Uncertainty drives record numbers to take out income protection. Here’s what you need to know

Figures from the Association of British Insurers (ABI) suggest a record number of families are taking out income protection to create a safety net. Read on to find out how income protection works and whether it could be valuable for you.

Income protection would pay out a regular income if you were unable to work due to an accident or illness. As a result, it could provide you with a way to keep up with your financial commitments if your income unexpectedly stops. Income protection will normally continue to pay an income until you’re able to return to work, retire, or the term ends.

Usually, the sum provided through income protection is a proportion of your regular salary, such as 60%. You’ll need to pay a monthly premium to maintain the cover, the cost of which will depend on a range of factors, such as your age and lifestyle. While you might not want to increase your expenses, income protection could be cheaper than you think, and it may substantially improve your financial resilience. 

Economic uncertainty could be driving more people to consider their financial resilience 

According to the ABI statistics, a record 247,000 people took out income protection in 2023. The figure is almost four times higher than it was just 10 years ago. Critical illness insurance, which would pay out a lump sum if you were diagnosed with a covered illness, saw a similar rise between 2013 and 2023.

Yvonne Braun, director of policy, long-term savings, health and protection at the ABI, said: “Financial resilience – the ability to withstand a financial shock – is a hugely important issue. It’s encouraging to see that so many people recognise that income protection and critical illness insurance are an important part of financial planning and play a crucial role in providing a financial safety net.”

There are many reasons why you might consider how to improve your financial safety net.

A change in your circumstances can often be a trigger. For example, if you’ve purchased a property or have welcomed children, you may reevaluate your finances and take steps to improve your ability to weather a financial shock.

Wider economic circumstances are also likely to have played a role in the rising number of households choosing to take out income protection.

Over the last few years, the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent period of high inflation may have led to more families facing unexpected changes to their budget. Indeed, a BBC report suggests 7 million adults felt “heavily burdened” by their finances at the start of 2024.

With many families having to absorb higher essential costs, from energy bills to grocery shopping, it’s perhaps not surprising that more are looking for ways to ensure they can overcome losing their income. 

Income protection could safeguard your short- and long-term finances

If taking time off work might place pressure on your finances, it may be worth considering if income protection could be right for you.

It’s not just your income you may want to weigh up either. For example, your partner may be the main income earner in your household while you are responsible for the majority of childcare. In this scenario, you might want to consider how your household’s expenses would change if you were ill – your childcare bill could rise significantly or your partner might be forced to take time off work while you recover. 

Income protection could complement your wider financial safety net

While you may already have measures in place to provide a short-term income if you are unable to work, income protection could still be useful.

You may have an emergency fund you can draw on, but how long would it last, and what would happen if you were unable to work for longer than expected? Similarly, your employer might provide enhanced sick pay, but this is often for a defined period, such as six months. 

Assessing your financial resilience could help you see how income protection might complement your wider financial plan. 

A financial shock could affect your long-term finances too

When you experience a financial shock, your focus is likely to be on the immediate impact it has on your budget. Yet, it could have long-term implications too.

If you’re unable to work you might stop paying into your pension, or cut back how much you’re adding to a savings account. Depending on your circumstances, income protection could allow you to stick to your wider financial plan. It may help you to maintain non-essential outgoings that might be crucial for your long-term goals.   

Get in touch to discuss your financial resilience

Taking steps to improve your financial resilience could help you feel more confident about your future and mean you’re in a better position to overcome unexpected shocks. Please contact us to talk about your financial plan and whether income protection or other measures could be right for you. 

Please note:

This blog is for general information only and does not constitute advice. The information is aimed at retail clients only.

Note that income protection plans typically have no cash in value at any time and cover will cease at the end of the term. If premiums stop, then cover will lapse.

Cover is subject to terms and conditions and may have exclusions. Definitions of illnesses vary from product provider and will be explained within the policy documentation.

3 fantastic benefits of leaving a charitable legacy in your will

According to a report from the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF), in 2023, three-quarters of people in the UK supported a charity in some way. 

