Retirement might seem a long way off but the later you leave planning for it, the less chance you have of achieving the retirement you want. We all dream of how we’ll spend our retirement but that dream looks different for everyone.
Life changes when you retire – and so does how you spend your money. Whatever your plans, it’s important to keep on top of things and think about the lifestyle you want. It’s also worth noting the average life expectancy at age 65 years is 18.6 years for men and 21.0 years for women[1].
Self-employment plays a vital role towards the UK’s economy. In recent years the number of people who are self-employed has risen steadily. But one of the main drawbacks is that the self-employed do not have the advantage of an employer to help arrange pension provision.
The UK has seen a rise in the number of people accessing their pension pots or enquiring about doing so. People accessing their pension as a flexible income has increased by 56%[1] according to research since the first lockdown last year. The increase is due to people withdrawing after holding off when stock markets were volatile.
Do you know how much money you will need in retirement? What about how much you already have saved? Do you know what kind of income that might provide? Unfortunately the answer is ‘no’ for some people.
Young people are faced with a unique set of challenges when it comes to saving for retirement. One of these is perception. They can often think of their ‘future self’ as a different person and so may prefer holding on to their income for more immediate priorities, like a first home deposit, rather than saving for someone they perceive as a stranger.
The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has caused many households to reassess their financial defences with the purchase of protection insurance. The diagnosis of a serious illness can mean a very difficult time for your health and your wealth. ‘If you were to become critically ill and could not earn a living, would your family cope financially, especially to pay bills, mortgage and other expenses?’
‘The secret to happiness is freedom’ wrote the ancient Greek historian Thucydides. And with the introduction of the pension freedom rules, those aged over 55 now have far greater freedom of choice over how they use their pension pot to fund their retirement years.