Pension stuff, how's it all looking ? HAve you prepared ?

[Count Steer]

However, in my death , this small pension is reduced even more for spouse, but with the transfer into the pot, Mrs D would get everything.

....everything that's left.

Good point about diversification - eggs/basket etc.

Oh, and I read an article recently on why to (and why not to) take the tax free lump sums. Main + reason to take them is to pay off debt. The reasons not to are many including -

Because something might happen in the budget*.
Spaffing on a holiday etc (Holiday was the worst, at the end of it you've got nothing apart from a tan, memories and Delhi belly and you can't sell any of those ).

*I did just take a sizeable lump out of a pot but that was to feed into ISAs. The possibility that these might change in the budget featured in my thinking and we hadn't used our combined limit this year. The tax saving was also a bonus.

[weeksy]

However, in my death , this small pension is reduced even more for spouse, but with the transfer into the pot, Mrs D would get everything.

....everything that's left.

Good point about diversification - eggs/basket etc.

Oh, and I read an article recently on why to (and why not to) take the tax free lump sums. Main + reason to take them is to pay off debt. The reasons not to are many including -

Because something might happen in the budget*.
Spaffing on a holiday etc (Holiday was the worst, at the end of it you've got nothing apart from a tan, memories and Delhi belly and you can't sell any of those ).

*I did just take a sizeable lump out of a pot but that was to feed into ISAs. The possibility that these might change in the budget featured in my thinking and we hadn't used our combined limit this year. The tax saving was also a bonus.

How about taking it just because life’s too bloody short and I want some nice things in life.
Sometimes it doesn’t all have to be that deep.

I’m buying a £40k-50k motor home simply because I want one with some of my 25%
I’m not spending the next 15 years with over half a million in the bank just so someone can wipe my arse when I’m 90

Fuck that

[Count Steer]

However, in my death , this small pension is reduced even more for spouse, but with the transfer into the pot, Mrs D would get everything.

....everything that's left.

Good point about diversification - eggs/basket etc.

Oh, and I read an article recently on why to (and why not to) take the tax free lump sums. Main + reason to take them is to pay off debt. The reasons not to are many including -

Because something might happen in the budget*.
Spaffing on a holiday etc (Holiday was the worst, at the end of it you've got nothing apart from a tan, memories and Delhi belly and you can't sell any of those ).

*I did just take a sizeable lump out of a pot but that was to feed into ISAs. The possibility that these might change in the budget featured in my thinking and we hadn't used our combined limit this year. The tax saving was also a bonus.

How about taking it just because life’s too bloody short and I want some nice things in life.
Sometimes it doesn’t all have to be that deep.

I’m buying a £40k-50k motor home simply because I want one with some of my 25%
I’m not spending the next 15 years with over half a million in the bank just so someone can wipe my arse when I’m 90

Fuck that

I wouldn't dream of suggesting everyone should, or would want to, do what I do. If people want to 'eat, drink and be merry*' good luck to them I say.

However, I like to nurture my resources so I can continue to live in the style I've become accustomed to (it's not dry bread and gruel ) until the last part of the quote* happens and then I hope my last cheque bounces.

[gremlin]

I’m buying a £40k-50k motor home simply because I want one with some of my 25%
I’m not spending the next 15 years with over half a million in the bank just so someone can wipe my arse when I’m 90

Fuck that

As somebody who works in the staid world of finance, I'd like to add....

Fucking right!

[Count Steer]

I’m buying a £40k-50k motor home simply because I want one with some of my 25%
I’m not spending the next 15 years with over half a million in the bank just so someone can wipe my arse when I’m 90

Fuck that

As somebody who works in the staid world of finance, I'd like to add....

Fucking right!

Is there a font big enough to describe your bank pension?

[gremlin]

I’m buying a £40k-50k motor home simply because I want one with some of my 25%
I’m not spending the next 15 years with over half a million in the bank just so someone can wipe my arse when I’m 90

Fuck that

As somebody who works in the staid world of finance, I'd like to add....

Fucking right!

Is there a font big enough to describe your bank pension?

In full disclosure, it's fecking generous, even the DC scheme they lobbed us into as compo for closing the DB scheme is ludicrously good.

As my financial advisor said, 'Just keep breathing...'.

[Taipan]

How about taking it just because life’s too bloody short and I want some nice things in life.
Sometimes it doesn’t all have to be that deep.

