Category
Retirement Planning
Making a finite pot last a potentially indefinite retirement, under UK pension access rules and tax brackets.
UK retirement planning is less about hitting a magic number and more about answering three questions: how big the pot needs to be, when you can actually touch it, and what you draw down each year so it lasts. These articles work through each one for a British reader.
The headline pieces: Safe Withdrawal Rate UK covers what the 4% rule looks like once you adjust for UK gilts, inflation, and a longer state-pension wait. Annuity vs Drawdown UK compares the two big income mechanisms post-55. LISA vs SIPP breaks down where the Lifetime ISA genuinely wins (a smaller set of cases than the FCA marketing suggests). The ISA-to-pension bridge covers retiring before the pension access age, which is the part US-focused FIRE content ignores.
22 articles
Showing 1-10
Should the State Pension Be Means-Tested?
Means-testing the State Pension would save the Treasury billions. So why does the evidence say it would leave the poorest pensioners worse off? Look at who already misses out.
Halifax Pension Review 2026: Stay or Transfer?
Your Halifax pension is not really run by Halifax. It is Scottish Widows wearing a high-street badge, and the old version of it could be quietly bleeding you 1% a year. Here is how to check.
Martin Lewis Pension Tax Warning: The £22 Truth
Martin Lewis warned the State Pension is about to be taxed for the first time. He's right, but not for the reason most think. It now sits just £22 under the frozen tax-free allowance. What actually happens in 2027.
Universities Superannuation Scheme: What USS Gives You
Your employer pays 14.5% into your USS pension and you pay 6.1%. Opting out hands back more than double your own money. Here is what USS actually gives you.
Aegon Retiready 2026: Stay, Transfer or Wait?
Aegon Retiready is heading into the Standard Life deal. Retail charges hit 0.85-1.40% all-in vs cheap SIPPs at 0.20-0.45%. When to stay, transfer or wait.
How Much Pension Should I Have? UK by-Age Pot Guide
Every "how much pension by age" chart is built by a company that profits when you panic. Here is the honest number, State Pension included - the scary figure is smaller than you think.
LGPS UK 2026: What Your Council Pension Is Worth
Your council pension builds 1/49th of your salary a year, indexed for life, with an employer rate around 20%. Opt out and you give that up. Most LGPS members underrate it.
State Pension at 66 UK 2026: What You Actually Get
State Pension age is rising to 67 from April 2026. If you were born after 6 April 1960, the 'at 66' question is the wrong question. Here is what the £241.30 weekly headline really pays - and the £4 billion pensioners leave on the table.
Teachers' Pension UK 2026: What You Actually Get
Your Teachers' Pension carries a 28.68% employer top-up, McCloud protection, and CPI indexation in payment. It is worth £200k+ in annuity terms. Most teachers underrate it.
What Are Qualifying Earnings? UK Pension Explained
Your '8% workplace pension' is quietly less than 8%. The mechanism is legal, the gap compounds, and there is exactly one question to ask before your next job offer.