Traditional spending and saving habits have been turned upside down
Household finances, including spending and saving patterns, have deteriorated drastically since the coronavirus (COVID-19) lockdown, despite unprecedented Government support. Traditional habits have been turned upside down, and household budgets that guided our incomings and outgoings before the pandemic are no longer valid.
The proportion of female breadwinners is steadily rising but the trend could be knocked off course by the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis. Women out-earn male partners in almost a quarter of households, up from a fifth 16 years ago, according to new research[1].
Living in a place where the lifestyle and cost of living matches your financial situation
Are you ready to spend your golden years in comfort, style and maybe even a bit of luxury? As a retiree, you’ll want to be able to live in a place where the lifestyle and cost of living matches your financial situation.
Staying invested and giving your money the greatest chance to grow
Perhaps the most common investment advice is to stay invested. But with markets being so volatile, the ease of sticking to that advice has been sorely tested in 2020. Even though we’ve seen global markets bounce sharply from their March lows, understandably there will still be those investing for retirement who remain worried and wonder what the best approach is for the remainder of the year and beyond.
Preferring to remain in their own homes for as long as possible is, for many people, increasingly becoming an important part of how they view older age. There may be several reasons for this: to keep the family home, stay close to friends or remain in comfortable and familiar surroundings.
How our retirement plans may change in response to the coronavirus pandemic
The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has touched virtually every part of our lives and is having a widespread impact across all aspects of financial life, including retirement plans.
Undertaking what is required takes a great deal of thoughtful consideration
You’ve always dreamed about living aboard, but how do you make that a reality? The first practical step is to think about where you are in your life and weigh up which options are available to you. Factors like your age, financial situation and skill set will come into play as you consider where to explore long term. More open borders and the need to find work in the wake of the financial crash mean more people live outside the country they were born in than ever before.
Preparing ourselves for life to be really strange for some time
The only constant in life is change, which is why individual financial life planning should not be a one-off exercise. Reviewing your finances regularly is essential if you want to stay on track to meet your financial goals. Making sure your finances are in the best possible shape will also make sure you stay on course to achieving everything you want.
Ensure your future income will allow you to enjoy the lifestyle you want
Preparing for retirement is like getting ready for a journey – it never goes quite as planned. But the better the plan, the better the outcome. When things go wrong, you want to have the flexibility to adapt to changing circumstances. You never know what retirement will be like until you get there.
Don’t let coronavirus derail your financial future
The COVID-19 pandemic has touched virtually every aspect of our lives, not least of which is how we save for retirement. And while the number one priority is keeping our families and ourselves safe and healthy, the next topic on most people’s worry list is the financial impact, especially if the situation doesn’t improve quickly.
Make sure you’re ready should the unexpected happen
Mental health conditions might not be as easy to pin down as physical health conditions, but insurers are increasingly recognising the need to provide cover and support to people suffering with mental ill health. And with mental health behind so many income protection claims, it’s worth reviewing what protection you have in place.
Maximising investment returns over a longer life expectancy
There are lots of variables in retirement: how long people will live for, the costs of goods and services they will need, interest rates available on their accumulated savings, and so on. But once you have retired, investing is anything but straightforward.
Safeguard your hard-earned retirement savings from COVID-19 scammers
Fraudsters are exploiting fears over the COVID-19 pandemic to target pension savers and investors. The Pensions Regulator, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the Money and Pensions Service have issued a joint statement urging people not to make rash pension decisions in the wake of the global pandemic, as criminals try to exploit public fears over the market turmoil to dupe victims out of their cash.
Some people still struggle to make informed retirement decisions
The decisions made at retirement are big ones and have long-term consequences. Many spend years accumulating a large amount of money in pensions and other savings, but really don’t know what that might mean, how much income they can reasonably expect to receive and how best to take that income.
Please be aware these articles are for general information purposes only and correct at time of printing. We will
not accept responsibility for any errors made or actions taken by any readers that have acted on the information
contained. Answers given are for guidance only and specific advice should be taken before acting on any of the
suggestions made. All information is based on our understanding of current tax practices, which are subject to
change. Always remember when investing, past performance is not necessarily a guide to future performance and
the value of some investment units can fall as well as rise.
