retirement planning Archives

Planning ahead: learn about types of pensions

Posted on 2 October 202428 March 2025 by Sophie Soraf

Your guide to retirement planning

Pensions can be complicated because there are different types of pensions, and different rules that govern them, plus also lots of options for what you can do with a pension when you want to use the money. It’s worth understanding the main concepts so that you can make choices that could have a significant impact on the quality of your retirement. Before making any decisions about pensions, you should always consult an independent financial adviser.

What are the different types of pensions?

There are three major pension options and most people fund their retirement through a combination of one, two or all three of these types.

Private pensions

Also known as ‘defined contribution’ or ‘money purchase’ pensions, you pay part of your earnings into a pension fund, which your provider invests. The final amount depends on your contributions, fund performance, fees, and how you withdraw the money.

State pension

A weekly payment (£203.85) paid from age 66, gradually increasing to 67 and 68 depending on your birth date. To qualify, you need at least 10 years of National Insurance contributions (NICs), with 35 years required for the full amount.

Workplace pensions

Provided by your employer, a portion of your salary is automatically deducted and topped up by employer contributions and government tax relief, unless you opt out.

How to make your workplace pension better for the future?

You could do the following:

Review your fund choices: Adjust your investments based on your risk tolerance. Many providers offer tools to help assess your risk profile.
Consolidate pensions: Transfer existing pensions into your workplace pension to simplify management and boost its value. You can often do this directly or with financial advice.
Increase contributions: Consider raising your contribution percentage with your employer or HR. Basic rate taxpayers get 20% tax relief, while higher-rate taxpayers get 40%. Salary sacrifice is also an option.

For help, contact your pension provider or a financial adviser. You typically receive tax relief on all contributions up to annual and lifetime limits.

Is there a limit on how much I can pay into a pension?

You can contribute as much as you like to your pension, but the amount of tax relief you can claim is limited. For the 2023-24 tax year, the Annual Allowance is £60,000 or 100% of your earnings, whichever is lower. If you’ve used up your current Annual Allowance, you may be able to carry forward unused allowances from the previous three years, provided you were a member of a pension scheme during that time.

For higher earners with a taxable income over £200,000, the Tapered Annual Allowance reduces the amount of tax-relievable contributions. If you’ve flexibly accessed your pension, the Money Purchase Annual Allowance (MPAA) applies, limiting contributions to £10,000 per year from April 2023.

When can I access my pension?

Pension freedoms introduced in 2015 allow you greater flexibility in how you can access certain pension pots from age 55; this will increase to 57 from 6th April 2028. This greater flexibility gives more options but is only available on certain types of pensions and you should seek advice to assess what your specific options are.

How we can help

Our advisers simplify your options and tailor a plan based on your financial goals, risk tolerance, and tax position.

So, if you would like to discuss your pension options and retirement planning, do get in touch. We are only a phone call away. You can be sure that all our advice and recommendations will be focused on getting you the best possible result.

_{This material is intended to be for information purposes only and is not intended as an offer or solicitation for the purchase or sale of any financial instrument. It is not intended to provide and should not be relied on for accounting, legal or tax advice, or investment recommendations. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future returns and all investments involve risks. Some information quoted was obtained from external sources we consider to be reliable.}

_{Tees is a trading name of Tees Financial Limited which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Registered number 211314. Tees Financial Limited is registered in England and Wales. Registered number 4342506.}

Estate planning: Equity release and inheritance tax

Posted on 26 June 202329 March 2025 by Sarah O'Sullivan

Paul and Margaret Evans are a retired couple in their late 70s. They own a valuable property worth £1.2 million and have savings and investments worth £800,000. They have two children and wish to minimise the impact of inheritance tax on their estate, while ensuring they have sufficient funds for their retirement.

Client objectives: Paul and Margaret Evans wish to reduce their potential inheritance tax liability and maximise the amount they can pass on to their children. They also want to maintain their current standard of living and have the flexibility to access additional funds if needed.

Strategy: To achieve their objectives, Paul and Margaret decide to explore the option of equity release as a part of their inheritance tax planning. Equity release allows them to release a portion of the value tied up in their property while continuing to live in it.

