Category Archives: Pension

News: Minimum age to access UK private pensions to change

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This information has been confirmed on the UK Parliament website following an exchange in the House of Commons today, 3rd September 2020.

The exact wording is as follows:

“In 2014 the government announced it would increase the minimum pension age to 57 from 2028, reflecting trends in longevity and encouraging individuals to remain in work, while also helping to ensure pension savings provide for later life.

That announcement set out the timetable for this change well in advance to enable people to make financial plans and will be legislated for in due course.”

The change will not take place for some time so no need to panic now but it will mean that some people who had intended to access their personal pensions at age 55 years, per the current rules, will have to adjust their plans for two years.

This is simply about personal plans and is not linked to the UK’s State Pension

To arrange a discussion about your retirements plans, your UK pensions, or any aspect of your personal financial planning, please email me at keren@holbornassets.com

I write articles such as this one as part of the holistic personal financial planning service and that I provide to expats, and the general consumer, financial and legal information that I provide in The National newspaper, on Capital Radio UAE, and on the Facebook group British Expats Dubai.

Please take a look at the other useful articles on this website.

10 Steps for Smart Investing

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The financial services industry is full of jargon and sales messages so sometimes it can be difficult to separate fact from fiction, the reality from the adverts and the sales pitches. With that in mind, I have put together a simple guide to 10 practical and logical steps you need to follow when investing.

It is too easy to sidetracked from planning your future, our lives are busy after all,  but it rarely needs to be as complicated as some might make out. My role is to make this simpler, and better, for you.  Continue reading →

The Mystery of the Missing Pensions

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Research has shown that a large number of people have forgotten UK pension plans, or lost track of a plan from years ago or from previous employment. The value of these lost pension funds is around £19.4 billion according to figures from the Association of British Insurers in 2019.

Other research estimates that one in eight UK citizens has at least one forgotten pension. When studies show that some 60% of UK adult are concerned about their retirement planning, it makes sense to ensure you don’t lose out by not having access to all your pension money.

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News: Risk of UK State Pension freeze remains for British pensioners in Europe

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Starting next week some 360,000 British pensioners living in Europe will receive letters from The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)  confirming that their UK State Pension pension will rise each year for at least the next three years in the event of a no-deal Brexit. There are no guarantees that these increases will continue after this time. Continue reading →

The retirement time bomb & why it’s even worse for women

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Retirement planning is rarely seen as an exciting topic but no one can deny that planning for your financial future is important. It becomes even more important when you find out that the vast majority of people are woefully underfunded and are sleep walking into retirement. You cannot rely on a government for full financial support so you have to take action yourself.

Most Western countries, and the UK is a prime example, are sitting on a retirement time bomb. With factors such as an ageing population, falling birth rates, and a combination of the widening gap between what people are saving and the amount they would have to put away to adequately fund their retirement, there are major concerns for the future. This was the finding of a World Economic Forum report, published in 2018.

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Have you forgotten or lost a UK pension?

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This may sound like a silly question but research from a major British insurance company has shown that up there are up to 2.5 million forgotten UK pension plans.  Furthermore, the UK government estimates that the size of these forgotten and unclaimed funds could exceed £400 million.

Among those with a forgotten pension, the majority believe they have misplaced one pot (77%), although 17% think they have forgotten about two and 6% have forgotten three or more.  At the same time, almost three in five (59%) UK adults are worried about not having enough money to last them in retirement. If this is you, there are steps you can take.

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Are your funds in the dog house?

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This article has been updated so please see link for the latest version:

Are your investment funds in the dog house? | Financial Planning in the UAE (financialuae.me)

If you would like a chat about your investments and are interested in active future management, or have queries about any aspects of personal financial planning email me at keren@holbornassets.com

 

Need to know: Your financial priorities

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Many of us muddle through our financial lives, not focusing on what matters the most, so this article is designed to help you sort out your financial priorities.

You have probably thought that there are some issues you need to address but it is common to be stuck in limbo, not quite sure what to tackle first, or a to have a vague to-do list but are unsure where to start.

I am often asked what are the most important topics to focus on so this is a guide to what you may need to look at if you haven’t reviewed your personal finances before, or haven’t done so for some time. What should you do now and what is most important?

All too frequently I see people who have been sold long-term savings plans without having been given the right advice to address more immediate issues. The most important consideration is to focus on what could go wrong tomorrow and then to take steps to protect you and your family. This doesn’t have to be expensive but this is what proper, ethical, financial planning is all about.

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When your investments are more than just money

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This article has been superceded so please see:

FinancialUAE – Why investing can be more than just money

 

For advice and assistance on the widest range of personal financial planning issues, to make an appointment, please contact me at keren@holbornassets.com and see other articles on this website for more useful information.

2018 – how will it be for you & your finances?

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There is no doubt that we live in interesting times on many levels and naturally people will have financial concerns. High on the list of worries is the potential adverse effect of a geopolitical event but it is the potential repercussions of this and how issues impact us locally and well as globally that we need to consider. There is not much most of us can do about these global issues but we can take steps to protect ourselves and our families.

Life in the UAE has its own pressures and challenges and whilst there is usually a lot of optimism, right now there are issues facing us. It is no worse here than in the rest of the world but being an expat can have its own demands. To find out what UAE residents are thinking and feeling as we start the new year, I put together a survey and this article is about the results. All responses were anonymous.

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