Whether you donate money, fundraise, or volunteer your time, you might want to consider how to extend your actions to create a charitable legacy in your will – and there could be tax benefits to doing so. 

The CAF report noted that despite the rising cost of living placing pressure on many families, the UK public donated an estimated £13.9 billion to charity last year – up by £1.2 billion when compared to 2022. It’s thought that at least half of people in the whole country donate to charity.

There are plenty of excellent reasons why you might support national or local charities, and if it’s important to you now, updating your will to leave a charitable legacy could be attractive too. 

Here are three fantastic reasons you might want to create a charitable legacy. 

1. Support a cause that’s important to you

Leaving a gift to a charity in your will could be a great way to support a good cause that’s important to you. 

The CAF report found 32% of people choose a charity to donate to based on their personal experiences. So, if you’ve benefited from the services of a charity during your lifetime or witnessed the positive impact they have on communities, you might want to return the goodwill by leaving them a portion of your estate. 

Similarly, 28% said family and friends influence which charity they support, so it could be a way to honour loved ones.

Charities often rely on donations, including those you might leave in your will. Charity Guide Dogs for the Blind Association states that almost 2 in 3 of its guide dogs are funded through gifts from wills, and without legacy bequests, it wouldn’t be able to offer vital support to as many people. 

2. Charitable bequests could lower the value of your estate to reduce an Inheritance Tax bill

If your estate could be liable for Inheritance Tax (IHT) when you pass away, a charitable legacy could be a useful way to reduce the potential bill.

In 2024/25, the IHT nil-rate band is £325,000 – if the total value of your estate is below this threshold, no IHT will be due. Many estates can also make use of the residence nil-rate band if you leave your main home to your children or grandchildren. In 2024/25, the residence nil-rate band is £175,000. 

Importantly, you can pass on unused allowances to your spouse or civil partner. So, if you’re planning as a couple, you may be able to leave up to £1 million before IHT is due. 

While £1 million may seem high, once you start factoring in all your assets, particularly property, you might be closer to the threshold than you initially think. 

There are often steps you can take to reduce a potential IHT bill, including leaving gifts to charity.

The value of the charitable donation is typically removed from the value of your estate before IHT is calculated. As a result, a charitable gift could be used to bring the value below IHT thresholds so your family don’t face a tax bill, while also supporting a good cause. 

3. Leaving at least 10% of your estate to charity could reduce the Inheritance Tax rate

Another option if you want to use giving to reduce an IHT bill is to leave at least 10% of your net estate, after exemptions and reliefs, to charity. This would reduce the IHT rate from 40% to 36%.

Depending on your estate, this rate reduction could mean you leave more to loved ones while creating a charitable legacy.

You can update your will to leave a charitable legacy 

A common way to leave a charitable legacy is to make a charity a beneficiary of your will. 

As part of your will, you could state that a charity should receive a set amount from your estate, a portion of the total assets, or what’s left after other gifts have been given. You can even choose to pass on certain assets to a charity, such as shares or material items. 

While you can write a will yourself, you may want to seek professional legal advice. A solicitor can minimise the chances of mistakes or disputes occurring by ensuring the wording of your will is correct and highlighting potential contradictions or issues.

Contact us to talk about creating a charitable legacy as part of your estate plan

If you want to leave a charitable legacy, we can help you make it part of your wider estate plan. Reviewing charitable giving alongside other aspects of your estate plan may lead to you identifying ways to make tax-efficient donations and ensure they align with wider goals. Please contact us to speak to one of our team and arrange a meeting.  

Please note:

This blog is for general information only and does not constitute advice. The information is aimed at retail clients only.

Please do not act based on anything you might read in this article. All contents are based on our understanding of HMRC legislation, which is subject to change.

The Financial Conduct Authority does not regulate estate or will writing.

Making your present part of your financial plan could enhance your life

As financial planners, we often talk about the importance of working towards long-term goals and security. As part of your financial plan, you might be putting money into a pension for retirement or building an emergency fund to safeguard your finances if you experience a shock.

Considering your long-term ambitions is often important for turning them into a reality. Yet, enjoying the present is just as essential. While it can be difficult to balance your lifestyle needs now with those of your future, it may help you get more out of life. 

