Millennials leading the way in saving for retirement

Recent data suggests that younger generations are on track to save more than their parents and grandparents, despite their earnings on average being considerably lower. Part of the reason for this is time: simply put, young people have more years ahead of them than older generations until retirement, meaning that any money they put away now has more time to grow.

But it’s also become apparent that many younger workers are also managing to put away a significant amount each month – in some cases up to 15% of their income – by making some considerable sacrifices. Some of these are undoubtedly luxuries, such as eating out and going on holiday, but the savings are substantial: restaurants on average charge a markup of 300%, making eating at home a great way to cut costs. The rise of the ‘staycation’ – saving money by holidaying at home and exploring free or cheap activities to enjoy – also helps younger people to find more money to put towards their savings instead.

However, some of the costs that millennials are willing to cut in order to save are at the opposite end of the scale. More young people are choosing not to continue in education to help them save. The financial benefits of this are twofold: not only does this remove the expense of continuing on to college or university, but it also allows a young person to begin working full time earlier in their life, which in turn allows them to start saving sooner. It’s a sacrifice some would not be willing to make but is nonetheless an attractive option for others, especially as more opportunities to earn qualifications through full time work become available.

Housing and car ownership are also areas where considerable savings can be made. Perhaps the most personal sacrifice some millennials are making is to limit the number of children they have in order to find more money to save.

It will always be a matter of individual choice as to what people decide to spend or not spend their money on but the data highlights that the decisions made now have a significant impact for the future.

Recent research from Royal London has found that around five million people in the UK have ‘forgotten’ pension pots from final salary schemes of former employers. What’s more, many of these deferred members of defined benefit funds don’t know how much a lump sum payout of this accumulated pension would be worth, thanks to a lack of communication from the provider of their old scheme. As people who transfer their pension pot are offered an average lump sum of between £158,000 and £190,000 – around 25-30 times the annual value of their pension – the collective amount held in these forgotten pots could reach a total of up to £800 billion.

As many people are unaware that they are holding valuable pension assets, potentially worth a six figure sum, the researchers emphasise that those who are members of these schemes should take steps to discover how much their pensions are worth, as well as seeking impartial advice on what to do with the money. Whilst taking a lump sum may seem attractive, it may not be the best option for many people, as doing so means sacrificing a guaranteed pension payment.

Nonetheless, more and more people are choosing to make use of pension freedoms in order to take lump sum payments from their retirement savings. The former pensions minister, Baroness Altmann, has suggested that whilst granting the freedoms was the right thing to do, the government should make consultation with the official financial advice service, Pension Wise, compulsory for those looking to take a lump sum. Doing so would ensure “people get financial advice before they make a decision that is irreversible”.

Making any big decisions about your pension can of course have significant ramifications for your future retirement, so if you are considering whether or not to take advantage of pension freedoms yourself, make sure you seek professional advice before doing anything. If you have any questions around this topic, please feel free to get in touch with us directly.

Retirement should be the time in your life where you’re able to relax and enjoy the fruits of your labour throughout your working life. However, simply paying into your savings or a pension for when you retire might not allow you to do this if you’re not putting enough away. But what does “enough” look like? Here are a few questions to consider to help you get started.

1. How old are you? – Clearly the earlier you start saving for your retirement, the more time you have to put money away. Conversely, the longer you leave it to start paying into your pension or savings, the more time – and money – you’ll need to make up. A good way to ensure your contributions are adequate for your needs later in life is to take the age you start paying into your pension, then divide it by two. This is the percentage of your pre-tax salary you need to put away every year until you retire. The earlier you start paying in, the lower the percentage; delaying will just mean you need to pay in more later on.
2. How much is matched by your employer? – Contribution matching by employers can really help build up your nest egg, so it’s worth keeping up to date not only with how much your employer is currently matching but also how this figure will increase if you up your contributions. That said, it’s a good idea not to rely too much on contribution matching, focusing instead on reaching your savings goals on your own.
3. What are my saving habits like? – Being honest about how good you are at saving will help you capitalise on your positive habits and combat those which might thwart your attempts to build up your pension. Make sure saving is the first thing you do: rather than putting away whatever you have left at the end of the month, make sure your savings leave your account as soon as you get paid. If you receive a pay increase, make sure you take the opportunity to bump up your contributions so that the extra money doesn’t all go towards the here and now. Most importantly, don’t give up. Even if you start saving below the rate you should be putting money away, this is better than not saving at all, and helps to make saving a habit for when you’re in a position to increase your contributions later.

