in the fray, reporting that as much as 3.2% of money in funds can disappear in charges - double the typical 1.5% headlined annual management...
Interactive Investor - 21st December 2011
Ministers yesterday hailed a public sector pensions settlement that would last for "a generation" and head off the threat of further mass strikes, despite a last-minute hitch that threatened to undermine the deal.Francis Maude, the Cabinet Office minister...
Express - 21st December 2011
Savers should increasingly be able to boost their retirement income by thousands of pounds thanks to a planned overhaul of the annuities market next year.The Association of British Insurers (ABI) has launched a consultation to get pension...
Pensions.co.uk - 19th December 2011
With seven million people of working age across the UK saving less than they’ll need to fund their retirement, one of the big questions facing the government is how to boost pension contribution levels, particularly among the less well-off.One idea that has been given much airtime...
Mail Online - 19th December 2011
Christmas may be a time for families to celebrate together, but it’s the older generation who usually pick up the bill that goes with it.The festive season doesn’t come cheap and the cost of Christmas dinner for a large family gathering can burn a big hole in anyone’s...
Financial News - 19th December 2011
The UK’s financial industry is glumly accustomed to the idea that most pension funds are broke. But this year’s eurozone sovereign debt crisis has begun to undermine the sustainability of pension systems from Amsterdam to Zurich.European retirement funds appear to have...
Friends Life - 18th December 2011
Women have more financial independence than ever, with increasing numbers in charge of household finances.But though they may excel in budgeting for the family, new research shows women still lag behind when it comes to pensions.
Aviva - 17th December 2011
- Employees want new methods for managing complex retirement savings
- One in two workers have multiple pension pots
- One in two workers (58%) do not know the overall value of their small pots
Property Talk - 16th December 2011
Downsizing has become common practice in freeing up capital, but selling off the family home may not be the only way to subsidise hard-hit pensions, according to the Association of Residential Lettings Agents.
"With many potential buyers struggling to...
My Finances - 16th December 2011
It’s an all too prevalent fear for retirees these days – not having enough cash to fund their retirement.In fact, so widespread is this anxiety it comes second only to failing health as the biggest concern for retired people over 55 and is the...
Guardian - 15th December 2011
It can be complex and sometimes down the list of priorities, but when it comes to planning for your retirement the message is clear – it's never too soon to start.When Sam and Mary Davies* put their retirement plan to move to France into action...
Guardian - 15th December 2011
There are many significant milestones in our lives – big career moves, a child's graduation, the first day of retirement – and sound financial planning is often inextricably linked to them. Expat investments can be diverse and, at times, complicated, but at a very basic level it's...
Lovemoney - 15th December 2011
Since the General Election of May 2010, there has been growing ill-feeling between public sector workers and the coalition government.The government's headache is that, under the last Labour government, the public payroll increased by nearly a million workers to...
Mail Online - 14th December 2011
Only one in every hundred Equitable Life policyholders eligible for compensation has so far received any money — half way through an initial 12-month government repayment period.As few as 10,000 of the 945,000 policyholders due funds from the Treasury for regulatory...
This Is Money - 14th December 2011
Unlucky sixty-something Britons retiring this December are being clobbered with possibly the worst pension payout rates that will ever exist, industry insiders are warning.That comes on top of a stock market hammering for those still heavily invested in shares.
Pensions.co.uk - 13th December 2011
Planning for retirement is becoming increasingly important thanks to many of us living to a greater age. As a result, no one can afford to make any mistakes with their pension. So here are five of the biggest ones to avoid.1. Starting too late...
Lovemoney - 12th December 2011
Last week, in the Autumn Statement, the government confirmed it is to raise the age at which we can claim the State Pension to 67 in April 2026, a full decade earlier than previously planned. And it won’t stop there – a new report from PricewaterhouseCoopers suggests that...
Money Marketing - 9th December 2011
The constant drip of bad news on pensions looks set to continue. The decision of David Cameron and George Osborne to delay the implementation of auto-enrolment for small firms puts the entire project in peril.I understand the need to allow small...