Overlooking the present could mean you miss out on experiences 

Planning for the future is important, but you don’t know what’s around the corner. If you take today for granted or put off experiences until later in life you could end up missing out.

You might cut back now and pool all your money into a pension with the plan to travel extensively once you give up work. But if you suffered from ill health before you reached that point, you might not have the opportunity to visit bucket-list destinations or have experiences you’ve been looking forward to for years. 

The Great British Retirement Survey 2023 revealed that almost a fifth of people aged between 56 and 65 have faced a major life event that has changed their retirement plans. The most common reason was ill health. 

Similarly, a higher-paying job might offer the chance to save more for retirement. But if you’re family-oriented and want to strike a better work-life balance, a promotion that will lead to longer working hours or more responsibility might not be right for you when you weigh up the effect it could have on your family life. 

For many people, balancing short- and long-term financial needs is important for living a fulfilling life.

Doing things now and so giving yourself fond memories to look back on could improve your sense of wellbeing. This could be something small like enjoying a nice meal out with friends, or a grander expense, such as planning a trip to hike Machu Picchu in Peru if you love to travel.

Not only could embracing today in your financial plan make you happier now, but it could motivate you to stay on track when you’re working towards long-term goals. Perhaps a holiday that allows you to relax and focus on the things you love will mean you’re more inclined to top up your pension so you can retire and enjoy a slower pace of life sooner. 

An effective financial plan can help you balance the present and future 

It can be difficult to balance your short- and long-term needs. One of the key challenges is understanding how much you need for your future, as well as considering the effect unexpected events might have. That’s why working with a financial planner could prove invaluable. 

Cashflow forecasting is one tool we could use to help you assess how to strike the right balance. It offers a way to visualise how your wealth might change based on the decisions you make.

Let’s say you want to increase your disposable income, so you have the freedom to spend money on days out doing things you enjoy, such as going to the theatre, eating out, or visiting historical locations. To do this, you may need to reduce the amount you are allocating elsewhere, such as your monthly savings or investments. Cashflow forecasting could let you see the impact this decision would have on your future finances.

Armed with this information, you can start to understand how to balance your expenses now with your future goals. You might find your long-term finances would still provide the security you need even if you spent more now, so you feel comfortable adjusting your expenses. On the other hand, you may find a compromise if it could affect your long-term goals.

Having a clear financial plan could mean you’re able to enjoy the present more too.

Financial concerns can take the joy out of experiences you might otherwise have been looking forward to. So, knowing that you’ve taken steps to create long-term financial security may help you live in the moment and take in what life has to offer. 

Get in touch to talk about a financial plan that balances your short- and long-term needs

If you’d like to create a financial plan that balances your lifestyle needs now with long-term goals, please get in touch. We’ll work with you to understand what’s important to you and how you might use your assets to create financial security that lets you enjoy your life now and in the future. 

Please note:

This blog is for general information only and does not constitute advice. The information is aimed at retail clients only.

The Financial Conduct Authority does not regulate cashflow planning.

Explained: When do you need to declare the interest earned on savings?

Rising interest rates have been fantastic news for savers. But it might have left you wondering if you need to pay tax on the interest you’ve earned, and how to pay it if you are liable. 

According to online bank Marcus, 71% of people were not aware that the interest on savings could be taxed. With HMRC predicting that an extra 1 million taxpayers would be liable for tax on savings interest in 2023, some might face an unexpected bill.

Read on to find out what you need to know about tax on savings.

If the interest your savings earn exceeds tax allowances, it could be liable for Income Tax

There are several allowances that you could use to reduce the amount of tax due on the interest your savings earn. 

Personal Allowance

The Personal Allowance is the total income you can receive before Income Tax is due. If your salary, pension or other income doesn’t use up your Personal Allowance, you can use it to earn interest tax-free. In 2024/25, the Personal Allowance is £12,570, so it might be worth reviewing your other income sources when assessing if you could pay tax on interest. 

