Welcome our blog. This is where we share thought-provoking, no-holds-barred opinions and commentaries on all things retirement income, financial planning and investing!
Calm after the storm for SIPP providers?
They say time flies, but in financial services, it does so at the speed of light! And what a difference a year can make! This time last year, the FCA introduced new capital adequacy requirements (PS14/12) for SIPP providers. As we anticipated in our last SIPP...
Royal London ‘Drawdown Governance Service’: the future of income drawdown?
Since the introduction of pension freedoms, providers have talked about ‘innovation’ until they, and we, are all blue in the face. Thankfully, it appears that’s starting to change! Royal London has put its money where its mouth is. It recently launched a new Drawdown...
Lower equity allocation in retirement: reducing risk or shooting yourself in the foot?
Asset allocation is a key factor when deciding sustainable withdrawal rate in a retirement income portfolio. And one of the most important decisions is what proportion of a retirement income portfolio should be allocated to equities. The received wisdom is that...
Bill Bengen: The Man Who Changed Retirement Planning
I had the honour of meeting legendary Bill Bengen of the Safe Withdrawal Rate fame last week. Our meeting took place near his home in Palm Springs, California. Given his accomplishments, he struck me as a very humble and down-to-earth person, a rare virtue in...
Fixed Withdrawal: Sustainable withdrawal rate with a twist
One crucial but often forgotten point about Bengen’s Sustainable Withdrawal Rate (SWR) framework is that SWR is defined as a percentage of the capital only in the first year of retirement. Subsequent withdrawals in £ terms are adjusted for inflation, regardless of the...
Busting the myth of ‘U-shaped’ retirement spending
If I had a pound for every time someone in financial services talks about spending in retirement as being 'U-shaped', I'll probably have enough money by now to never have to work again! You've probably seen this image on spending needs in retirement before. It's a...
3,000+
Avid Subscribers