According to recent research (writes Tony Watts OBE) carried out by the consumer watchdog Which?, one third of over-55s have so far been contacted by potential fraudsters since the Government’s pensions reforms have come into force. There are now serious concerns amongst experts that over £1 billion of hard-earned savings will be lost in the […]

While the media have given the new pensions freedoms headline treatment for some time now, it seems as though the very people who SHOULD be keeping savers informed aren’t doing that good a job of it. Here at www.RetireEasy.co.uk we’ve just conducted a detailed survey with a 1500 tranche of our subscribers. We reckon our […]

Pensions freedom is now with us: but those carrying debt should be additionally cautious about rushing to cash in, argues Tony Watts OBE. Hardly had the day dawned on new Pensions Freedom when the first person to break cover and announce their plans has been dug out and featured by the media: a 57 year […]

What is the current rate of inflation? asks Tony Watts OBE. Read the headlines and you’d assume it was 0.3% in January 2015. But it’s more complicated than that. Much, much more complicated. That 0.3% stat refers to the Consumer Price Index (CPI). Many of us still think of RPI (Retail Price Index) as the […]

If there’s one thing that car insurance companies like, it’s an older driver – although their preferences are guided purely by statistics: older drivers have fewer accidents, and the ones they have also tend to be less serious. That means there are plenty of companies vying for your business. Which makes it even more puzzling […]

The UK has lagged behind many other countries around the world in offering a wide choice of housing dedicated to the needs and tastes of older people – but the market is now starting to catch up. The benefits can be significant:  not least, effectively “downsizing” from a family home can release additional funds with […]

As we get older, so the likelihood grows of us developing medical conditions. And while the most serious conditions are usually best dealt with within the NHS, the waiting lists associated with some procedures can make the concept of private medical healthcare highly appealing – especially as this will allow you to undergo the procedure […]

Who needs a boring old annuity now that – from April 2015 – we will have the new pension flexibility? That must be the question many people are asking themselves, especially those heading towards the “magic 55” mark when they can choose where to convert their pension pot into a much wider range of products… […]

The abiding principle of a life insurance policy – to provide financial help to the family of the deceased – has remained intact since the very first policy was issued over 300 years ago. Now, of course, there is a huge choice of different policies – and providers – and that can make it difficult […]

Being able to choose where we spend the last years of our life is something many of us strive for… so how can you give yourself the best chance of achieving that? By Tony Watts OBE. One of the biggest concerns for most people in retirement is whether or not their savings and pensions will […]