magazine archive
magazine archive
Money Matters
How much capital should I sell in retirement?
Thursday 10 Aug 2017For many years investors were advised to spend investment income in retirement and leave their capital untouched. But longer life expectancy and low interest rates mean this is no longer possible for many people. In some instances, selling capital could be more advantageous than withdrawing money...
Lessons from the pension freedoms
Thursday 03 Aug 2017When the pension freedoms launched in April 2015, nobody was quite sure how savers would react. Some feared people wouldn’t be able to resist draining their pots quickly to fund immediate spending needs. Others, including former pensions minister Steve Webb, insisted people could be trusted with...
Weighing up the Vanguard LifeStrategy funds
Thursday 03 Aug 2017Investors have been pouring money into the Vanguard LifeStrategy funds, attracted by their low fees, diversification and strong track record. But the funds’ inability to respond to market movements has led some people to question whether their advantages are overstated. WHAT ARE THE VANGUARD...
Does life expectancy stalling reduce pension pressure?
Thursday 27 Jul 2017For decades experts have taken for granted the fact life expectancy improvements will continue unabated. And why wouldn’t that be the case? Billions of pounds is ploughed into medical research every single year as the scientific community finds new ways to battle life-limiting illnesses and disease...
Crunch time for fund performance fees
Thursday 27 Jul 2017Fund managers who levy exorbitant charges when they beat certain benchmarks are coming under pressure to ensure their fee structure is fair for investors. As well as making investors pay an annual ongoing charge to cover things like administrative costs and the fund manager’s salary, some funds...
Five ways to boost your retirement income
Thursday 20 Jul 2017For many investors the thought of funding a lengthy retirement is a stressful one. Experts suggest aiming for retirement income of 70% of your current earnings, so someone earning £40,000 would target a pension of £28,000 a year. This translates to a pension pot of around £600,000. It’s a lot of...
The importance of shopping around for your pension
Thursday 20 Jul 2017Whether you’re signing up to a broadband provider, choosing an electricity supplier or buying travel insurance for a holiday, it pays to shop around for the best deal. And it’s no different when you’re looking to turn your pension savings into retirement income. In fact in some circumstances...
The auto-enrolment pension savings gap
Thursday 13 Jul 2017You might have heard about automatic enrolment, the Government programme introduced in 2012 to boost retirement saving in the UK. The premise of the reforms is simple – by ‘nudging’ people into a workplace pension scheme and mandating employers match contributions up to a certain level,...
Investing in funds: what’s the difference between a unit trust and OEIC?
Thursday 13 Jul 2017Are you aware there are different types of investment funds? We’re not talking about ones that invest in different sectors or geographies; instead, we mean the structure of the funds. You may think the underlying assets inside a fund are the only things that matter. In reality, there’s a bit more...
Should I take all my pension tax-free cash at 55?
Thursday 06 Jul 2017For many investors, the ability to take quarter of their pot tax-free at age 55 is one of the great attractions of pension saving. Indeed, just over half (54%) plan to take a tax-free lump sum at retirement, according to a recent survey by insurance company Aegon. Before you rush into withdrawing...