Personal Savings Allowance

In addition, most people benefit from a Personal Savings Allowance (PSA). If the total interest your savings earn falls below this threshold, they are not liable for Income Tax.

Your PSA depends on the rate of Income Tax you pay. For 2024/25, the PSA is:

• £1,000 for basic-rate taxpayers

• £500 for higher-rate taxpayers

• £0 for additional-rate taxpayers. 

Rising interest rates mean you don’t have to have as much as you once did to exceed the PSA before the interest could become liable for tax.

Indeed, according to Money Saving Expert, as of May 2024, the top easy access account is paying interest of 5.01%. That means basic-rate taxpayers could save £19,960 before they exceed the PSA. For higher-rate taxpayers, this falls to £9,980.

Starting rate for savings

You may also get up to £5,000 of interest and not have to pay tax on it if your income from other sources is below £17,570 in 2024/25, this is known as the “starting rate for savings”. 

If your income is below the Personal Allowance, your starting rate for savings is £5,000. For every £1 of other income above the Personal Allowance you receive, the starting rate for savings reduces by £1. So, if your income is £17,570 or more, you will not benefit from this allowance. 

How to pay tax due on your interest from savings 

If you’ve discovered that your savings exceed these allowances, you will normally need to pay tax at your usual rate of Income Tax.

The good news is that you don’t usually need to do anything to pay tax on the interest earned from savings. If:

• You’re employed or receive a pension, HMRC will change your tax code, so the tax is automatically deducted

• You usually complete a self-assessment tax return, you can report any interest earned on savings when completing your return

• You’re not employed, do not receive a pension, or do not complete a self-assessment tax return, your bank or building society will inform HMRC how much interest you’ve received at the end of the tax year. HMRC will contact you if you need to pay tax.

However, if the total income from savings and investments is more than £10,000 in a single tax year, you will need to register for self-assessment. So, it’s important to be aware if the amount you receive could exceed this threshold. 

An ISA could be a useful way to make your savings tax-efficient 

If the interest your savings have earned could be liable for Income Tax, you may want to consider using an ISA.

In the 2024/25 tax year, you can add up to £20,000 to ISAs, and they provide a tax-efficient way to save and invest. The interest you earn from savings held in an ISA isn’t liable for Income Tax, so it could provide a valuable way to grow your wealth.

You could also opt for a Stocks and Shares ISA, where your money would be invested. Once again, investing through an ISA is tax-efficient, as your returns will not be liable for Capital Gains Tax. However, you should note that investment returns cannot be guaranteed. Before you invest you may want to consider your risk profile, investment time frame, and how investing could fit into your financial plan.

Contact us to discuss how to make your savings tax-efficient 

Depending on your circumstances, there might be other steps you can take to reduce your overall Income Tax bill. Please contact us to arrange a meeting to talk about how to make your finances more tax-efficient as part of a wider financial plan. 

Please note:

This blog is for general information only and does not constitute advice. The information is aimed at retail clients only.

Please do not act based on anything you might read in this article. All contents are based on our understanding of HMRC legislation, which is subject to change.

The value of your investments (and any income from them) can go down as well as up and you may not get back the full amount you invested. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance. 

Investments should be considered over the longer term and should fit in with your overall attitude to risk and financial circumstances.

How a financial plan could alleviate your inflation worries

The uncertainty of how the cost of living will change during your lifetime can make long-term planning difficult. After all, how can you be certain how your expenses will change in 20 years or more? If you’re worried about the effect of inflation on your security, a financial plan could provide peace of mind. 

Research from Ipsos found that inflation is the number one global concern in 2024. Among the 29 countries that are part of the research, 35% of people say inflation is their top concern – in Great Britain, 37% said they were worried about it. 

Given the soaring cost of living over the last two years, it’s not surprising that it’s on many peoples’ minds. Inflation has placed pressure on household budgets around the world, and it may have affected your long-term plans too. For example, you might have cut back your savings or pension contributions to reflect rising day-to-day costs.

In the UK, the Bank of England (BoE) aims to keep inflation at 2%. However, it began to rise above this target in mid-2021 following the Covid-19 pandemic and war in Ukraine. Inflation peaked at 11.1% in October 2022 – the highest figure recorded in more than 40 years. 

