Retirement Planning
Retirement is the point where decades of saving have to start paying you an income, and the choices you make around it are difficult to reverse. We help you understand what your pensions are actually worth, when you can afford to stop, and how to draw an income without running the pot down too quickly. Whether you are still building up, weighing your options, or already drawing, we will talk it through in plain terms and set out what each route means for you.
Most people arrive with several pensions from different jobs and no clear picture of what they add up to. The first job is usually to work that out. After that the questions become practical: when can you afford to stop, how much can you safely take, and what happens to whatever is left.
There is no single right answer, and the right answer changes as you get closer. We would rather talk it through properly than sell you a product.
Workplace Pensions
The scheme your employer puts you into. We look at what you are paying in, where it is invested, and whether the default fund still suits you.
Personal Pensions
A pension you set up yourself, useful if you are self employed, or want more control than a workplace scheme gives you.
Income Drawdown
Leaving the pot invested and taking income from it. Flexible, but the fund can run down if you draw too much.
Phased Retirement
Taking your pension in stages rather than all at once, which can spread the tax and let you wind down gradually.
Annuities
Exchanging the pot for a guaranteed income for life. Secure, but the decision is usually irreversible.