Could you have been underpaid the State Pension?HMRC estimates that affected women could be owed an average of £5,000 each Thousands of mothers who have missed out on their full State Pension entitlement due to calculation errors have begun receiving letters from HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) to address this oversight. These letters are being sent to women who have taken time off work to raise children since 1978, following the identification of underpayments [MORE]

The cost of early withdrawal from your pension How retirees are impacting their financial future by accessing pension pots too soon More than three-quarters (78%) of retirees have already dipped into their pension pots by the time they retire, according to recent data[1]. Of these, more than half (52%) withdraw funds five years before their Selected Retirement Age (SRA), with 21% opting to start taking out funds nine to ten years before they [MORE]

Navigating the complexities of inheritance Should you consider estate planning and gifting for future generations? As we age or accumulate more wealth, protecting and preserving our assets for future generations becomes increasingly essential. This process, known as Inheritance Tax (IHT) planning, estate planning or intergenerational wealth planning, involves strategically managing your estate to minimise tax liabilities and ensure that your wealth is passed down to your loved ones in the most tax-efficient manner [MORE]

How much do I need to save for retirement? Ensure your money works effectively to enjoy retirement on your own terms How you invest in your 50s could significantly impact your quality of life in retirement. While there is still time to increase your retirement savings, a seemingly simple mistake could derail your plans. This is where obtaining professional financial advice becomes crucial. With retirement now in sight, as you approach this milestone, [MORE]

When considering retirement planning, pension savings are a crucial component of your financial strategy and essential for a comfortable retirement. Securing the right professional advice is critical, as decisions made at this stage will significantly impact you and your family.

Unique insight into the current attitudes towards pension investment Prevailing concern among savers regarding their capability to make informed investment decisions A comprehensive survey has unveiled a complex picture of how savers perceive their pension investments. Despite a high level of awareness, with 82% of pension savers acknowledging that their pensions are invested, a mere 26% possess knowledge about the specifics of these investments[1]. This gap in understanding presents a unique insight into [MORE]

Strategic reinvestment of State Pension increases When transferring into a personal pension may make sense Following the 8.5% rise in the annual State Pension from 6 April, the redirection of this enhanced income into private pension savings could make sense under certain conditions. The idea of investing one’s State Pension into a personal or Self-Invested Personal Pension (SIPP) might seem at odds with conventional wisdom. Given its foundational role in providing retirement income [MORE]

Mind over matter How behavioural investing can shape financial futures In the world of investing, where numbers and market analyses typically dominate, a crucial element often remains veiled in the backdrop – our behaviour. Behavioural investing emerges as a pivotal field, merging the realms of finance and psychology to scrutinise how our emotions, cognitive biases, backgrounds and worldviews intricately influence our investment decisions. It ventures into the less discussed but significant spectrum of [MORE]

Overcoming the gender investment disparity Critical insights to empower women to take the reins of their financial destinies A recent study has spotlighted women and investing, offering critical insights that aim to empower women to take the reins of their financial destinies and forge paths toward a prosperous future. Notably, an impressive majority of women (68%) engage in investment activities at least once a month, with over two-fifths (42%) diligently monitoring their savings [MORE]

Unveiling the core principles of investing Timeless beacons guide investors through periods of market volatility towards financial prosperity In finance, the core investing principles stand as timeless beacons, guiding investors through periods of market volatility towards financial prosperity. These principles, distilled from the wisdom of centuries and the hard-won experience of investment titans, serve not merely as strategies but as foundational truths that underpin the very art and science of investing. As we [MORE]