Recommendation and Implementation:

Initial Meeting: Paul and Margaret discuss with Toni Chalmers-Smith, their financial adviser at Tees Wealth, inheritance tax planning and equity release. Toni assesses their financial situation, including their property value, savings and investments, and determines the potential inheritance tax liability.

Equity Release Option: After reviewing Paul and Margaret’s financial situation, Toni recommends a lifetime mortgage as the most suitable equity release option. A lifetime mortgage allows them to borrow against the value of their property, either as a lump sum or in smaller amounts over time.

Loan Amount and Interest Rates: Toni calculates the loan amount Paul and Margaret can release based on their age, property value, and health conditions. They also discuss the interest rates, repayment options, and implications for their estate.

Estate Protection: To ensure that the inheritance for their children is maximised, Paul and Margaret decide to opt for an interest roll-up plan. This means they won’t make regular interest payments, and the interest will be added to the loan balance. The loan, including the accumulated interest, will be repaid upon their death or if they move into long-term care.

Inheritance Tax Planning: By releasing a portion of their property’s value, Paul and Margaret can use the funds to make gifts to their children, reducing the overall value of their estate. They consult with a solicitor at Tees to ensure the gifts are structured appropriately within the inheritance tax rules and exemptions.

Ongoing Review: Paul and Margaret maintain regular contact with Toni and their solicitor to review their estate planning strategy and make adjustments as needed. They understand that changes in legislation or their personal circumstances may require modifications to their inheritance tax planning approach.

Outcome

By utilising equity release for inheritance tax planning, Paul and Margaret achieve several objectives:

Inheritance Tax Savings: By gifting a portion of the released equity to their children, Paul and Margaret effectively reduce the value of their estate, potentially resulting in significant inheritance tax savings.

Retained Standard of Living: Paul and Margaret can access the released funds to maintain their current lifestyle, cover healthcare expenses, or enjoy travel and leisure activities during their retirement.

Flexibility: With an interest roll-up plan, Paul and Margaret have the flexibility to choose how and when they access the funds, whether as a lump sum or in smaller amounts over time with a drawdown facility. This provides them with financial security and peace of mind.

Legacy for Children: By reducing their inheritance tax liability and making gifts during their lifetime, Paul and Margaret can pass on a larger portion of their estate to their children, ensuring a more substantial financial legacy.

Important Considerations:

If you are releasing equity to gift money to another person, this will be exempt from IHT if you live for 7 years thereafter, and do not derive any direct or indirect benefit back.  However, if you die within 7 years of making the gift, it will be brought back into account with the rest of your estate when calculating the tax.

It’s crucial to note that equity release, including lifetime mortgages, is a complex financial product. Mr and Mrs Evans sought professional advice from a qualified financial adviser and solicitor to ensure they understood the risks, costs, and implications of their chosen strategy. Everyone’s circumstances are unique, and it’s important to consult with a specialist within this area of advice.

Tees is a trading name of Tees Financial Ltd, which is authorised & regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, Registered in England, and Wales number 4342506.

Tees is a trading name of Stanley Tee LLP regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority, Registered in England in England, and Wales number OC327874.

Why Choose SIPPs? The Advantages of Personal Pensions

Posted on 6 April 202328 March 2025 by Sophie Soraf

If you want a flexible and straightforward way to save for your retirement that puts you in the driving seat, a self-invested personal pension, or SIPP, might be appropriate. Here, we explain how a SIPP works so that you can consider whether it could be the right pension plan for you.

What is a SIPP?

A SIPP (Self Invested Personal Pension) is a type of personal pension that gives you the freedom to choose and manage your own investments, allowing you to make decisions that determine how your pension pot performs. A SIPP acts as a wrapper that can hold a number of different investments and is invested until you want to make withdrawals when you retire.

You can also choose to transfer in existing pensions, but it’s important to check whether you will be charged transfer fees for doing so. If the fees are high, it’s generally best to leave your existing pensions where they are.

What are the tax benefits?

SIPPs work in a similar way to other types of pension in that you can pay into them whenever you want and they enjoy the same generous tax perks. This means that for every contribution you make, the government will give you 20% tax relief. So, if you paid in £100, this would effectively be topped up to £125. This basic-rate tax relief is added to your pension automatically as your provider will claim it for you from the government.

