What’s your magic number?
Your five-year plan to a comfortable retirement Retiring is a huge life event. And the very concept of retirement is changing with phased retirement becoming more common. The way we access our pension is now a lot more flexible, and it’s no secret that in the UK we’re...
Show me the money
Turning pensions into money you can use Today, you’ve got a number of options and permutations available when it comes to what to do with your pension in retirement. But lots of choice can also mean increased confusion. Your retirement might seem like a far-off...
For richer, for poorer
Divorced Britons regret splitting after new financial pressures hit home The pain of regret after divorce can be long-lasting, especially when you consider the life-long impact divorce has on your children, your finances and your emotions. All the problems, the...
Goldilocks economy
How to prepare your portfolio for inflation Very low or very high inflation is damaging to the economy. The aim is usually to try and keep the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) at 2% in order to maintain a ‘Goldilocks Economy’ – not too hot, not too cold. Over time,...
Choppy waters, not full-on gale
Wait for the bad weather to pass and stay the course Volatility fluctuates based on where we are in the economic cycle, but it is a normal feature of markets that investors should expect. When stock markets start correcting, daily injections of bad news may sound as...
Investing for income, growth or both in retirement
Turning on the taps for an extra income stream to help you realise your ambitions The best time to start investing was 20 years ago. The second best time to start investing is now. But as you have been building up your investment wealth over the decades, in all...
Parents and grandparents delay passing on wealth
Growing uncertainty over the future cost of care the main concern Increasingly, we read and hear about how the Bank of Mum and Dad is being stretched to the limit, as children are making increasing calls on its limited resources. However, research shows that a quarter...
‘Presenteeism’ more of a problem than absenteeism
Nine out of ten employees continue to work even while being ill Feeling ill? Well, staying at home would seem to be the sensible course of action. However, for many, going to work while sick has become the norm. Employers are seeing more staff turning up to work while...