Independent Financial Advice Glasgow

The LV= State of Retirement Report has revealed that 6.25 million Britons aged over-50 (28%) have no pension plan in place and look set to rely on just the state pension in retirement, a huge increase on the 1.2 million people who live solely on the state pension today.

The basic state pension equates to an annual income of up to £5,587 and averages at £9,672 a year when you take into account additional benefit income (e.g. additional state pension, pensions credit etc). This is up to 51% lower than the income someone in the UK working full time on the minimum wage would earn, which is £11,477 per year.

Even with Government plans to introduce a Universal State Pension at £140 per week, this will still provide an annual income significantly below the minimum wage.

When asked if they could live on the equivalent of the minimum wage in retirement, 43% said they couldn't live on that alone and over a quarter (27%) said they would really struggle.

For those who have private pension savings, the average income in retirement is currently £7,488 a year. When this is combined with the state pension many people are still only living on marginally more than the minimum wage.

Over half (58%) of those set to retire within five years have become more concerned over the last year about their financial situation and their level of savings for retirement. The biggest worry is the rising cost of food and utilities (76%), followed by the general poor state of the UK economy and national debt (63%). The effect of low interest rates impacting savings (61%), high inflation (61%) and the recent reforms to UK pensions (44%) are all major causes of concern pre-retirees.

Nearly eight in ten British people think making British workers work longer than their European counterparts to receive their state pension is unfair.

A YouGov poll - commissioned by Unite, the Public and Commercial Services union and the National Union of Teachers – reveals that a clear majority of those born before 1977 polled (62%) are uncomfortable with plans to raise the state pension age.

A strong majority of voters (62%) believe that any attempt to continue to raise the state pension age will hit the poorest pensioners hardest. But while 57% of people polled do have some understanding of plans to delay the state pension age, a significant number (38%) do not.

The challenge of getting Britain’s workers saving for their retirement is highlighted in Aviva’s first Working Lives Report, which reveals the daily struggle faced by employers and employees as they seek to balance business priorities against personal financial needs.

Surveying UK private sector employees and employers about their attitudes to saving in the workplace, the Working Lives research shows businesses, Government and the pensions industry across Britain have significant work to do in encouraging employees to start putting some of their hard-earned cash aside for their retirement.

The report reveals that:

• Many employers (70%) are aware of pension reform changes but 68% of employees have little or no knowledge of automatic enrolment yet.
• Around 43% of employees currently without a pension said they would remain in a scheme once they were automatically enrolled – but opt outs could be significant.
• Employees are most concerned (53%) about how their pay compares to the cost of living, while employers worry most about keeping up with the competition (58%).
• More than half (56%) of employees agree pensions are the best way to save for retirement but 55% of employees without one say they simply don’t have the cash.
• Employers recognise their workers are critical to their business success, but over a third (39%) are looking to motivate them without ‘unduly increasing pay’.
• The first Savings Engagement in Employment Index shows significant room for improving employers’ and employees’ levels of awareness, ownership and enthusiasm for workplace saving.

The Pensions Policy Institute has published new research which considers the implications for retirement income of Government policies to extend working lives.

The research examines how much longer today’s over 50s in England in 2011 might need to work and save to meet target levels of retirement income.

Commenting on the findings of the research, Niki Cleal, PPI Director, said:

“The research found that the vast majority of the over 50s who are working in 2011 - around 85% - might have sufficient state and private pension income to meet a minimum acceptable standard of living in retirement of £11,000 per annum if they continue to work and save until they are eligible to receive their state pension. However, for many people an income in retirement at this level is unlikely to be considered adequate.”

A smaller proportion of today’s over 50s are likely to be able to have a high enough retirement income to replicate the full standard of living that they enjoyed during their working life.

Niki Cleal said:

“On a positive note, around 40% of today’s over 50s who are still working might have sufficient state and private pension income to have a retirement income that would allow them to replicate their full living standards in working life, if they continue to work and save until they are eligible to receive their state pension.”

