While many people have some savings for retirement, most of us will also depend on the State Pension to help cover our living costs. The full new State Pension payment is currently £175.20 a week (2020/21 tax year), but not everyone will receive the full amount and the age at which you’ll receive it varies.
What would life be like if you were diagnosed with a serious illness? Things could change very suddenly. You’d get your family together and tell them what was going on. Before long, you’d start spending time in hospital for treatment. You may also need to take some time off.
Decided it’s time to start saving for your little one? Putting money aside for your child is a great way to prepare them for their future, and can also teach them valuable lessons about their managing their finances.
With current interest rates on cash savings very low, it is difficult to achieve growth above the rate of inflation. And if the cost of living is rising faster than your savings are growing, you’re effectively losing money.
Tax-efficiency is a key consideration when investing because it can make such an enormous difference to your wealth and quality of life.
Some couples may prefer to keep their finances separate, while others share everything. Whichever method you’ve chosen, when it comes to retirement saving, it’s worth planning together to ensure you’ve made the most of all the allowances and benefits offered to couples.
Even those who believe they have moderate wealth levels may still need to take action to minimise Inheritance Tax, particularly if they own property and have savings and investments.
One thing retirement is not, is an age. Not any more anyway. Gone are the days of being told to stop working one day and pick up your State Pension the next. Today you have new pension freedoms to decide when and how you retire.
No one likes to pay tax on their hard-earned money. But due to the complexities of the tax system, without expert professional financial advice, some individuals could be paying more tax than necessary. Before the end of every tax year on 5 April, you have the opportunity to save money on taxes and plan for the year ahead.
Responsible, sustainable and environmentally friendly investing is here to stay. But, while demand is growing among all age groups, genders and income bands, some savers and investors are missing their biggest opportunity for responsible investing, which is through their pension.