Higher-rate taxpayers (40%) can claim up to a further 20% in tax relief through their tax return, while additional-rate taxpayers (45%) can claim up to a further 25%.

Are there any limits on SIPP contributions?

You can pay as much as you like into your pension, but there is a limit on the amount of tax relief you can claim. Most people get tax relief on pension contributions up to 100% of their salary each tax year, capped at the Annual Allowance of £60,000 (for the 2023/24 tax year). This limit includes the total value of all contributions, including those from your employer and the addition of basic-rate tax relief.

If you do not earn enough to pay Income Tax, you can pay a maximum of £2,880 a year into your pension and still benefit from basic-rate tax relief, which boosts your total contribution to £3,600 per tax year.

Once you have used up the current year’s Annual Allowance, you may be able to carry over unused allowances from the past three years, providing you were a pension scheme member during those years and your total contribution does not exceed 100% of your current year’s earnings.

A Tapered Annual Allowance was introduced in 2016-17 which currently applies for individuals with a ‘threshold income’ of over £200,000 and ‘adjusted income’ of over £260,000.

Why should I choose a SIPP over other pension arrangements?

The biggest benefit of a SIPP is that, unlike other pension plans, you can choose from a much wider range of investments, which could have significant growth potential. You can also have complete flexibility and control over your investment portfolio.

In addition, SIPPs are portable, so if you change your job or stop working you can continue to contribute to your pension. If you have a new employer, they can decide to make contributions too.

However, with this flexibility comes responsibility so it’s important to research your options carefully and make sure you are comfortable making your own retirement decisions. The value of your investments can go down as well as up which means you could get back less than you put in.

What types of investment can I have?

With a SIPP, you can invest in a wide range of assets, such as:

Stocks and shares
Unit trusts
Open ended investment companies (OEICs)
UK government bonds
Gilts and bonds
Exchange traded funds (ETFs)
Offshore funds
Commercial property
Cash

SIPPs allow you to pick your own individual investments or choose a ready-made portfolio based on your investment goals and attitude to risk. By picking your own investments, it’s important to ensure you spread risk by choosing a variety of investments across a range of assets, regions and sectors.

How can I take money out of my SIPP?

You can usually start to take money from your pension from the age of 55 (rising to 57 in 2028). You can take up to 25% of your pension pot tax-free and you’ll be taxed on the remainder as if it were income. You can choose to receive your tax-free cash as a single lump sum or in stages.

You can take money from a SIPP in three main ways and you can choose just one option or a combination:

An annuity: This pays a guaranteed income for life and you can choose whether your income remains the same throughout your retirement, increases by a fixed percentage each year or increases with inflation.
Drawdown: This enables you to take your tax-free cash and leave the rest of your pension invested. You can make further withdrawals as and when you need to.
Lump sum: Known as Uncrystallised Funds Pension Lumps Sums (UFPLS), this allows you to take money directly from your SIPP without choosing drawdown. Every time you do so, 25% is usually tax-free and the rest is taxed as income.

How we can help

SIPPs give you much greater flexibility than other types of pension, but they won’t be suitable for everyone. If you’re not sure whether a SIPP is right for you, our expert pension advisers are on hand to discuss your options and help you make the right investment choices.

They will assess important factors such as your attitude to risk, investment perspective and tax position to help you make the best retirement decisions for you. Why not get in touch today?

This material is intended to be for information purposes only and is not intended as an offer or solicitation for the purchase or sale of any financial instrument. It is not intended to provide and should not be relied on for accounting, legal or tax advice, or investment recommendations. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future returns and all investments involve risks including the risk of possible loss of capital. Some information quoted was obtained from external sources we consider to be reliable.

Tees is a trading name of Tees Financial Limited which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Registered number 211314. Tees Financial Limited is registered in England and Wales. Registered number 4342506.

Pension planning during times of uncertainty

Posted on 9 January 202328 March 2025 by Sophie Soraf

There have been various difficulties in recent years, affecting the UK economy that have had an impact on pension savers. These include Brexit, the COVID-19 pandemic, the conflict between Russia and Ukraine as well as political instability in Westminster. These events have caused turbulence in the markets, leading to a decline in share prices and other investments. If you have a workplace pension or a personal pension you may have noticed that its value has decreased as a result. While this can be concerning, it is important to remember that it is a temporary setback and there are ways to weather the storm.

