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Pensions Planning: The NUMBER
The NUMBER is how much income you need to "live comfortably" So What's your number? Very important for pensions planning, to know what you are aiming for. My Number? (for a couple) I calculated: £22,000 based on Food £5,000 Car/transport £5,000 Bills/Utilities £4,500 Holidays/Leisure £4,500 Clothing/Cash/Xmas/Other £2,000…
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Success Stories - Pensions
This is a bit of a light topic where the idea is to highlight what successes you had with your pension pots. Example - I contributed X and accumulated Y by Z year. Total appreciation was 'x' percent. Just trying to learn the following that could inspire a range of people - those with no pension, those who started late etc.…
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Acronyms etc..
Hello to all. As a fairly new forum user I would appreciate someone posting a key to the acronyms and arcane terms used when discussing pension issues. Thank you in advance.
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Pensions, Annuities & Retirement Planning Sticky
Welcome to the new Pensions, Annuities and Retirement Planning sticky! 👋 📖 Here are some Forum threads you may find useful (if there are any you think have been missed, please do let us know): * Can I cash in my pension? * Early-retirement wannabe * It's time to start digging up those Squirrelled Nuts!!!! 📝 And here's some…
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Taking out of civil service pension ?
Hi I know some pensions you can take your money out of. My daughter has been with the civil service for just over two years. She never opted into the pension and she was never told who it was with until today . She spoke to the Manchester company who holds it and they’ve said it’s locked for 25 years . Is there anyway she…
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The app Itsme
I have been able to access my Belgian pension online for the last 10 years using an identification key. They have written to inform me that it is being replaced. Quite frankly, it's like being in a maze where the exit is invisible. From their various options I chose the app Itsme. I managed to scan my passport but have…
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Belgian pension online problem
I was notified by the Belgian state last week that my login credentials would no longer apply from February 2026. I have signed into www.mypension.be since 2016 with a password which they now say will no longer be valid. They tell me to get an eID... But in order to get it, I need to travel to Belgium which is not…
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New SIPP with II - Does the £100 offer mean transfer £16,000 or £20,000 net to qualify?
I was planning on opening a new SIPP in January with II anyway and can see that II has an offer that if you transfer £20,000 into your SIPP you qualify for the £100. I know I could contact them to clarify this and I probably will have to for confirmation but wondered if anybody knew whether if I opened a new SIPP with them…
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Pension switching incentives
Lots of coverage on incentives for current account switching, but none that I've seen for pensions. I kind of get it - bank accounts are a well oiled process, don't involve long waits, differing paperwork requirements, and potentially large sums needing to move. But given that the demographic of this board is made up of a…
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Withdraw money to pay into pension, to rescue tax?
Hi all, after some advice as I’m fighting myself on this one but I think I know the answer. I’m 31, currently have est 32k in S&S isa and 35k in a SIPP. Plus 10-12k float / cash flow at hand. I’m self employed and this year my earning have increased by about 15k to previous years which is great, however it will also have a…
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Can I AVC my Xmas bonus
Ooft - very grateful for my Xmas bonus but have been whacked in tax. Can I send most of my bonus to my company Nest pension as an AVC to save tax? We don't have salary sacrifice set up yet - but if it's quick I could set it up for the company - so maybe others that have been whacked have the option also?
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mccloud back money paid - confusion over taxable elements
afternoon all I have had and read very helpful advice on this section of the forum over the years. I'm hopeful someone can give me their thoughts on this please. I don't feel its an hmrc issue yet as its current year so I haven't contacted them. I'm not sure how far I'd get asking capita seeing the issues they are having.…
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Pension recycling calculation for soon to be retiree
Help required with Pensions recycling rules and allowances. 22/23 £11,695 23/24 £ 8,307 24/25 £ 7,430 25/26 £ 8,533 £77,575
Tax Free Lump Sum taken from Defined Benefit Pension 26/27 to
take early retirement in April 26 27/28 So, Pension payments for previous 2 years from the Lump sum year were decreasing. The max…
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New Capita-run Civil Service Pension Scheme - problems (what a surprise!)
So, Capita have taken over the admin for the CSPS and their new website and members portal went live this week. I have just registered on the new portal and am not in the least bit surprised to find that the information available on the new portal is very scant and incorrect in terms of my length of service. With…
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Is II a no brainer
Hi I am gearing up to drawdown. I have SIPPS with Aviva and HL. Both have been easy use platforms BUT Aviva Annual fee £875 HL £1125 (+ £450 for spouse small pot) II £156pa on any size pot. (figures from Which) So where's the catch?
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Equities exposure when approaching retirement age
Morning all, hope everybody is in good health. I am hoping to retire in 2 year , when I will be 57. Currently I receive a DB of 32k (long story) whilst still in employment. I have a S+S ISA of about £80k , which is 60/40 (60% equities) I also have a works place DC pension which is currently about £370k, I am aware equities…
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Bold leap into retirement
Morning all, I hope you have managed to find some time for yourself in what can be a busy period. We have enjoyed spending time with family over the last 3 days, it’s a quiet one today, then off to visit more family tomorrow. I’m not planning anything wild for NYE, but have been really starting to think about what I want…
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Use SIPP Tax Free Cash Or ISAs First
I am 64, still employed and have 5 years of living expenses in ISAs. I also have a SIPP from which I have yet to drawdown any money. The ISAs are maturing in January/February and, at that time, I envisage needing the same amount of cash for various purposes. It seems to me that pre-2027 (pensions coming into the estate)…
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Pension pot tiny at 52
Hi - I’ve had some rubbish years, raising disabled kids, taking redundancy and basically any money we’ve had has gone on the house, bills, illness despite earning decent ish (I earn £29k). Still a mortgage on a tiny 4 bed. can’t downsize (it’s not worth a lot, south east, kids all live here). Husband is 65 and I can’t…
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Now I've retired, trying to decide if I should pay anything more into my DC pension this tax year.
Good morning all. As I've posted elsewhere in these forums, I retired with effect from 30th September this year at age 56. Based on the following figures, if I decided to pay anything more into my SIPP, what would the maximum amount be? Tax year 2025/2026 Gross Salary - £24,968.34 (only worked 6 months of this tax year)…
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A.I. Check
Has anyone else done the same as me? I suddenly thought.. 'I will put all my financial details into Chat GPT and Gemini. ( Everything Cash, ISA's, Pensions, Premium Bonds etc What my risk level, age, etc My thoughts / plans etc etc etc And then asked it for the most logical way to use my assets in retirement. The results…
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SIPP contributions and whether a self assessment tax return is required
Very grateful for opinions on the following please. I would like to open a new SIPP in January 2026 but am unsure whether a self assessment tax return would be required for the year 6th April 2026 to 5th April 2027. I'm going to use a simple example to illustrate my question: Gross salary (after employee pension…
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Non Regulated Advice
I am happy with my investments and want to maintain control of my own financials. I completely understand, and respect the fact, that this does not make me an ideal customer for an IFA. I enjoy doing my own research and, at 64, have a pretty clear view as to what I should be doing in terms of retirement/estate planning.…
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Pension forecast
I tried getting a pension forecast online. Filled everything in, put passport details then it asked for another form of ID as well, which I don't have. I didn't want to ring so I printed out the form and sent it off on September 12th. Still waiting. Does it normally take so long ?. Thanks
Got questions about boosting your state pension by checking your record with the Future Pension Centre and making voluntary National Insurance contributions?
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Most recent: Voluntary NI contributions cut off 2025 by Silvertabby
19 December at 7:04PM