“On a less positive note, 5% of today’s over 50s might have to work and save for between six and ten years after State Pension Age and a further 45% would have to work and save for eleven years or more beyond their State Pension Age to replicate their working life living standards in retirement.”

“This demonstrates that many people need to start saving more today, if they want to avoid having to work much longer than they planned and want to have an adequate retirement income in the future.”

One in six people planning to retire this year will depend on the State Pension to fund their retirement as they have no other pension, new research from Prudential shows.

The figures come from Prudential’s Class of 2012 research, which provides insights into the financial expectations of Britons planning to retire this year.

Women are more than twice as likely as men to have no pension – 20% of women retiring in 2012 will depend on the State Pension compared with just 8% of men.

The average person planning to retire this year will look to the State for 34% of their income, with State Pension payments rising to £107.45 a week for single people. Company pensions (35%) are the second highest source of income, and the remaining 30% comes from a mixture of savings, investments, personal pension savings, part time work and money from family members.

The Prudential research also shows that one quarter of people retiring this year either overestimate by more than £500 a year what the State Pension pays, or simply do not know.

Regionally, people retiring this year in the Midlands are the most likely in the UK to rely on the State Pension (40%). This compares with a quarter (28%) of those in Scotland, who claim that they will be the least reliant on the state for their retirement income.

With just six months to go until the largest employers start automatically enrolling employees into pension schemes, Friends Life has revealed new research showing that 61% of consumers admit they are not confident in their own abilities to save enough to fund their retirement without government or employer intervention.

Just 39% believed they could save enough on their own, without being forced to save by the government or being auto-enrolled by an employer. 

The research also revealed that only 8% of respondents rate saving for retirement as their financial priority and less than half (48%) are making regular contributions into a work based pension at the moment. Around 19% don't have any pension at all, one in ten (11%) doesn't know how much they contribute to their pension and 35% save less than £100 a month.

When asked how they would feel if the government made it compulsory to save into a pension, nearly half (46%) said they would see it as a helpful way to ensure they got a decent level of savings. A quarter (24%) said they would view it as an additional form of tax that they wouldn't want to pay, while 30% said they didn't have any strong feelings about it.

Findings also revealed:

• 5% aren't sure whether they have a pension or not,
• 3% don't know if their employer offers a pension which they could be saving into already and 8% say they have declined to join their employer pension scheme,
• 33% say paying off debt is their top financial priority, and
• 15% say saving for a house deposit is the most important financial challenge to them.

The final building blocks for automatic enrolment have been put in place as the Government published its response to the consultation on the earnings threshold.

With just over six months to go before the largest employers begin enrolling eligible workers into pension savings, the response sets out that automatic enrolment rates for the next tax year will be aligned with tax and National Insurance thresholds. This will make it easier for firms who will not have to negotiate another layer of complexity.

Minister for Pensions Steve Webb said:

"The overwhelming response to our consultation was the call to align the automatic enrolment trigger with existing payroll thresholds. This will help firms make a success of these reforms, as they will be able to better understand who is eligible to be enrolled.

"These changes strike the right balance between getting as many people into workplace pension saving as possible and ensuring that we do not enrol some people who would not financially benefit from saving. People who are excluded from automatic enrolment will still be able to opt themselves in, benefiting from a contribution from their employer.

The new, single tier State Pension announced in the Budget will dramatically improve savings incentives for people on a low income."

The Government must review the rates each tax year.

A new report has revealed that the UK’s ‘Retirement Nation’, which includes all retired people, saves the state and society at least £25 billion a year through unpaid care, community and voluntary work.

However, the report, ‘Our Retirement Nation’, which was commissioned by MGM Advantage, warns that the contribution made by this part of society is not fully recognised and that the government and society as a whole need to do more to understand their emotional, health and financial requirements.