What should I do about my pension if I see the value dropping?

Even though these are unprecedented times, as an investor, it’s useful to put any short-term volatility into historical context, to get the bigger picture, rather than focusing too intently on short-term events and market fluctuations.

Market analysts and investors aren’t infallible, they become nervous in uncertain times. This is because the loss of trade and tourism can pose a threat to companies of any size. So, it’s little wonder that stock markets have fallen and you are likely to have seen a drop in the value of your pension pot over the course of the last few years.

However, it’s worth remembering that the recent falls have come after some very strong rises in recent years. Also, your pension pot is unlikely to be invested solely in equities, so a 5% fall in the market does not necessarily equate to a 5% fall in the total value of your pension fund. In fact, the typical pension pot will contain a broad range of assets, which have been identified to fit in line with your attitude to risk, personal objectives and time frames.

A typical pension fund contains around 60%-65% in shares, with the rest in government and corporate bonds, property and cash. In contrast to equities, government bonds have actually increased in value during the crisis.

Will my pension pot ever recover?

Investment requires a disciplined approach and a degree of holding your nerve if markets fall. Experienced long-term investors know that the worst investment strategy you can adopt is to jump in and out of the stock market, to panic when prices fall and to sell investments at the bottom of the market.

The importance of keeping to your long-term plan is evident by studying the performance of the FTSE 100 over the last 20 years or so. Back in the autumn of 1998, the FTSE 100 fell by 1,000 points, amidst an environment of high-interest rates and other threats to UK economic growth. However, it had almost fully recovered by the end of 1998 and the index soared close to 7,000 in 1999. A global slowdown brought it back down to around 3,600 in the spring of 2003, before taking another five years to climb back to around 6,500. Then, the global financial crisis happened and the index was back at 3,500 in March 2009. After a long haul back, the index was at over 7,000 in January 2020 before the pandemic affected global markets.

Over the last 20 years, despite a variety of market shocks and rebounds, the index still has a long-term growth trend. It’s important to remember that some market volatility is inevitable. Markets will always move up and down, but it’s important to stick to your long-term plan.

Is now a good time to top up my pension?

Providing you are investing for the long term, you may wish to consider investing more into your pension pot. Even a small increase in contributions could make a difference to your final pension pot if it benefits from an upturn in the market and makes up for recent losses.

Remember that whatever type of pension plan you hold, you get tax relief at the highest rate of Income Tax you pay, on all contributions you make, subject to annual and lifetime allowances. This effectively means that some of your earnings which would have gone to the Government as tax are diverted to boost your pension pot instead.

You receive ‘relief at source’ if you pay money into your personal pension yourself or if your workplace pension contributions are taken directly from your pay packet. In both circumstances, you automatically receive 20% tax back from the Government in the form of an additional deposit into your pension pot. So, for instance, if you’re a basic-rate taxpayer investing £800 of your take-home pay into your pension, the tax relief would amount to £200. Effectively the taxman tops up your £800 contribution to £1,000.

How do I make sure my pension is protected?

As well as taking a long-term view of your pension, regular reviews are essential to ensure you remain on track with your well-defined plan, in accordance with your objectives and attitude to risk. If there have been any changes in your objectives or circumstances, it is particularly important to review and make any adjustments where needed.

When investing, you have to decide how much risk is right for you. Successfully achieving your long-term goals requires a balance between risk and reward, so you can construct a diversified portfolio with the potential to improve returns that matches your elected level of risk. While a diversified portfolio should incorporate strategies to help reduce risk, it cannot be eliminated altogether. The process of building such a portfolio is very difficult to achieve without professional advice.

Can I get advice about my pension?

In these uncertain times, more than ever, it’s important to take professional independent financial advice, from someone who will help you to make the right financial decisions and identify and meet your goals and aspirations. Research shows that those who take advice are likely to accumulate more wealth, supported by increased savings and investments in equities. Also, those in retirement are likely to have more income, particularly at older ages.