Many people underestimate the damaging effect of low interest and high inflation on their cash savings. A continued period of low interest rates on cash savings and rising inflation could pose a real risk to savers in 2022 even if the Bank of England (BoE) moves to increase interest rates further in the coming months.
Imagine reaching retirement age and discovering that, despite years of saving, you don’t have enough money to get by. Worse still, suppose you’re unable to pay for the right kind of care in your old age.
Fear, worry, and stress are normal responses to perceived or real threats, and at times when we are faced with uncertainty or the unknown. So it is normal and understandable that people are experiencing fear in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected every part of our lives and continues to have a widespread impact across all aspects of financial life. This includes retirement plans. Life in lockdown prompted many people to adjust their priorities, for example, move nearer to family, take staggered retirement or retire earlier.
For some people in the future using their home to fund their retirement is likely to become more commonplace, whether that’s by downsizing to free up funds or releasing money tied up in their home through products like lifetime mortgages.
The economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic has made Britain’s workforce smaller, with a sharp rise in early retirement among older workers
People planning for retirement should think hard about what they want to do when they eventually stop work. It is helpful to have a good idea of the lifestyle you want, how much it will cost and how you are going to pay for it.
Our changing climate is making it harder to live in many parts of the world, often affecting some of the most disadvantaged communities. People are starting to realise that change is imminent and necessary.
An emergency fund is money you put aside to cover a financial shock. This could be losing your job, or a large, unexpected expense. Building an emergency fund can help prevent you needing to borrow money or make difficult financial decisions in those moments, by giving you savings to fall back on.
How much do you think you’ll need to fund your retirement? Of course, the answer to that question will depend on what you want to do when you stop work. Worriedly almost half of non-retirees (46%) are unable to identify how much annually they believe retirees receive from their state pension according to a survey[1].