Between April and June this year, HMRC issued refunds amounting to nearly £49 million to pensioners who had overpaid taxes on their pension withdrawals. Approximately 13,000 claims were processed during this period, with each individual receiving an average refund of £3,800. The issue of over-taxation arises from the method HMRC uses to calculate tax on …
Retirement planning is critical to financial security in later life. There are many considerations over years of preparation that go into ensuring a plan, once made, can work effectively for the long term. This guide is here to help you consider the essential steps and aspects of retirement, whether you’re 10 years, five years, or …
The Government has launched plans to make wide-ranging changes to how major pension funds are structured, with legal requirements to invest in UK assets. The plans will oversee the creation of new pension ‘megafunds’ which will manage over £25 billion in assets. This will affect major Local Government Pension Schemes (LGPS) and multi-employer defined contribution …
Annuity sales hit their highest level in a decade in 2024, with higher rates tempting retirement savers to swap their pension pots for a guaranteed income for life. Insurers sold 89,600 annuities last year, up 24% on the year before – and the highest level since 2013, according to trade body the Association of British …
A power of attorney (POA) allows you to appoint someone you trust to make decisions on your behalf if you become unable to do so. It is a really important piece of financial planning, as it should provide continuity in the event that you are unable to make important decisions. We’ve summarised below the key …
As you move through your working life, it’s easy to get a rosy picture of retirement and dream of the day when you finally step away from the office. But how do you work out when that day should actually be? Well, there’s no simple answer to this question, as there are so many factors …
More and more people are finding themselves in legal disputes with loved ones over inheritances, new figures have revealed. According to the Ministry of Justice, 80 inheritance disputes went in front of judges in 2012. However, this figure had risen to 145 by 2017, and in 2021/22, it stood at 195 – more than double …
The end of the tax year is fast approaching, so now is the time to act to make sure you’re not paying more tax than you have to. One of the best ways to do this is to maximise your pension contributions. Contributing to your pension is one of the most tax-efficient ways to save …
It’s so easy to set up a pension, set up your contributions and then basically forget about it, safe in the knowledge that your pension pot is growing every month and year. But this approach means you might miss out on opportunities to maximise your income in later life. It’s therefore a good idea to …
When you think ahead to your retirement years, you’ll have an image in mind of you taking it easy and enjoying hobbies, holidays and precious family time, free of any financial concerns. But this doesn’t happen by itself. Securing a comfortable retirement depends on sensible and disciplined financial planning, so you have the means to …
