New research by Mercer will make welcome reading for many Defined Benefit pension holders: the aggregate surplus across company accounts of FTSE 350 pension funds soared to £79 billion in May 2024, the highest level ever recorded. However the announcement does come with a caveat. Mercer’s Pensions Risk Survey shows the value of liabilities for […]

New figures show what those saving for retirement are aiming for. But will they achieve the lifestyle they want… or will some fall short? New research from online pension provider PensionBee has revealed a worrying knowledge gap among some Brits when it comes to the critical question: “How much money will I need in retirement?”. […]

Are pension savers being short-changed? New analysis shows how badly many long-established pension funds are performing compared to simple FTSE tracker. Research by AJ Bell has shown that a staggering nine out of ten pension funds (91%) have underperformed a FTSE All Share tracker over the last ten years. Some 72% of UK pension funds have underperformed […]

Both main political parties will be keen to put some “clear blue water” between themselves and their rivals in the weeks ahead on a whole range of policies. But what should savers and investors be watching for in the opposing manifestos and speeches? By Tony Watts OBE. “It’s the economy, stupid”, goes the oft-quoted refrain […]

All over the world, as populations age and the numbers of working age people “coming through the system” goes down, countries are looking to raise their state retirement age… many have staged increases already planned. So how does the UK rank in all of this, and when can you expect to enjoy the five-figure annual […]

If you, or your partner, have been providing childcare during term-time or school holidays, you may be able to qualify for a State Pension top up that will typically boost payments by more than £6,000 over a 20-year retirement period. The top up (known as the Specified Adult Childcare credit) can plug gaps in your […]

Did you know that an estimated £89 billion is currently going unclaimed in some 28 million forgotten bank and savings accounts, premium bonds, pensions, insurance policies and Child Trust Funds? But how do you go about checking one of them is yours or a relative’s? A recent ITV report, using data from the asset tracking service […]

What is the average income in retirement for today’s retirees… where is the income coming from, which regions are doing best and what trends can we see emerging? New data from the ONS reveals all. The Family Resources Survey (FRS) for the financial year ending (FYE) 2023 has just been published by ONS and it […]

March marked the tenth anniversary of the announcement of “Pension Freedom and Choice” reforms which, along with Auto-Enrolment, represented the two major shifts in pension policy enacted under George Osborne. What have been the long-term impacts for savers? asks Tony Watts OBE. Up until then, savers reaching retirement were all channelled down the annuity route. […]

It’s not just how much you earn that helps individuals enjoy a “resilient retirement” as a new survey has just revealed… While how much you earn will play a big part in helping individuals and couples enjoy a comfortable retirement, other factors do come into play according to new research from Hargreaves Lansdown, published as […]