While inflation is now nearing the BoE target at 2.3% in the 12 months to April 2024, you might be concerned about how another period of high inflation could affect you in the future. Luckily, a financial plan can help. Here’s how.

A financial plan could help you calculate how your assets and expenses will change over time

A key part of financial planning is understanding how to create long-term financial security. To do this, you’ll often consider how the value of your assets and your outgoings will change over time.

Cashflow modelling could help you visualise the data and see how your assets will change over decades. 

You often start by inputting the value of your assets now, from savings to property. Then, you can assess how they might change during your lifetime. Some of the changes will be based on your actions. For example, if you’re regularly contributing to your pension, the value is likely to grow. 

Other changes might be outside of your control, but you can make certain assumptions to give you an idea of your long-term wealth. For instance, if you’re investing, you might assume that the returns will be 5% each year based on your investment strategy.

Investment returns cannot be guaranteed, and there are likely to be years where your portfolio falls short of or exceeds this assumption. Even so, cashflow modelling can still provide a useful indicator of the value of your assets at different points in your life. 

You’ll also need to input your expenses and factor in how these might change too. This is where you may want to consider inflation. You may account for the cost of living rising by 2% each year in line with the BoE’s target. 

Of course, the unexpected does happen, including inflation rising above the BoE’s target. Cashflow modelling could help you understand how the unexpected might affect your finances.

Cashflow modelling may help you visualise the effect of high inflation 

You can change the assumptions used in cashflow modelling to answer your questions and understand how different scenarios would affect your finances.

For example, you can change the data to calculate how inflation of 8% when you’re retired would affect how quickly you deplete your pension or other assets. 

With a clearer idea about the effect high inflation could have on your financial circumstances, you might take steps to reduce the potential impact. You may choose to ensure you have other assets to fall back on to provide peace of mind, or you could focus on how to grow your wealth through steps like investing so you’re in a better position in a high-inflation environment.

Cashflow modelling can be useful if you want to model other scenarios too. For example, you could see how:

• Taking a lump sum from your pension would affect your income in retirement

• You’d weather a financial shock if you were unable to work due to an illness

• Lower than expected investment returns may impact the value of your estate

• Gifting assets to loved ones could affect your long-term financial security

• Needing to pay for care later in life could affect your wealth

• You could retire early by taking a lower income or increasing contributions during your working life.

So, financial planning could be beneficial if you want to be prepared, both for reaching your goals and for the unexpected.

Contact us to talk about how to manage the impact of inflation on your finances 

There could be steps you can take to manage the risk of inflation affecting your finances in the future. Please contact us to arrange a meeting to discuss your long-term financial plan and how we could support you. 

Please note:

This blog is for general information only and does not constitute advice. The information is aimed at retail clients only.

The value of your investments (and any income from them) can go down as well as up and you may not get back the full amount you invested. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance. 

Investments should be considered over the longer term and should fit in with your overall attitude to risk and financial circumstances.

The Financial Conduct Authority does not regulate cashflow planning. 

3 practical reasons to check your State Pension forecast before you retire

The State Pension is often a useful foundation when you’re creating an income in retirement. Yet, a survey from Just Group found that a third of people didn’t check their State Pension forecast before stopping work.

While the State Pension might not be your primary income in retirement, it’s often valuable because it’s reliable – you’ll receive a regular income when you reach State Pension Age for the rest of your life. In addition, under the triple lock, the State Pension also increases each tax year, which could help maintain your spending power throughout retirement.

So, if you’ve been neglecting your State Pension, it might be worth giving it some attention. Here are three practical reasons to check your State Pension before you retire.

1. The State Pension Age is rising and could be later than you expect

The State Pension Age is the earliest date you can claim your State Pension, and it depends on when you were born.

Currently, the State Pension Age is 66 for both men and women. However, it is slowly rising. For those born after 5 April 1960, there will be a phased increase in State Pension Age to 68. So, the date you can claim the State Pension might be later than you expect.