Defined benefit (DB) pension schemes continue to be a hot topic in the business and financial worlds as an increasing number of people seek to transfer their pensions from a DB scheme. Recent figures suggest that more than four out of five (83%) of financial advisers in the UK have seen an increased demand for such transfers over the last twelve months, with over half (54%) describing it as a ‘significant increase’. Additionally, 71% of UK advisers said they expected the demand to increase further over the coming year.

A major contributing factor to this higher demand for DB transfers is the introduction of pension freedoms in recent years. Demand is also being fuelled by the continued uncertainty created by the DB pension scheme deficit. The latest figures suggest that the shortfall has remained stable over the past year despite the political turmoil: the deficit shrank to £183 billion at the end of May 2017, down from £194 billion twelve months earlier. That said, this is still a significant negative amount of money, which is undoubtedly contributing to many looking to ditch their DB pension in favour of something which appears to be more stable.

Employers, too, appear to be moving themselves away from DB pension schemes. It was reported at the end of May that BT is looking to close its DB scheme for current employees, a move unlikely to be popular with its workers; a similar move by Royal Mail Group following the company’s privatisation which aimed to shut the scheme to its current workforce led to strike action in April this year.

The AA has also recently confirmed that it will go ahead with proposed changes to its DB pension scheme, moving all members of the scheme to its existing career average revalued earnings (CARE) pension arrangement. The CARE scheme will also see amendments such as moving its indexation from the Consumer Price Index (CPI) to the Retail Price Index (RPI), likely to be more favourable for those receiving pension benefits.

It looks likely that the changes and discussions surrounding DB pension schemes will continue for some time. If you are a member of a DB scheme and you’re considering a transfer or you’re unsure of what to do, the most important thing to do before anything else is to seek financial advice to ensure you understand the choices available to you and which is best for you. If you have any questions around this topic, please feel free to get in touch with us directly.

It’s been two years since the government introduced pension freedoms, greatly expanding the options for how those who have saved into a defined contribution pension product can access their savings. There are now a number of different ways to take advantage of pension freedoms, so let’s have a look at each of them and the potential advantages and disadvantages of each.

If you can afford to do so, choosing not to access your pension at 55 can be one of the most beneficial options to take. You can continue saving into your pension if you want to, enjoying tax relief on all contributions until you turn 75. This also applies to any further gains you might make by leaving your pension pot invested. The main drawback is that you won’t be able to use your pension to support you, delaying your ability to retire. However, with many people choosing to continue working beyond the traditional retirement age, either part-time or full-time, this option is becoming increasingly popular.

The introduction of pension freedoms meant that everyone is entitled to take a tax-free 25% out of their pension pot. The benefits of doing this include being able to reinvest your money elsewhere in order to try and grow it further, to pay off a mortgage, or to have the freedom to splash out on home improvement, a holiday or anything else you want to treat yourself with. Obviously spending a quarter of your pension fund in one go means that you’ll have to stretch the rest of your savings to cover your retirement, whilst another drawback of taking the 25% is that any other withdrawals from your fund will be subject to income tax.

Another option is purchasing an annuity with your pension savings. Most annuities provide a guaranteed income until you die, but there are also fixed term annuities which last for a set period of time, or joint annuities which continue to pay a partner or dependant after your death. The main draw of annuities is the security and peace of mind they offer, but it’s essential to shop around for an annuity which gives you a good rate. Annuity rates depend on a number of factors including your age, health and lifestyle, and some are also linked to inflation.

‘Flexi-access drawdown’ is a further option which means you can withdraw your savings as and when you want, taking advantage of the 25% tax-free lump sum and reinvesting the remaining 75% into a number of investments outside of your pension pot. The advantage here is that you can adjust your income to reflect your needs, allowing as much of your savings as possible to remain invested and grow. The main drawback is that, like all investments, they can shrink as well as grow. Your income is also not guaranteed, and as your savings are finite, you’ll need to be able to support yourself once they’ve been used up.

With so many options available, the most important thing to remember is not to do anything without fully considering your circumstances. An option which works for one person might be a disastrous choice for another. Before making use of the pension freedoms available to you, seek professional advice and make an informed decision.