I’m buying a £40k-50k motor home simply because I want one with some of my 25%
I’m not spending the next 15 years with over half a million in the bank just so someone can wipe my arse when I’m 90

Fuck that

Fantastic! Good on ya! Enjoy life whilst your young and fit enough to do so.

[MyLittleStudPony]

Has anyone altered the level of risk on their pension(s) recently?

I'm thinking of turning some or all of mine down to a much lower risk/reward level in the belief the markets will drop fairly soon. And that i could turn it up again after that happened....

Any thoughts?

[weeksy]

Has anyone altered the level of risk on their pension(s) recently?

I'm thinking of turning some or all of mine down to a much lower risk/reward level in the belief the markets will drop fairly soon. And that i could turn it up again after that happened....

Any thoughts?

Mine was done by the provider when i reached i think 50 years ... But other than that i've not touched it. Your logic doesn't sound terrible to me as long as there's not a penalty for swapping it over.

[Pirahna]

Has anyone altered the level of risk on their pension(s) recently?

I'm thinking of turning some or all of mine down to a much lower risk/reward level in the belief the markets will drop fairly soon. And that i could turn it up again after that happened....

Any thoughts?

I asked my pensions man this very question a couple of weeks ago. His reply was that moving the fund from it's current medium risk portfolio to a lower risk one isn't a five minute job. He reckoned the timescale for moving is two or three months, it's not something you do as a reaction to perceived market forces. To use a couple of buzz words, moving a pension fund is a strategic move not a tactical one.

[MyLittleStudPony]

Has anyone altered the level of risk on their pension(s) recently?

I'm thinking of turning some or all of mine down to a much lower risk/reward level in the belief the markets will drop fairly soon. And that i could turn it up again after that happened....

Any thoughts?

I asked my pensions man this very question a couple of weeks ago. His reply was that moving the fund from it's current medium risk portfolio to a lower risk one isn't a five minute job. He reckoned the timescale for moving is two or three months, it's not something you do as a reaction to perceived market forces. To use a couple of buzz words, moving a pension fund is a strategic move not a tactical one.

Interesting. There still could be virtue in moving as the big drop could be months / years away

[gremlin]

Has anyone altered the level of risk on their pension(s) recently?

I'm thinking of turning some or all of mine down to a much lower risk/reward level in the belief the markets will drop fairly soon. And that i could turn it up again after that happened....

Any thoughts?

Mine was done by the provider when i reached i think 50 years ... But other than that i've not touched it. Your logic doesn't sound terrible to me as long as there's not a penalty for swapping it over.

Two points:

In the short term the market gurus are saying a 'correction' is on the cards, so you might not want your pot to take the hit. Many providers let you adjust your holdings in general terms, usually with a 'risk slider' or 1-5 score. Easy enough to move to less volatile funds whilst you shelter from the storm, and then put them back if you think the worst is over, and who knows, make a few quid.

As for moving to a safer pot at 50: why? OK, if you're taking it out in the next few months then fine, but if you plan to live off it by means of income or cashing in parts over the next 5, 10, 15 or 20 years then it makes no sense. You're not gonna be pushing up daisies any time soon, we hope, so you need to make the most of your investment pot over a bloody long period.

[Yorick]

Has anyone altered the level of risk on their pension(s) recently?

I'm thinking of turning some or all of mine down to a much lower risk/reward level in the belief the markets will drop fairly soon. And that i could turn it up again after that happened....

Any thoughts?

Mine was done by the provider when i reached i think 50 years ... But other than that i've not touched it. Your logic doesn't sound terrible to me as long as there's not a penalty for swapping it over.

Two points:

In the short term the market gurus are saying a 'correction' is on the cards,

Any idea of when?

Sooner ? Or later?

[gremlin]

Mine was done by the provider when i reached i think 50 years ... But other than that i've not touched it. Your logic doesn't sound terrible to me as long as there's not a penalty for swapping it over.

Two points:

In the short term the market gurus are saying a 'correction' is on the cards,

Any idea of when?

Sooner ? Or later?

3.47 on Thursday. Don't tell nobody.

If I knew that, I wouldn't be sitting at a desk doing a 9-5 gig for average money.


I'm no expert and only read the same news as everybody else, but there's talk of the AI frenzy fueling stocks like Nvidia, etc. That said, 'they' have been saying that since last year. I personally don't think there will be a huge fall, but I do plan on moving my holiday saving pot (all £1,578 of it) into safer pots soon, if only to realise the gains and bask in my financial wizardry.

[Mussels]

Two points:

In the short term the market gurus are saying a 'correction' is on the cards,

Any idea of when?

Sooner ? Or later?

3.47 on Thursday. Don't tell nobody.

If I knew that, I wouldn't be sitting at a desk doing a 9-5 gig for average money.


I'm no expert and only read the same news as everybody else, but there's talk of the AI frenzy fueling stocks like Nvidia, etc. That said, 'they' have been saying that since last year. I personally don't think there will be a huge fall, but I do plan on moving my holiday saving pot (all £1,578 of it) into safer pots soon, if only to realise the gains and bask in my financial wizardry.

I've seen claims that the AI bubble is inflated by the chip companies lending to buyers to encourage mores spending, this inflates the value of the hardware companies by effectively counting their money more than once. If that is the case and it affects some of the worlds biggest companies the correction could be very big.
Aside from that have you seen the changes to the RPI calculation? Apparently it's on hold until certain gilts expire in 2030 that could be cashed in early due to big changes, I saw this in respect to it being a big cash grab on DB pensions by this government.

I vaguely understand this stuff so please correct me if I'm talking rubbish. I haven't looked much into the RPI thing as DB is only a small part of my pot, I can't do anything about it and lastly it will probably change again soon.

[Yorick]

My pensions and ISAs are doing ok.

But they are massively affected by the GBP/Euro exchange. It's been dropping lately and all my money in UK drops appropriately

[gremlin]

I vaguely understand this stuff so please correct me if I'm talking rubbish.

Pensions are a bit of a mystery to me, too.

I do think Rachel is gonna raid the pension pots a bit later this month. Obvious target is reducing the 25% tax-free lump you can pull out. Easy win. Not sure she'll tamper with the Lifetime Allowance mind, as although the numbers huge with pensions, in reality they're not, so reintroducing any sort of cap will piss off senior doctors, civil servants, etc., who likely vote Labour.

We'll have to wait and see.

(I reckon she'll increase Income Tax too, for higher earners.)

[Count Steer]

Appetite for risk is going to depend, pretty much, on how close to retirement people are. If you're still earning and paying in when the markets slump, you're buying in 'on the cheap'. If everything then recovers over time you should/could be a happy bunny.

If you're retired (or v close to it) then your pensions are your income, so watching the value of your pots plummet is rather more squeaky bum time. Makes sense to be more defensive.

(Not so much if you've got final salary, inflation adjusted pensions but, even then you have to hope that you're pension provider has enough in the kitty when things turn sour).

Mind you, even a defensive mindset didn't help when that 'financial genius' Truss wiped 25% off 'safe' investments.

[gremlin]

Appetite for risk is going to depend, pretty much, on how close to retirement people are. If you're still earning and paying in when the markets slump, you're buying in 'on the cheap'. If everything then recovers over time you should/could be a happy bunny.

Conversely: I'm 50. I can either move my pension pot into Gilts for the next 30 years and get a shit RoR, or shift some of the portfolio to bonds but keep the majority in the same investments that have served me well and provided growth and income as this is still a long-term game (fingers crossed).

[Count Steer]

Appetite for risk is going to depend, pretty much, on how close to retirement people are. If you're still earning and paying in when the markets slump, you're buying in 'on the cheap'. If everything then recovers over time you should/could be a happy bunny.

Conversely: I'm 50. I can either move my pension pot into Gilts for the next 30 years and get a shit RoR, or shift some of the portfolio to bonds but keep the majority in the same investments that have served me well and provided growth and income as this is still a long-term game (fingers crossed).

The pension pot I've just converted to draw-down had an arrangement/option called Lifestyle iirc where you could (automatically as far as the employee was concerned ) gradually reduce the risk as retirement approached. That could be over a period of, say 10 or 15 years. (Isn't 'the market' supposed to go in a 20 year cycle? Probably did when investing made sense but the tech stampede/crypto/AI bonanza seems to have put paid to sense).

I still have a chunk of change in my 'Plucky Little Portfolio™' that was my play at growth stocks etc - fortunately some of it was also in US stock funds and Tech (in PEPs, remember them?) but the individual company shares have gradually moved into income hunting stocks like L&G, oil, etc. They seem to be quite popular at the moment so the saleable value has gone up a bit recently too.