The way that pension freedoms are being used is becoming something of a worry for some financial experts.

George Osborne gave his Autumn Statement and Spending Review. We have highlighted some of the key points from the Chancellor’s speech.

Charles James MD, Dean Thorpe, recently spoke about pensions at the Taylor Bracewell seminar in Sheffield. On the agenda were auto-enrolment pensions and recent changes to pension flexibility.

It’s quite easy to let the details of pensions pass you by, so we take a look at some of the myths about retirement planning.

From the 12th October, you could be entitled to receive an extra £25 a week in state pension.

Pensions encourage people to think about their finances ahead of retirement, however the current pension system may actually discourage saving.

Since the new pension freedoms took effect in April, figures show that savers have been taking out £27m a day.

Changes to pension tax relief are coming in April next year.

Pensions are one of the best ways to secure your future after retirement, however pension scams are becoming more commonplace in the UK, putting people’s savings at risk.

Planning for retirement is important, however it extends much further than organising the best pension you can. It has recently been revealed that a worrying number of over 55s are approaching retirement with substantial debts still outstanding, which could drastically impact the amount of pension the individual has access to.

With the announcement of the emergency budget on July 8th, there are expected to be many changes to a number of financial legislations. One expected change is to the way tax free allowance is structured. Pre-election, the Conservative manifesto included details about how high earners’ tax relief would be decreased in order to fund an inheritance tax allowance increase of up to £1 million. 

With the upcoming General Election, it may be time to think about your finances ahead of changes to current policies and legislation. As we get closer to the day, it is wise to read up on what a new government will mean for your savings and investments. With a hung parliament likely, some of the smaller parties may get chance to push through some of their policies which could come as  a surprise to some.

Announcing plans for how the Government proposes to handle the deficit, pensions, tax, savings and public spending (to name a handful of topics), economists have been examining the details and identifying the budget's impact. 

By now, all small businesses should be aware of workplace pensions. You might have seen the advertising on TV – ‘Workplace Pensions. We’re All In’. That may already be true of the country’s largest businesses, but to smaller businesses and their employees, implementation is now looming large on the horizon. If you employ one or more qualifying people, then at some point you will have to comply and set up a qualifying Auto Enrolment Pension Scheme.

Planning for retirement is not a straightforward process, and when it comes to choosing a pension there are lots of different things to take into account. You may not be aware, but there are actually three different types of pensions. Let’s explain a little about them…

Pensions are a tax advantaged way of saving for retirement. You may already have a pension you can pay into, such as a work pension. If you haven’t got one already, and are looking into starting one, you may want to consider the following…

Recently, we looked at how pension flexibility allows you to use your pension “like a bank account” once you reach the minimum age.

For those of you who are not yet at retirement, may have questions about pensions and what you need to consider when planning for the longest holiday of your life – retirement. Here are our top 5 things to think about when organising your pension.

“Freedom and choice in pensions” is something of a hot topic at the moment, but you may be unaware of what this means for you. After April 2015, once you reach the minimum retirement age of 55 (this may be earlier if forced to retire due to ill-health) you will have the freedom to access your personal/company pension as and when you please. There will no longer be an annual limit on how much you are allowed to withdraw and you will be able to use your pension fund “like a bank account”.