Pensions

Three old pensions and no idea what’s in them?

I’ll find out what you’ve got, tell you whether it’s any good, and help you pay in a sensible amount from the right place.

Book a discovery meeting

A pension pays for the years when you’d rather not be working. So the first question is what you want those years to look like, and when you’d like them to start.

Most people I meet have more pensions than they think and less idea what’s in them than they’d like. There’s one from each old employer, no login for any of them, and a statement once a year that doesn’t say whether you’re on track.

What I do

Find out what you have

You sign a letter that lets me speak to your old providers. I’ll tell you what each pension is invested in, what it’s costing you and whether it comes with any guarantees.

Decide whether to bring them together

Often it makes sense. Sometimes it doesn’t, because some older pensions have benefits you’d lose by moving. I’ll go through each of yours and say which applies.

Work out what to pay in

How much, and from where: your salary, your bonus or your company.

Invest it sensibly

In line with how long you’ve got and how much risk you’re comfortable with.

Keep it under review

We look at it together every year, and change it when your life changes.

Plan the other end

When you want to slow down or stop, I’ll help you turn the pot into an income.

If you’re paid on commission

A good month is a chance to put more in. I’ll help you set a base amount you can always manage and a rule for the months when there’s extra.

Financial planning for recruiters

If you own a business

Your company can pay into your pension. It’s one of the ways of taking money out of the business, and it’s worth a conversation between you, me and your accountant.

Financial planning for business owners

Things people say to me

“I’m too young to worry about a pension.”

The earlier you start, the more years you have to pay in, so each year’s payment can be smaller. Leaving it until your forties makes the sums harder.

“My workplace pension will be enough, won’t it?”

It might be. I’ll show you an estimate of what it might give you, and you can decide whether that’s enough.

“I can’t touch it for years. Why bother?”

That’s true, and it’s why a pension shouldn’t be the only thing you have. We’ll decide what goes into the pension and what stays where you can reach it.

What it costs and how it works

Pension advice has two fees: an initial fee for the advice and the set up, and 0.68% a year for the ongoing service. Fund and platform charges are separate. You pay nothing until you’ve seen my recommendations and decided to go ahead.

The small print that matters

A pension is a long term investment. Its value can fall as well as rise, and you may get back less than you put in. You can’t normally take money out until you’re 55, rising to 57 from April 2028.

Want to know what you’ve got?