While further increases haven’t been announced by the government, there are expectations that the State Pension Age will rise again in the future as life expectancy increases. Indeed, the International Longevity Centre calculates the State Pension Age will need to rise to 71 by 2050 to maintain the current ratio of workers to retirees. 

Checking your State Pension forecast before you plan to retire could help you avoid a potential financial shock if you can’t claim it when you expect. 

2. You might want to fill in National Insurance gaps to increase your State Pension

In 2024/25, the full new State Pension is £221.20 a week – more than £11,500 a year. However, to receive the full amount, you will normally need to have made at least 35 qualifying years of National Insurance (NI) contributions. If you have fewer qualifying years, you’ll often receive a portion of the full amount.

If you’re not entitled to the full new State Pension due to gaps in your NI record, you may be able to buy additional years. In some cases, this could boost your income during retirement.

Typically, a full NI year costs £824 and could add up to £302.64 each year to your pre-tax State Pension income. So, you may not need to claim the State Pension for long before you benefit financially.

Before you fill in the gaps, you may want to consider your retirement plans. If you’re still several years away from retirement, you might reach the 35 qualifying years you need without making voluntary contributions.

You can usually only fill in the gaps in your NI record for the last six tax years. So, checking your State Pension forecast before you retire could identify a way to boost your income.

If you want to make voluntary NI contributions, you’ll need to contact HMRC to get a reference and find out exactly how much filling in the gaps could cost you. 

3. Your State Pension could affect your wider retirement plan

Understanding how much you’ll receive from the State Pension and when you can claim it might play an important role in your wider financial plan.

While the money you receive from the State Pension might not be your main source of income in retirement, it could provide a useful foundation to build on. By factoring it in, you might find that you’re on track for a more comfortable retirement than you expected, or that you could afford to withdraw a lump sum from your pension at the start of retirement to tick off bucket list items.

Checking your State Pension forecast could mean you’re in a better position to make retirement decisions, including how you’ll use other assets to support your lifestyle goals.

You can check your State Pension forecast quickly online

Checking your State Pension forecast is often simple. You can use the government tool here or the HMRC app. You can also contact the Future Pension Centre if you’d prefer to receive the information by post, so long as your State Pension Age is more than 30 days away.

Get in touch to talk about your retirement income

The State Pension is often just part of the income you’ll receive in retirement. We could help you create a retirement plan that brings together the different sources of income you might have, including workplace pensions, annuities, investments, property, and more.

Please contact us to talk about your retirement plans and the support we could provide as you prepare for the next chapter of your life.

Please note:

This blog is for general information only and does not constitute advice. The information is aimed at retail clients only.

A pension is a long-term investment not normally accessible until 55 (57 from April 2028). The fund value may fluctuate and can go down, which would have an impact on the level of pension benefits available. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance.

How to beat the potential harmful effects of “loss aversion” on your wealth

“Loss aversion” is a type of bias that could affect how you manage your finances. It’s a concept that was developed by renowned psychologist Daniel Kahneman, who won a Nobel Prize for his influential work and sadly passed away in March 2024. To celebrate his life, read on to find out more about loss aversion and how it could impact you.

One of Kahneman’s main arguments is that people’s behaviours are rooted in decision-making. He noted that bias and heuristics – the mental shortcuts you make to solve problems – are important for making judgements quickly. However, the downside to quick decision-making is that errors can occur. One of the biases he defined was loss aversion.

Losses are more “painful” than gains

In 1979, Kahneman and his associate Amos Tversky coined the term “loss aversion” in a paper. They claimed: “The response to losses is stronger than the response to corresponding gains.”

In a study, Kahneman and Tversky asked participants if they’d rather have a:

A. 50% chance of winning 1,000 Israeli pounds and 50% chance of winning nothing

B. 100% chance of winning 450 Israeli pounds.

People were more likely to choose option B, despite the potential for larger returns if they chose A. The research found that loss aversion gets stronger as the stake or choice grows larger.

