Read a great article the other day by Ian Cowie of the Daily Telegraph. It touches on a very real issue for most of us. Many people assume that retirement is so far down the line that they’ll be alright in the end and their state pensions will suffice. Really? Not that easy to maintain […]
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I am increasingly convinced that the majority, if not all of us, have choices to make as to what we do with our money. Money can bring tremendous pressure to bear on a household and a lot of it is self-induced. People are not aware of what’s going to happen when they want to retire […]
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I meet many people approaching retirement and together we have to decide when is best for them to take benefits from their pension plans. There are a number of different options available – buying an annuity is one of them. Annuity rates are at an all time low so it would be easy to think […]
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I am increasingly convinced that the majority, if not all of us, have choices to make as to what we do with our money. Money can bring tremendous pressure to bear on a household and a lot of it is self-induced. People are not aware of what’s going to happen when they want to retire […]
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I’ve advised a number of teaching professionals over the past 18 months who are approaching their normal retirement date, considering retiring early or accepting a voluntary redundancy. Their main concern tends to be uncertainty about the future and the impact of their decision to leave employment on their financial future. That’s where we come […]
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People who make bad money decisions can often rationalise them. Here are 10 common excuses. Human beings have an astounding facility for self-deception when it comes to their own money. We tend to rationalise our own fears. So instead of just recognising how we feel and reflecting on the thoughts that creates, we cut out […]
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You may be wondering what is happening with the new single-tier state pension. There is no doubt that the UK has a bewilderingly complex state pension that is trying to achieve something very simple. As with all government changes, some will win and some will lose… So what is being proposed? It’s simple – a […]
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We have become increasingly aware of companies marketing directly to the public and claiming that they can take money out of their pension before the usual retirement age of 55. Please please please exercise extreme caution – early access to pensions is rarely in anyone’s best interests. The FSA (Financial Services Authority) are paying close […]
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I have a number of clients who are in the teaching profession and have retired early or taken voluntary redundancies over the past couple of years. If you are in the same position or have friends or family members wondering whether they can afford to take a voluntary redundancy please put them in touch with […]
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I deal with a lot of clients who are approaching retirement and need advice on how best to take an income from their accumulated pension and retirement funds. Very few people have the same circumstances and it’s essential to take advice at the right time because you’ve only one chance to get it right. Very […]
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