Reappraisal of urban living

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has led to a reappraisal of urban living, with increasing numbers fleeing city confines in search of green space. Three million people in the UK aged over 50 (12%) [1] now plan to relocate in retirement, as a direct result of the pandemic. A year of lockdowns has motivated these over-50s…

Read more

Protect yourself from pension scams

Being online more means criminals have a greater opportunity to approach unsuspecting victims with their scams. Online scams can have a devastating financial and emotional impact on victims. Pension scammers are bombarding the public with scam calls, texts and emails and it can be easy to fall victim to such a scam. Anyone thinking about…

Read more

Summer 2021 TIPS Financial Magazine

The Summer 2021 edition of our TIPS financial magazine is available now. Inside this issue we look at the unique combination of tax breaks and why flexible access available to pensions makes them a compelling choice when saving for retirement. On page 08 we explore one of the key benefits of saving into a pension…

Read more

What can you do with your pension pot?

When the time comes to access your pension, you’ll need to choose which method you use to do so, with options including: buying an annuity, taking income through (flexi-access) drawdown, withdrawing lump sums or a combination of all of them. There are advantages and disadvantages to each method, and in some cases your decision is…

Read more

Buddy Bag named as our main charity

Truly Independent are proud to announce that our new charity will be the Buddy Bag Foundation. We have always believed in doing our best to have a positive impact in the communities we serve. Having previously supported the National Autistic Society and Hospice at Home, raising over £1000 for these great causes, we have now…

Read more

Boost your pension savings

Are you ‘mid or late career’ or planning to retire within ten years? If the answer’s ‘yes’, then you probably want to know the answers to these questions: Will I be able to retire when I want to? Will I run out of money? How can I guarantee the kind of retirement I want? But,…

Read more

Minimum pension age to increase

The government has confirmed that it plans to increase the minimum pension age at which benefits under registered pension schemes can generally be accessed, without a tax penalty, from age 55 to age 57 commencing 6 April 2028. The Treasury is consulting on how best to apply its decision to increase the age when people…

Read more

Grandparents, grandchildren and money

With all of us leading longer lives, you might be considering how you can help your family when it matters most. Sharing your wealth during your lifetime can make a big difference and bring you a lot of joy, particularly when helping younger generations who are dealing with rising housing prices and university fees. After…

Read more

June Fact Sheets

All of our June financial guidance factsheets are available to download below. Each one focuses on a different financial aspect to help guide you when setting and reaching your financial goals. If there is anything you are unsure about, or would like further information, all of our independent financial advisers offer a free initial consultation…

Read more

Pension Lifetime Allowance

If you’ve been diligently saving into a pension throughout your working life, you should be entitled to feel confident about your retirement. But, unfortunately, the best savers sometimes find themselves inadvertently breaching their pension lifetime allowance (LTA) and being charged an additional tax that erodes their savings. If you’re a high-income earner or wealthy individual,…

Read more

Responsible Investment

Responsible investment is a catch-all term to broadly describe funds that invest to make a positive change, either for the environment or for society. Within this umbrella term there are four broad investment approaches: ethical exclusion; responsible practice; sustainable solutions; and impact funds. Increasingly more pension savers are asking where their funds are invested. Many…

Read more

A new tax year

A new tax year, means a new start for your finances. It can be a great time to create a roadmap for your future financial success. It’s always a good time to consider financial planning, but at the start of a new tax year, when you have a fresh set of annual allowances to take…

Read more