Further research highlighted that loss aversion could affect decision-making skills even when the risk of losing was very low. For example, participants were asked which option was more attractive:

A. A 33% chance of winning $1,500, a 66% chance of winning $1,400, and a 1% chance of winning $0.

B.  Winning a guaranteed $920.

Even though option A only had a 1% chance of winning nothing – and the other outcomes were better than option B – loss aversion theory suggests that people are still more likely to choose option B as they think in terms of their current wealth rather than absolute payoffs.

The theory suggests that you’d feel losses more keenly than gains, which could affect how you manage your finances.

2 ways loss aversion could affect your investment decisions

There are many ways loss aversion might affect your decisions, particularly when you’re investing. Here are two examples.

1. Loss aversion may mean you’re more likely to react to investment volatility

If you want to avoid losses, you may be more likely to make knee-jerk decisions if markets experience volatility, whether it’s your investments that have fallen or the wider market. Snap judgements that are based on fear and other emotions could lead to decisions that aren’t right for you.

2. Loss aversion could mean you’re reluctant to let go of assets

In contrast to the first example, loss aversion could mean you hold on to assets even after it made sense to sell them as part of your wider investment strategy because you don’t want to make a loss. In some cases, it could mean the loss grows or that your overall portfolio is no longer aligned with your risk profile and goals.  

How to reduce the effect of loss aversion on your financial decisions

Bias affects everyone when they’re making decisions. It can be useful if you need to make decisions quickly based on your previous experiences and information. Yet, when you want to make financial decisions based on logic, there are ways to reduce the effect loss aversion might be having.

·  Try to emotionally detach from your finances

It can be hard to limit the effect emotions have on your financial decisions. After all, your finances are likely to play an important role in how secure you feel and whether you’re able to reach your goals. Yet, not letting emotions rule your decisions could limit the impact of bias.

Avoiding reading the news, which might report on how markets are “soaring” or “tumbling” could help you reduce decisions that are based on emotions rather than facts. Similarly, while it might be tempting to check in on your investments every day, doing so less frequently could help you manage the emotional effects volatility can have. 

· Create speed bumps to slow down

Emotional decisions are more likely to happen in response to a particular event. For loss aversion, you might decide to sell investments after hearing in the news that a “crash” is coming, or after your investments have experienced a dip.

Often, a bit of time to think gives you a chance to reassess your initial decisions and removes some of the bias that may have been influencing you. So, creating speed bumps to slow you down might be useful. For instance, making yourself wait two days before actioning any changes to your investments may provide the space you need to think logically.

There will still be times when you decide acting on information is right for you. A speed bump might mean you feel more confident about the decision because you’ve given it extra thought.

·  Look at the bigger picture

When you’re investing, it’s likely the value of your assets will fall at some point. Looking at the wider picture could help you put the losses into perspective and consider how to respond.

Let’s say a particular stock has fallen by 10% in a week. No one wants to see that when they review their investments, but how has it performed over the long term? If that stock has delivered consistent growth over several years, you may still have made a gain over the long term, and its value could bounce back.

In addition, how has the value of that stock performed in relation to other assets you hold? Gains in other areas might help to balance it out and mean that, overall, your wealth hasn’t fallen.

· Work with a financial planner

Working with a finance professional may help you better understand when bias is affecting your decisions. Having someone with a different perspective who understands your circumstances and goals may be valuable. They could highlight when you’d benefit from taking a step back and considering alternative options.

Please contact us if you’d like to arrange a meeting with a financial planner. We can discuss how we could support your goals and work with you to create a tailored financial plan.

Please note:

This blog is for general information only and does not constitute advice. The information is aimed at retail clients only.

The value of your investments (and any income from them) can go down as well as up and you may not get back the full amount you invested. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance.

Investments should be considered over the longer term and should fit in with your overall attitude to risk and financial circumstances.

4 compelling reasons you might want to consolidate your pension

It’s been more than a decade since auto-enrolment was introduced, and now most workers automatically become members of their employer’s pension scheme. While more people saving for retirement is excellent news, it could mean you end up juggling multiple pots.

One option is to transfer one pension to another, known as “consolidation”. It’s usually simple to do and there are many reasons why you might want to transfer a pension. However, there are also some potential drawbacks that you may wish to weigh up first.

