What is the pensions crisis and how does it affect you? Put simply it’s
the gap between the amount of money that you need in retirement, compared with the amount
of money that you’re likely to receive from your pensions.
At first glance, this gap can look large and it’s tempting to think that the
situation is hopeless. But it’s not! Beat the Pensions Crisis shows you that you have a
lot more control over your pension than you may have thought, and by taking the right
action, at the right time, you can do a lot to increase your income in retirement.
Providing for a secure retirement is simple, and step-by-step you’ll learn
how to:
- Shatter the myths and delusions about pensions
- Work out how much of a pension pot you’ll need when you retire
- Understand the difference between different types of pension
- Turbocharge your pension so that you’ll receive more
- Use the tax reliefs available to enhance your pensions and savings
- Shop around for the best pension annuity at retirement
- Understand what you need to do to improve your wealth, decade by decade,
from your 20s through your 30s, 40s and 50s to your retire
Brian Wood is chief executive of Telos Solutions, a leading management
consultancy that specialises in delivering practical and workable solutions to complex and
difficult problems in the financial services industry. He is a qualified actuary and has
previously served as chief executive of Windsor Life, PPP Lifetime (the life and pensions
arm of PPP Healthcare) and Winchester White management consultants. During his career, he
has worked on a broad range of assignments in the life and pensions industry, many of
which have involved working with industry bodies, government and the regulators.
Claire Brinn is a director of Telos Solutions and chief executive of
Wealth Squared, a business that provides advice to women having to make major financial
decisions for the first time, usually after a death or divorce. Claire is an experienced
manager and executive in financial services, having worked with Chemical Bank, Prudential
and Britannic Assurance before becoming one of the founders of Telos Solutions.
Table of Contents
What crisis?
The nature of the crisis
Why you must take responsibility
Private pensions
Company pensions
State pensions
The costs of retirement
Myths and delusions
· Including a Flow chart pointing from each false belief to relevant sections in the
book
Tackling the problem
What can I do if I am near retirement?
(Primary audience for chapter: ages 50s, early 60s)
· Work out how much you will get
State pension
Company pensions
§ Sample letter
Private pensions
§ Sample letter
Other assets
· How to convert this into real worth in the future (ready-reckoners)
· Flowchart(s) summarising all the above
· Work out how much you will need
Current lifestyle expectations
§ Ready-reckoner based on current lifestyle
How these may change
§ Lifestyle choices
Other things to think about
· Flowcharts(s) summarising all the above
The ‘gap’ you need to close
How that gap might change over time
· Actions you can take
Choices relating to State pensions
Choices relating to Company pensions
Choices relating to Private pensions and all your other assets
§ Choices about your type of pension at retirement
Choices relating to lifestyle
· How these actions affect the ‘gap’
What can I do if I am already retired?
(Primary audience for chapter: late 60s onwards)
· Assessing your likely sources of income
Pensions from various sources
§ Searching for ‘lost’ pensions
State benefits and concessions
Other assets
§ Property, investments, endowments etc
§ Ready-reckoner for value as a pension
· Assessing your needs
What you have learnt in the transition to retirement
Taking benefits into account
Other things to consider (eg how to fund your next car purchase)
· Actions/options
Working and taking pension
Effect of, and mechanisms for, deferring pension
Funding for long-term care
Planning for inheritance
Equity release etc
What can I do to make provision for a future pension?
(Primary audience for chapter: 40s and below)
· The state pension will be insufficient
Example calculations
Taxes will have to support huge numbers of pensioners
§ Baby Boomer effect
§ Lower birth rates
It’s up to you
· Company pension
Join it!
Increase contributions
Additional Voluntary Contributions (AVCs)
Take into account when changing jobs
Maximise pension from previous employers
· Private pensions
Advantages and disadvantages
Stakeholder pensions
Pensions products
Self-administered pensions
· Other savings and investment
Advantages and disadvantages
Other forms of tax relief
Endowment maturities
Reference to other Pearson publications for greater detail)
Options and issues for everyone
(Audience: everyone)
· Looking at all your assets, not just pensions
How much equivalent pension could they buy?
Include your current income
Ready-reckoners
· The best investment of all
Eliminate consumer debt
High, guaranteed, tax-free returns
· Pensions and unexpected events
Job loss
Divorce
Death
216 pagges, Paperback