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Pensions, annuities & retirement planning

For help with everything to do with pensions and retirement.

Uncrystallised Pension
Hi, I currently have a uncrystallised pension of £600,000.00 that I am looking to access at 55. I have a DB pension which is £12500.00 per annum which utilises the nil tax personal allowance. My pension is invested 100% equities and I want to take out £15,000.00 per annum tax free. Am I correct that this will reduce the…
Choosing an IFA
Following on my from my previous threads I am considering investing myself based on information received frompeople on here, but I am also considering IFA. Looking around I am finding that the initial charge of 2% seems normal with on-going advice around 0.75~0.8%. I have paid 1% previously but had that reduced to 0.5% as…
USS Deferred Retirement Delays
Dear All, I would be grateful for your views and advice. I am taking early retirement and want to start taking benefits from my private pension scheme (USS). They stated that they would handle all the paperwork for that if given 8 weeks to process it. I submitted my paperwork 10 weeks in advance. They did not process it in…
Question: Is the Pension Credit Department Collecting Data regarding missed prior years
Dear All, Several weeks ago a received a phone call from someone claiming to be from the Pension Credit Department regarding my request to buy missed prior years. They asked for my NI, DOB and Residency Status. Because I was pleased to receive a call regarding this issue I gave out that information. I then became…
Apparent large loss after buying index linked gilt
Just bought a tranche of TR26 IL gilt (22/3/26, 0.125%) on iweb and it is showing an immediate loss of 35%. Buy price was 154 rather than the clean 99.4. Managed to stay calm - just.I have only boiught conventional gilts before and the apparent loss was much smaller and it is easy to see how it represente interst payments…
Withholding Pension Contributions – 9 Months of Deductions, Incomplete Payments
I’ve been employed with my current employer for 9 months. Since my start date, pension contributions have been deducted from my salary, with employer-matched contributions also due under the Aegon SMART pension scheme. A few months ago, after repeated follow-up, I gained access to my Aegon account. Neither my employer or…
USS Personal Allowance Calculation - any advice please
How do I work out what I have left in my personal allowance (max is £60,000) if I retire at the end of this month? Is there a calculation I can make? The USS Contributions & Tax Calculator allows me to model against the Annual Allowance, but does this for a full year. I suppose I could divide by 3, (four months, April to…
British and Irish State Pensions. Advice needed.
Hello, I'm British, a UK resident and I currently have 21 years of UK National Insurance contributions built up. I also lived and worked in the Republic of Ireland and have built up 24 years of PRSI (Irish National Insurance) contributions. I therefore qualify for a full Irish State Pension but I will not qualify for the…
Annuities or take the cash ?
My first ever post, your thoughts would be appreciated as I have no financial acumen and am going round in circles. I am 60 and my freestanding AVC has matured and I have £36,500. I want to take the 25% tax free ( £9000). Do I get a drawdown product, a fixed annuity or a lifetime one at £ 1300 pa ( escalating, joint life…
Child benefit NI contributions and Self Employment
I am a stay at home parent, partner brings in around 50k. I receive full NI credits via our child benefit payment which I will get for another few years yet. My query is; I have this year been making a small amount of money from selling products, which if I keep going, will go over £1,000 by end of 2025-26 tax year. I…
deferred pension arrears extra payment tax
Hi there. I aplied for my deferred state pension last July. It is for 10 years. The DWP took so long dealing with it all papers getting stuck in Belfast etc that they did not get my basic award notice to me till the end of March. Then proceeded to put about £11,000 into my account on the 7th april.. after the tax year end!…
Pension consolidation into a Salary Scheme (defined benefit) pension
Has anyone experienced consolidation into a Salary Scheme pension? I can see from the info page on this site that its advised not to take out of these as they are valuable but doesn't mention anything about the other way. Especially as the process is complicated as the Salary scheme provider gives you a 'transfer…
NHS Pension and Redundancy
It looks like there is a strong possibility of redundancy just around the corner. That's not all bad, I've been planning my bridging pension for some time. It looks like if it did happen any redundancy payment would be made in the current financial year and a very big chunk (I'm aware first 30k would be tax free) would be…
Cheapest Sipp: build yourself a low cost DIY pension article
This discussion relates to the Cheapest Sipp: build yourself a low cost DIY pension Article To discuss click reply
Aegon s.32 Buyout Plan
Hi, I'm a long time lurker, first time poster. I have been enjoying this forum immensely over the last few years, especially since I saw the road to retirement end date in sight. So last week I am pleased to say I handed in my notice and triggered early retirement (ER) commencing in just over 3 months time. I have a…
65 and taking retirement in 4 months due to ill health
Help! Have no clue. I am leaving my current job in 4 months on ill severance (on garden leave for 3 months) state pension kicks in next February at age 65. I have 6 different pensions aside from my current jobs, which I am applying for ill retirement. Is it a good idea to cash in your pension pots or pool together on an…
Late husband's pension
My late husband had a pension (approx £100k), which is now mine. They say it falls outside the estate, whatever that means.. I have a choice as to how you receive the funds, your options are as follows: 1. Take it all as cash. 2. Buy a guaranteed income. 3. Transfer it to another provider. 4. Take a flexible income. No…
Managing impact of 2025 IHT on Pension pot
HI all, I am now of state pension age with a decent sum of money in a private pension. My plan was to leave the private pension invested long term to provide income to me and my wife and then on my death to provide benefits to my spouse and possibly son who are both named beneficiaries. However, the recent changes in IHT…
Considering annuities
Again on the ongoing search for what to do for retirement income.....I am currently looking at the possibility of annuities. But am a bit confused. (previous - Ongoing search for a place for my pension — MoneySavingExpert Forum ) OK so the pot in question is currently about £136k which is up nicely from a year back. It's a…
Tax relief on SIPP Contributions for Director
I am controlling Director of my Company. If my company makes contributions in to my SIPP (which it books as a business expense) am I still able to personally claim tax relief on these contributions in to my SIPP up to a maximum of £60,000 pa

