Defined Benefit (DB) pensions provide secure index-linked income for life. So why are so many people tempted to give up this guaranteed income for life?
Here we highlight some of the reasons why it could be suitable to transfer benefits from a DB pension to a defined contribution (DC) arrangement.
The prospect of winning or losing can have a great impact on our emotions. Whether we’re looking at casinos or coin flips, evidence suggests our rational decision-making is frequently overtaken by intuition – a process much more open to emotional influence.
For investors, the possibility of gains and losses is often a daily occurrence. We explain one method to steer investors on the more rational path to help achieve both financial and emotional well being.
"I was looking for some help because of various changes in legislation, tax, non-domicile and everything else and I wasn't sure that I had either the time or the expertise myself."
The relentless, thundering rumble of a rocket blasting into space is more than just a spectacular sensory overload. It is the result of planning, scientific know-how and management applied to achieve a goal. We think science and goals matter when it comes to investing too. “Are we nearly there yet?” explains why they are so fundamental to successful investing.
Investing large single sums in volatile markets can feel like a leap. An alternative to making one single investment is to spread it over time, known as phasing. It is often deployed as a means of reducing the risk of investing ahead of a dip in the markets. It can feel reassuring to a first time or cash investor for whom phasing addresses the obvious emotional cost of short term drops in value. Here we look at whether phasing actually achieves what it sets out to do.
"My solicitor told me about Edison. She said they were very good, so I went to see them and liked their approach straight away."
If you wanted to make money from the next World Cup would you place bets on the teams you think have the best players or would you buy shares in FIFA?
The debate on whether active or passive investments are the best way to participate in the market rages on, with strong arguments on either side. We take a data-driven look at the evidence and how both active and passive can have a place in investment strategy.
… Or the first impressions of risk? It’s human nature to make snap decisions about new people we meet.
When it comes to investing, how we react to first impressions matters too. We explore why it pays to look beyond short term market dips, and the importance of focusing on long term returns.
It is not uncommon for beneficiaries and their executors to find that pension benefits are subject to an unexpected lifetime allowance tax charge. This may be due to a pay-out from a death in service scheme, which may seem odd to those who have not yet seen this in practice.
In this Briefing Note we highlight how those potentially affected – higher earners with significant pension assets – should do to avoid this additional tax charge on death.
"We recently organised a beauty parade for a client, with whom we are co-trustees of a family trust".
The value of investments and the income arising from them can go down as well as up and is not guaranteed, which means that you may not get back what you invested. Past performance is not necessarily a guide to the future. The information contained in this website does not constitute advice. The FCA does not regulate tax advice. The FCA does not regulate advice on Wills and Powers of Attorney. The Financial Ombudsman Service is available to sort out individual complaints that clients and financial services businesses aren’t able to resolve themselves. To contact the Financial Ombudsman Service please visit www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk.