annuities

FSA calls for fair treatment of annuity customers

Chris Thomas — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 12:25:31 +0100

A review into the annuity market by the City watchdog has found that many pension providers are not treating their customers fairly and failing to tell them that they can buy their annuities from rival providers.

The credit crunch: one year on

Rebecca Atkinson — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 16:37:57 +0100

Northern Rock

Should I opt for an inflation-linked annuity?

Rebecca Atkinson — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 17:01:43 +0100

Pension providers are hitting retirees with huge premiums on inflation-linked annuities as more people look to protect their retirement income from escalating prices.

Affluent retirees penalised by postcode lottery

Rebecca Atkinson — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 14:21:37 +0100

Norwich Union is to introduce postcode-rated annuities, in a move that could penalise healthy and wealthy retirees.

Is this the next pension mis-selling scandal?

Rebecca Atkinson — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 11:05:08 +0100

Annuities could be the next pension mis-selling scandal because insurance companies are pushing their deals onto people without fully highlighting their right to shop around, experts have warned.

Inflation-proof your pension

Rebecca Atkinson — Tue, 20 May 2008 12:28:17 +0100

Soaring inflation could be eating into your retirement income unless you take steps to increase your pension contributions.

The latest inflation figures show that the Consumer Price Index hit 4.4% in July, more than double the Bank of England’s inflation target. The Retail Price Index - which includes mortgage repayments - also increased to 5%.

Get set and go for retirement

Chris Thomas — Wed, 07 May 2008 11:27:10 +0100

Kelvin Martin, a 58-year-old retired stockbroker from Dagenham, wasn’t going to bother shopping around for an annuity. "It was only a small pension, so if it had been up to me I probably would have just taken the income the pension company offered me," he explains.

His wife, however, had other ideas. "She has the shopping gene, so she suggested we just take a look. She found a broker on the internet, and when we called we discovered they could get us 15-20% more income. I was really shocked."

Don’t let the credit crunch eat into your pension

Rebecca Atkinson — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 12:41:20 +0000

Global stockmarkets have had a rollercoaster ride recently as the credit crunch in the US continues to raise hackles among investors.

Sinking share prices have also caused concern among some pre-retirees, many of whom have seen their personal pension pots reduced by up to 20% since the summer. Experts estimate that as many as 350,000 people due to retire in 2008 may now have to stay working until their funds recover.

If you were planning to retire in the next year and your pension is linked to the equity markets, then your biggest concern is probably maximising the value of your pension savings.

You're wrong, annuities are good value

Matt Pitcher — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 21:05:54 +0000

Annuities offer good value to anyone seeking an income from a modest pension fund. This belief has landed me in hot water with people before now. I remember clearly having a debate on BBC radio with a caller who became more and more irate at this claim despite the fact that I had no axe to grind or gained any benefit from making it.

How to make your pension pot work for you

Chris Thomas — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 13:06:59 +0000

When you have worked hard all your life to build up a pension pot, surely you'd take some time out when retirement beckons to ensure it doesn't all go to waste?