MGM Advantage is calling for fundamental changes to ensure that the Retirement Nation gets the respect and support it deserves from society, the media, the financial services industry and the government. Its recommendations and key findings are:

• Respect – A change in attitude towards the Retirement Nation and greater recognition for retired people and what they contribute to the UK – only 14% of retired people feel valued by society.
• Representation – The Retirement Nation is a big part of the UK society for what they contribute (£25 billion through unpaid care, community and voluntary work), but also the help and support they need. The Retirement Nation needs a voice. MGM Advantage recommends the Government creates a Minister for Retirement.
• Education – More done to help people maximise and make the best use of their financial wealth in retirement. The first step is to help people improve their basic knowledge about retirement and finance – 31% of retired over 55s have not heard of the Open Market Option.
• Simple products – Financial services and government need to continue to work together to innovate and design new retirement products that meet the needs of the Retirement Nation and are easy to understand, accessible, and offer good value – only 29% of over 55s know exactly what an annuity is.
• Ownership – People need to take ownership of their retirement planning – from building up a pension pot in their 20s and 30s to making the best retirement income decision when they retire – 54% of non-retired UK adults are not at all prepared for retirement.

Recent research has found that the majority of Brits (65%) continue to rely on the state pension to provide them with an income in retirement, and only 4% expect NEST to form part of their pension income.

The study, by unbiased.co.uk, also revealed that while the state pension topped the list of retirement income sources, almost half (47%) of Britons expect to rely on a private pension to play a part in their retirement provision, followed by a quarter (25%) who named ISAs as their retirement income source.

One in seven women (14%) expects to rely on their partner to provide an income in retirement, compared to only 5% of men. Only 41% of women count on a private pension to provide for their retirement (against a national average of 47% and 54% of men).

Karen Barrett, chief executive at unbiased.co.uk, said: “Planning for retirement is one of the most important things we can do to ensure we are financially secure in the long-term and as our research shows, there is a multitude of retirement savings options out there.  But not every option is right for everyone and it is important to realise that simply relying on the state to provide for you is not going to be enough. 

“We all have to take ownership of our own financial future and plan for our income in retirement accordingly, whether it is through just putting money into a savings account or actively contributing to a private pension.”

New research from MGM Advantage reveals that the average retired person feels they need an extra £140 a week, or around £7,300 a year, to be financially comfortable. For the retirement nation as a whole, this equates to around £86 billion a year.

However, MGM Advantage says if people shopped around before accepting the annuity rate or product offered by their pension provider, this could increase their income by as much as 50%, helping close the gap.

Breaking down retirement income needs on a gender basis, MGM’s research reveals that the average retired man says he needs an extra £153 a week, compared to £127 for a typical retired woman. Looking at the regions, retired people in Wales claim they need an extra £8,835 a year, which is the highest in Britain. The corresponding figure for Scotland’s retired population is £5,791, which is the lowest in the country.

Aston Goodey, Sales and Marketing Director, MGM Advantage said: “Financially, these are difficult times for the retirement nation. Inflation has increased the cost of living, while returns on savings have fallen due to the impact of historical low interest rates. This environment makes it even more important that people take the appropriate steps to ensure they maximise the income from their pension and claim any benefits to which they are entitled.”

The Financial Services Authority (FSA) has published a consultation paper outlining proposals to change the way pension transfer analysis is carried out. The proposed changes will clarify and update the current standards and aim to ensure that pension scheme members considering a transfer are given a fair assessment of what they will receive in retirement.

A pension transfer is where a pension is moved from a defined benefit (DB) scheme (such as a final salary pension scheme) to a personal pension scheme. On retirement, retirees can convert a personal pension fund into an annuity or draw money from the fund, known as income drawdown, to provide regular payments.

Current FSA rules already set out how to calculate the benefits of a transfer that will be given up when members transfer to a personal pension; this is a process called transfer value analysis (TVA).

The TVA process compares the pension benefits from the DB scheme with those that could be provided by the personal pension scheme. The FSA believes TVA is a complex process and requires the full facts to be presented to the member before any action is taken. The starting point is always that a transfer will not be in the client’s best interests.

The FSA is proposing changes to ensure that the assumptions advisers use for the comparison are applied consistently by all firms, take account of recent UK and EU legislation, and use reasonable growth rates for illustrating the results of the comparison to the member.