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MSE News

Ofgem proposes new 'no standing charge' Price Cap – but Martin Lewis warns vulnerable customers need to be opted in or it won't work
Ofgem has today launched detailed proposals for a major shake up to its Energy Price Cap that dictates the price over 80% of homes in England, Scotland and Wales pay for their energy bills.
Lloyds, Halifax and Bank of Scotland to cut overdraft rates for millions but hike them for others – here's what's happening and full help
If you're a Lloyds, Halifax or Bank of Scotland current account holder, the interest rate you're charged for using your overdraft could change soon as part of a fees shake-up. The Lloyds Banking Group, which owns all three brands, says millions of its customers will pay less after the changes – but a "few" will pay more.
Warm Home Discount expansion confirmed with millions more eligible for the £150 top-up this winter – here's what we know
Around 2.7 million more low-income households, including 900,000 families with children, will become eligible for the £150 Warm Home Discount this winter, as the Government has confirmed it will remove the existing 'hard to heat' eligibility criteria. The extension has only been confirmed for winter 2025/26, with further changes possible for future years.
Martin Lewis: At last a chance to fix Council Tax flaws impacting millions – debt collection, difficulty challenging your band, discounts and more
Major flaws in the Council Tax system in England could finally be fixed in future, as the Government has launched a wide-ranging consultation to review hideous debt collection practices, the difficulty of challenging your band, the overly complex and horribly-named Severe Mental Impairment discount and more. MoneySavingExpert.com founder Martin Lewis, who has long campaigned on these issues, shares his response and analysis.
Energy complaints to be dealt with more quickly and Energy Ombudsman to get new powers under Government plans
If you have a complaint about your energy firm, it may be resolved more quickly in future, as the Government has announced a raft of proposals to strengthen consumer protections in the energy market. The planned changes include giving the Energy Ombudsman new powers to force firms to comply with its decisions – but it's still very early days. Here's what we know so far.
Warm Home Discount expansion confirmed with millions more eligible for the £150 top-up this winter – here's what we know
Around 2.7 million more households, including 900,000 families with children, will become eligible for the £150 Warm Home Discount this winter, as the Government has confirmed it will remove the existing 'hard to heat' eligibility criteria. The extension has only been confirmed for winter 2025/26, with further changes possible for future years.
Base rate held at 4.25% – here's what it means and when it might be cut next
The Bank of England has held the base rate at 4.25%. Below we explain why, when it might be cut, plus what it means for your mortgage and savings.
Applied for South West Trains 'boundary fares' compensation? Act now to claim it
If you applied for compensation from South West Trains before the deadline in January 2025, you now need to provide your bank details to the claim administrator so it can be paid to you. Here's what you need to know.
Winter Fuel Payments to be reinstated for millions – Martin Lewis explains how it'll work, what it means and if it's an improvement
All State Pensioners in England and Wales will receive a Winter Fuel Payment this winter, though those who earn over £35,000 will see it clawed back through the tax system. It means nine million pensioners will get the £200 or £300 top-up. Here MoneySavingExpert.com founder Martin Lewis shares his instant response and analysis, and we include answers to your key questions.

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Pensions, annuities & retirement planning

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