Retirement

Reaching retirement, or planning ahead for when the day will arrive, means having to make important decisions.

Greater life expectancy (a man retiring at 65 can expect to live another 18 years on average, and a woman 21 years) has opened up new challenges when planning for retirement.

Here are few of the ways we can help.

About to Retire

Pension

We can help you get the most out of your pension plan by finding the best terms from across the marketplace. Unless you are very lucky, it is unlikely that your present pension company will be offering you the best terms.

Health issues can increase your pension – even mild problems like high blood pressure or diabetes can increase your pension amount.

Alternative ways to secure an income

It may be an attractive option to arrange to draw an income from your pension fund, leaving the fund invested with potential to grow in value. Income drawdown plans have become more attractive as pension rates have fallen so low as a result of record low interest rates.

We can discuss the merits of such plans and see if they may be an appropriate alternative to buying an annuity.

Lump sum to invest

Retirement is often the time that savings plans mature and pension lump sums are paid to you.

To combat inflation and provide security after retirement, we can help you plan a portfolio of investments to meet your individual requirements.

Keeping plans up to date can be a worry, but our annual review service ensures that your investments receive regular attention and keep them relevant to changing needs.

Making plans for the future

If you are employed your firm will probably be providing a scheme for you to join. Doing so makes sense as your employer will usually be adding contributions to your plan to top up your own payments.

However, if you wish to pay in more, or are self employed and making your own arrangements, there is a wide choice of companies and schemes to choose from.

We can help find the plan most suitable for you, and keep it under regular review to make sure you can look forward to a financially sound retirement.