To ensure that TVA is carried out with a member’s best interests central to any decision, the FSA is proposing:

• to update the rules for calculating mortality to be aligned with those used by the Board for Actuarial Standards, and therefore making them consistent with annual pension statements that all personal pension holders receive once a year;
• to calculate annuities on a gender-equal mortality rate, in line with the European Court of Justice’s decision in March 2011 (see Notes to Editors 2);
• to introduce a Consumer Price Index (CPI) assumption for re-valuing pensions in deferment, reflecting legislative changes made by the government in 2011;
• to require CPI-linked benefits to be valued using the Retail Price Index (RPI)-linked annuity interest rate;
• that Limited Price Indexation (LPI) annuities will be valued on the same assumptions as RPI-linked annuities; and
• that the comparison provided to the member is illustrated on growth rates that take into account the likely returns of the pension fund assets as well as the transfer of risk from the DB scheme to the member.

A survey by the Chartered Institute of Payroll Professionals (CIPP) has found that the majority of employers (74%) have not started communicating to employees about automatic enrolment, which starts to roll in from October this year.

The CIPP survey, which polled 103 payroll, HR, accounting and finance professionals, also found that a small number of respondents (4%) were unsure of their staging date.

The survey also revealed that 61% of companies have decided where the responsibility for automatic enrolment lies; for most (42%) it will fall to payroll departments. For nearly a quarter of organisations (23.5%) it will fall to HR departments, 9% finance and interestingly over a quarter (26.5%) of all payroll, HR and finance departments will work together.

Automatic enrolment, otherwise known as the Workplace Pension Reforms, will be introduced from October 2012. Automatic enrolment will see every eligible employee enrolled into a qualifying pension scheme to which both the employer and employee will contribute. The Department for Work and Pensions have started communicating these changes through various media channels since January.

New statistics published by the Office for National Statistics reveal that that people are working longer than they used to. The average age at which people leave the labour market – a proxy for average age of retirement – rose from 63.8 years to 64.6 years for men and from 61.2 years to 62.3 years for women between 2004 and 2010.

This average summarises information about the ages at which people stop working, which differ for different people. For men, the peak ages for leaving the labour market are 64 to 66 years. For women, the peak ages are 59 to 62 years. Thus, retirement peaks around State Pension Age (SPA) for both sexes; but many people retire before SPA, and others work beyond SPA.

In 2010, there were 3.2 people of working age supporting each person of SPA and over in the UK. Without any changes to SPA, this ‘old age support ratio’ would drop to 2.0 by 2051, but under current legislation SPA has already begun to increase for women, and SPA for both sexes will rise to 68 by 2046. When these SPA changes are taken into account, the old age support ratio is projected to fall less, to 2.9 by 2051.

Women’s life expectancy at SPA will decline over this decade as their SPA rises. Between 2021 and 2051 life expectancy at SPA is expected to rise gradually for both sexes, because, following a change in the assumptions for future life expectancy in ONS's 2010-based population projections, life expectancy at the relevant ages is now projected to increase at a slightly faster rate than the increases in SPA contained in the Pensions Acts 2007 and 2011.

There are inequalities in life expectancy between social classes. The latest estimates for England and Wales show a gap of over three years in life expectancy at age 65 between the highest and lowest classes in the National Statistics Socio-economic Classification (NS-SEC). Within the UK, life expectancy at age 65 is highest in England and lowest in Scotland.

More than half of corporate financial advisers think that up to 30% of UK workers could opt out of the government’s new auto-enrolment regulations due to be introduced from October 2012.

Independent research from Aviva shows that the majority (98%) of corporate advisers expect some degree of withdrawal by employees from workplace savings schemes they would automatically be enrolled into. Around 20% predict that half of all employees will opt-out, a further 59% forecast that there will be up to a 30% drop out rate, while only 2% expect there will be no drop out. Most worryingly though, half of all corporate advisers think that the largest proportion of opt outs will be in the 35 and under age group.

The research highlights the importance of engaging employees on the benefits of saving in the workplace early, particularly amongst younger workers, many of whom will be saving into a pension for the first time.

