NEWS & ANNOUNCEMENTS Pension Freedoms usher in a new Generation 7 May 2019

The introduction of pension freedoms has been a huge enabler for over-55s, allowing millions to draw income from their pensions flexibly. Pension freedoms offer the opportunity to transition into retirement by continuing to work with reduced hours beyond traditional retirement age.

This emerging trend enables you to choose a middle path, allowing for reduced working hours and more flexible quality leisure time, while also receiving your retirement benefits. Taking a phased approach to retirement, new research shows, was the preference for half of UK workers over 50, or five million workers.

Tailor Retirement to your own Individual Requirements

The flexibility that pension freedoms gives means that older workers can tailor their retirement to their own individual requirements, giving rise to a new distinct and more ‘free’ stage of life in between work and retirement. A quarter (26%) of over-50s could see themselves continuing to work while collecting their pension, but their motivation for doing so isn’t driven solely by economics. Keeping their brain active and enjoyment of work, as well as the benefits of social interaction all, play their part.

Work-life Balance has never been more Important

Earning an income later in life also provides workers with the opportunity to continue saving, which can mean higher retirement benefits in the future. The research highlights that a work–life balance has never been more important to those over 55. Pension freedoms have allowed them to throw off the shackles of traditional retirement and follow a plan that suits their individual needs. While historically people benefitted from generous final salary pensions, one drawback of these was that they didn’t offer much flexibility to decide how and when to take benefits. The pension freedoms have changed the way people think about retirement and are enabling the rise of a more flexible transition into retirement, including allowing people to choose to start accessing some retirement savings to support a reduced working pattern.

Freedom to continue to live life on your own terms

Pension freedoms have allowed older workers to be more flexible, creating a distinct phase in their later life where they can alter their working pattern to their needs. This allows them to continue working beyond traditional retirement age while also having more time for leisure, for family, for volunteering and to pursue hobbies and travel. The research also highlights another point that older workers want to be able to continue to live life on their own terms, and pension freedoms allow an increasing number to enjoy a new life stage where they can combine reduced working hours with enjoying more leisure time.

A PENSION IS A LONG-TERM INVESTMENT. THE FUND VALUE MAY FLUCTUATE AND CAN GO DOWN, WHICH WOULD HAVE AN IMPACT ON THE LEVEL OF PENSION BENEFITS AVAILABLE. ACCESSING PENSION BENEFITS EARLY MAY IMPACT ON LEVELS OF RETIREMENT INCOME AND YOUR ENTITLEMENT TO CERTAIN MEANS TESTED BENEFITS AND ARE NOT SUITABLE FOR EVERYONE. YOU SHOULD SEEK ADVICE TO UNDERSTAND YOUR OPTIONS AT RETIREMENT. PENSIONS ARE NOT NORMALLY ACCESSIBLE UNTIL AGE 55. YOUR PENSION INCOME COULD ALSO BE AFFECTED BY INTEREST RATES AT THE TIME YOU TAKE YOUR BENEFITS. THE TAX IMPLICATIONS OF PENSION WITHDRAWALS WILL BE BASED ON YOUR INDIVIDUAL CIRCUMSTANCES, TAX LEGISLATION AND REGULATION, WHICH ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE IN THE FUTURE. THE VALUE OF INVESTMENTS AND INCOME FROM THEM MAY GO DOWN. YOU MAY NOT GET BACK THE ORIGINAL AMOUNT INVESTED. PAST PERFORMANCE IS NOT A RELIABLE INDICATOR OF FUTURE PERFORMANCE.