Here are four compelling reasons you might want to transfer one pension to another.

1. It could make it easier to keep track of your savings during your working life

With each job potentially providing you with a pension, the number of pots you might need to manage could become overwhelming during your working life. Indeed, according to Zippia, the average person has 12 different jobs in their lifetime.

Keeping track of several pensions can be difficult. Not only could it make calculating if you’re on track for retirement challenging, but it may be easier to “lose” some of your savings too. According to Aviva, there could be as many as 2.8 million lost pensions in the UK, with a combined value of £26.6 billion.

Consolidating your pension could make handling your retirement plans easier during your working life.

2. Fewer pensions could make creating a retirement income simpler

Similarly, managing multiple pensions in retirement could also be complicated. If you’re juggling several pots, you might need to consider how to spread withdrawals across them and regularly review how the value of each one has changed to ensure withdrawals are sustainable.

Transferring your pensions could make the decisions you make once you retire simpler and your finances easier to manage throughout the next stage of your life.

3. Pension consolidation could reduce the fees you pay overall

Usually, you’ll pay a fee to your pension provider for running your pension scheme and investing on your behalf. This may be a set amount or a percentage of your total pension pot.

Fees vary between providers, so it may be worth reviewing how much you’re paying each pension scheme and considering if transferring could reduce the overall cost. Lower fees mean more of your contributions will be invested for your retirement, which could help your savings grow at a faster pace.

4. You could transfer your retirement savings to a scheme that is performing well

Typically, your pension is invested with the aim of delivering long-term growth. So, transferring your money to a scheme that has investment options that suit your needs or perform well could deliver a boost to the value of your pension over the long term.

When you’re reviewing the performance of your pension, remember to focus on the long term. Short-term market movements may affect the value of your pension, but over a longer time frame markets have, historically, delivered returns.

3 essential reasons you might choose not to transfer your pension

While there might be a good case for transferring your pension, there are reasons not to do so too. Here are three reasons you may decide to leave your retirement savings with your current pension scheme.

1. You have a defined benefit (DB) pension

A DB pension, also known as a “final salary pension”, would provide you with a guaranteed income from your retirement date for the rest of your life to create long-term security. They are often generous, and it usually doesn’t make financial sense to transfer out of a DB pension.

You will normally need to receive specialist financial advice to transfer out of a DB pension to ensure you understand the benefits you’d be losing.

Transferring out of a DB scheme is unlikely to be in the best interests of or be suitable for most people.

2. Your pension provides additional benefits

When you transfer out of a pension, you’d lose any additional benefits that come with it. So, it might be worth reviewing what your pension offers and whether benefits could be valuable to you.

For example, your pension could allow you to access your savings earlier, which might be useful if you want to retire sooner, or provide a guaranteed annuity rate when you start to take an income from it.

3. Withdrawing from small pension pots could be useful

Having several smaller pension pots might be useful if you want to access some of your savings and continue to contribute. “Small pots” are usually defined as a pension with a value of less than £10,000.

In some cases, you might be able to withdraw money from a small pot without triggering the Money Purchase Annual Allowance, which would reduce the amount you can tax-efficiently contribute to a pension in 2024/25 to just £10,000, compared to the usual £60,000.

Considering your retirement plans and reviewing each pension before you decide to transfer it to another scheme could help you decide if consolidation is right for you.

You should also note that transferring your pension may come with a fee. Make sure you understand the potential cost before you proceed.

Contact us to arrange a meeting to discuss your pension and retirement

If you’re thinking about consolidating your pensions and would like to understand if it’s the right decision for you, please get in touch. We can provide tailored advice about your retirement plan and how you could turn goals into a reality.

Please note:

This blog is for general information only and does not constitute advice. The information is aimed at retail clients only.

A pension is a long-term investment not normally accessible until 55 (57 from April 2028). The fund value may fluctuate and can go down, which would have an impact on the level of pension benefits available. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance.

The tax implications of pension withdrawals will be based on your individual circumstances. Thresholds, percentage rates, and tax legislation may change in subsequent Finance Acts.