Of the top five reasons advisers gave as the main barriers to saving amongst the 35 and under age group, the largest proportion (80%) say they don’t think younger workers can afford to save, while:

• 72% say that they have other financial priorities
• 69% believe that they think they are too young to worry about their retirement
• 63% don’t think they trust pensions
• 47% say that they don’t think the younger employees understand the benefits of a workplace pension compared to other kinds of saving.

The widespread view amongst advisers is that younger workers live in the "here and now" and have other things to worry about at the moment, a view that is echoed by this age group themselves, whose main current financial goals are to buy a house (36%); pay off debts (34%) and pay off their mortgage (20%).

As the economy continues to falter, employers in the US have become increasingly reticent about their employees' ability to successfully save for retirement, according to a new survey by Aon Hewitt. In response, employers are embracing innovative solutions to help rethink their retirement benefits plan strategies and assist their employees in better preparing for retirement.

Aon Hewitt surveyed more than 500 large U.S. employers, representing over 12 million employees, to determine their current and future retirement benefits strategy. According to the findings, just 4% of employers are very confident that their workers will retire with adequate retirement assets, down substantially from 30% in 2011. Additionally, only 10% of plan sponsors feel very confident that their employees are taking accountability for their own retirement success. Fewer than one-in-five employers (18%) are confident that workers will be able to manage their income during retirement.

While more than half (52%) of employers will focus on encouraging workers to take greater accountability for their retirement savings in the year ahead, they aren't asking employees to do it all on their own. Almost half (44%) of employers will focus on helping workers retire with enough money and most (60%) say that they will place a greater emphasis on helping employees understand and use the employer-provided resources available to them.

Employers also continue to enhance their defined contribution (DC) plan features. As in years past, plans will continue to add automatic features, in addition to expanding savings choices and offering employees more resources to help them meet their needs while in retirement.

Automatic enrollment has been one of the biggest retirement trends in recent years, and will continue to be in the year ahead, albeit with an enhanced focus on outcomes. Currently, 55% of plan sponsors automatically enroll workers in their employer-provided defined contribution plan, up from 24% in 2006.

Nearly one in five of those planning to retire this year will do so with outstanding debts, according to new figures released by Prudential. The Class of 2012 research looks at the finances and expectations of those planning to retire this year, and found that the average amount owed by debtor retirees is £38,200.

The proportion of people retiring in debt this year (18%) has fallen slightly from 20% in 2011. However, the average amount owed has increased by more than £5,000 from last year’s figure of £33,100 per person retiring with debts.

Outstanding mortgages and credit card bills make up the bulk of the Class of 2012’s debt. Half of those with debts owe money on their home loan and more than half (51%) are struggling with outstanding credit card bills.

The results of the survey also give an insight into the effects of outstanding debt on the finances of a new retiree. On average, those planning to retire this year with debts will be making monthly repayments of £260, which equate to a fifth of their expected £1,290 a month income.

Paying off debt could take this year’s retirees an average of nearly four years and 8% of those who will still owe money when they retire in 2012 say that they will never be able to pay it off. One in four say that they will be making repayments of £500 or more a month.

Men retiring in debt this year are likely to owe substantially more than women, with average debts of £45,300 compared with £29,400 for women. Around 20% of men expect to have debts when they retire compared with 16% of women.

A generation of 'Wearies' – Working, Entrepreneurial and Active Retirees – could be forced to continue working into their seventies and beyond due to hardships caused by the looming pensions crisis.

Effectively ruled out of employment by age, they will set up their own businesses, according to the study for Friends Life by think tank Future Foundation. Many of tomorrow's OAPs will look to supplement their retirement savings by becoming self-employed in their later years.

Many are likely to supplement their income buying and selling goods on websites like eBay, while others will turn their front rooms into offices or cottage industry workshops or a nursery. Those with manual skills might set up gardening or home help businesses to make money helping neighbours, academics predicted.

Martin Palmer, head of corporate benefits marketing at Friends Life, said:

"We're expecting the traditional image of the pensioner with slippers and rocking chair to change completely.

