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Pension Drawdowns

Hi not sure what I am going to do, I have reached 55 have a pension pot of 100k. Should I consider pension drawdown, I am not getting good returns on my pension at the moment. I was thinking of taking the 25 per cent tax free and putting the rest in a drawdown fund. Any suggestions

Comments

  • MallyGirl
    MallyGirl Posts: 7,331 Senior Ambassador
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    what is the pension invested in?
    you aren't just looking at last year are you are everything went down in 2018?
    are you planning to retire now?
    is this your only pension?
    if you take anything beyond the tax free 25% then you are limited to £4k contributions for the rest of your life
    I’m a Senior Forum Ambassador and I support the Forum Team on the Pensions, Annuities & Retirement Planning, Loans
    & Credit Cards boards. If you need any help on these boards, do let me know. Please note that Ambassadors are not moderators. Any posts you spot in breach of the Forum Rules should be reported via the report button, or by emailing forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com.
    All views are my own and not the official line of MoneySavingExpert.
  • MallyGirl
    MallyGirl Posts: 7,331 Senior Ambassador
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    I will delete your similar thread in the stoozing board as that is the wrong place for it.
    I’m a Senior Forum Ambassador and I support the Forum Team on the Pensions, Annuities & Retirement Planning, Loans
    & Credit Cards boards. If you need any help on these boards, do let me know. Please note that Ambassadors are not moderators. Any posts you spot in breach of the Forum Rules should be reported via the report button, or by emailing forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com.
    All views are my own and not the official line of MoneySavingExpert.
  • Thanks for the reply not looking to retire, but work less and earn less. I do have a pension of about £13k at the moment. Now will be self employed so not putting much into my pension Pot.
  • mgdavid
    mgdavid Posts: 6,710 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    you appear to have low pension provision given you should live another 30 years and maybe 40 ! I'd keep working and building savings and pension, and leave this one alone to grow some more.
    The questions that get the best answers are the questions that give most detail....
  • jamesd
    jamesd Posts: 26,103 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    kevgreen36 wrote: »
    have a pension pot of 100k. Should I consider pension drawdown, I am not getting good returns on my pension at the moment. I was thinking of taking the 25 per cent tax free and putting the rest in a drawdown fund. Any suggestions
    It's not being in a pension that produces the performance, it's the investments. So what investments are you using in the pension, how would you change them outside and can you make the same changes inside this pension?

    It's been a fairly mediocre year or two for the investments you're most likely to be using.

    When you reach state pension age you'll probably get 8.5k state pension on top of the 13k. Is 20.5k a year OK?

    A 100k pot could be used to do one of these things:

    1. add around 4k a year from state pension age for life
    2. add around 7k a year from now until state pension age with almost nothing left at state pension age but more level spending from now until death
    3. add around £3k a year from now until death
    4. do some topping up to say 20k a year in years when our self-employment income isn't high enough. Probably leaves some left over to increase your income after state pension age

    Do any of those interest you?
  • Mnd
    Mnd Posts: 1,699 Forumite
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    MallyGirl wrote: »
    if you take anything beyond the tax free 25% then you are limited to £4k contributions for the rest of your life

    Just to clarify, this is an annual allowance, not just £4k for the rest of your life
    No.79 save £12k in 2020. Total end May £11610
    Annual target £24000
  • atush
    atush Posts: 18,731 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    kevgreen36 wrote: »
    Thanks for the reply not looking to retire, but work less and earn less. I do have a pension of about £13k at the moment. Now will be self employed so not putting much into my pension Pot.

    This money is for when you arent working, and you are working now. Leave it to grow, no point in taking the TFLS unless you need it.
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