This Is Money - 8th December 2011
Prudent mid-career savers trying to craft a pension pot worth the 'magic' retirement target of £20,000 a year have seen costs sky-rocket in 2011, analysis for This is Money shows.Workers in their late 30s or 40s who have sensibly already been putting a sizeable...
Guardian - 8th December 2011
Trade unions reacted angrily on Wednesday when George Osborne announced that he had written to the pay review bodies across the public sector to draw up plans for local pay bargaining by next July and given them the freedom to recommend the abolition of...
Money Expert - 7th December 2011
Last week the nation was brought to a standstill as millions embarked on one of the biggest strikes for a generation in the UK.Hospital services were slashed, schools were closed, and airports prepared for a meltdown, all because of government reforms to public...
Guardian - 7th December 2011
Do you have less than £2,000 sitting in a pension at a company where you worked for just a couple of months or years? Rule changes announced by HM Revenue & Customs will, for the first time, allow workers to take the money as a one-off cash payment when they reach age 60.
Pensions.co.uk - 6th December 2011
According to a controversial report from watchdog group Consumer Focus, millions of people with individual personal pensions may be unaware they are getting a poor deal in terms of charges.Among other things, the report reveals that the...
Express - 6th December 2011
Britain’s older generation contributes £25billion a year to the economy through unpaid childcare, voluntary and charity work, a report revealed yesterday.Yet a third of retired people feel society treats them badly and only 14 per cent feel valued...
MGM Advantage - 6th December 2011
- Unpaid care, community and charity work undertaken by retired people saves society around £25 billion a year
- One third of retired people think society treats them badly
- Only 2% of retired people want to be...
Citywire - 5th December 2011
Having survived the Autumn Statement with the CPI-linked rise in the state pension intact, pensioners now face a threat to universal benefits, warns Lorna Bourke. Plans to means test universal pensioner benefits may be sensible in theory, but the expense of...
Wales Online - 5th December 2011
It was seen as a victory against ageism in the workplace and the removal of a barrier for those who wanted to continue doing the jobs they loved.With a rapidly swelling older population in the UK, a welfare budget creaking under the strain...
Mail Online - 5th December 2011
The sight of public sector workers marching through the streets of London last week made me as mad as hell.I sympathise with the 20 per cent (generally women and part-time workers) who do horrible front-line jobs such as cleaning and helping in...
Independent - 4th December 2011
Homeowners with reduced pensions have two main options for increasing their standard of living.Your home is likely to be your greatest asset and for many people, property plays a huge role in retirement planning.
Independent - 4th December 2011
The age at which the state pension will be paid could rise to 74 for those born in 2010, according to the analysis of a leading accountancy form.The report from PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) said that the state pension age will continue to increase by an additional year for every eight...
Citywire - 3rd December 2011
The need to save for a deposit on a home, a lacklustre investment outlook and government tinkering are making the public increasingly wary of paying into pension schemes, warns Lorna Bourke.MGM Advantage - 2nd December 2011
Only 28% of people aged 55 and over are aware that certain medical conditions could entitle them to a higher level of retirement income.Nearly three quarters (72%) of UK adults aged 55 and over are unaware that certain medical conditions could entitle them to a higher level...
Guardian - 2nd December 2011
TUC says George Osborne's arbitrary plan to cap pay rises at 1% represents a new barrier to success in negotiations.These are the most popular annuities by a country mile.
A renewed pay crackdown on public sector...
MGM Advantage - 1st December 2011
Most people buy a conventional annuity.These are the most popular annuities by a country mile.
A conventional annuity pays a guaranteed income for life that can never fall below the amount payable initially. In other words, you...
Interactive Investor - 1st December 2011
With so many changes to the pension landscape taking place, it's never been more important to give your pension pot an overhaul to check it's still performing as it should. Cathy Adams suggests 10 tips to give your retirement finances a spring clean.
Belfast Telegraph - 1st December 2011
Yesterday's industrial action, in protest at the government's proposed changes to public sector pension schemes, has been the focus of much debate. Plans to increase scheme retirement ages and member contribution levels, coupled with changes in how pension income is...