"Many will not have saved adequately for a secure retirement and, with years of fiscal austerity taking their toll, by 2020 many people in their seventies simply will not be able to afford to give up working.

"Necessity is the mother of invention and Wearies will be among the most innovative and entrepreneurial contributors to the UK economy, despite their senior years."

People from across Britain were asked about their attitude to working in retirement as part of the study, entitled "Pensions: Crisis and Reforms".

Over half (51%) of those who are already retired said they would be prepared to do part-time work to boost their pensions. But the figure rises to three-quarters (75%) among those who are yet to retire.

Businesses would have to inject at least £300bn into their final salary (defined benefit) pensions if a new EU law goes ahead, causing knock-on damage to the UK economy and jobs market.

It would also lead to the closure of more final salary pensions in the private sector, the National Association of Pension Funds (NAPF) has warned.

The NAPF issued the stark warning in its response to the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority (EIOPA) on the review of the Institutions for Occupational Retirement Provision Directive.

To enhance the security of occupational pensions across EU member states, EIOPA is proposing the application of a ‘Solvency II type capital regime’ to assess the solvency of pension funds.

Under this system, which has been designed for insurance companies, pension funds would be required to increase their funding levels, making the provision of pensions much more expensive. This would lead to employers paying more at an already difficult economic time, leaving them with less money for investment and job creation.

Joanne Segars, Chief Executive of the NAPF, said:

“The overall objective to make European pensions more secure is one which we support. But the introduction of Solvency II type rules will have the opposite effect.

“Faced with extra funding demands, many employers will revisit their pension arrangements. And what we are likely to see is the closure of more final salary pensions.

“The UK pension system already provides a strong system of member protection through the employer covenant, the work of the Pensions Regulator, and the safety net provided by the Pension Protection Fund. We do not need new solvency rules for pensions.”

The number of businesses that have closed their final salary pension to all of their staff has jumped by a third, the National Association of Pension Funds (NAPF) has revealed.

Its latest Annual Survey found that almost a quarter (23%) of pension schemes are now shut to both new staff and to future contributions from people who were already in the pension. This is up by a third from 17% in 2010, and was just 3% in 2008.

The survey shows more change is inevitable. Among those pension schemes which are closed to new staff but still open to existing staff, 30% expect to close the pension altogether in the next five years. They plan to then move staff into a ‘defined contribution’ pension, where the employer is exposed to much less risk.

Meanwhile, one in ten (11%) say they will keep the existing defined benefit pension scheme structure, but will make it less generous. This could include changing accrual rates or moving from a final salary to a career average structure.

The findings reflect an escalation in the decline of final salary (or ‘defined benefit’) pensions, as schemes that have already closed to new joiners shift their focus to existing members.

Final salary pensions have been increasingly strained by rising longevity, poor investment results, and red tape. Employers have been closing these pensions to try to manage risks and mounting costs. Only 19% of private sector schemes are now open to new joiners, compared with 88% ten years ago.

The Minister for Pensions, Steve Webb, has promised to protect the pension pots of people who move jobs often by abolishing Short Service Refunds for defined contribution occupational schemes. These refunds allow individuals to get their pension contributions back – leaving them without a pension.

The Minister also committed to taking action to prevent people losing small pension pots. A recently published paper looks to address the complexities in the current system that make it difficult for people to transfer their pension pots throughout their careers into one big pension.

Steve Webb said:

"I am concerned that people are at risk of losing their small pension pots as they move from job to job. I do not want to see people who are doing the right thing by saving, ending up with very little for their retirement because the system is too complicated. I want to make it as easy as possible for people to grow big fat pension pots."

A highly mobile jobs market and the introduction of automatic enrolment will lead to around 4.7 million additional small pension pots in our pensions system by 2050.

With the average person working for eleven different employers over the span of their career it’s vitally important that barriers are removed to growing big fat pension pots.

Options for consultation range from small changes to encourage transfers, to an automatic transfer system where pension pots could either be consolidated in one or more ‘aggregator’ schemes or move with people from job to job.