Tag: retirement

The Missing Asset in Britain’s Retirement Debate

Why Financial Planners Must Start Planning Human Capital — Not Just Pension Pots The Pensions Commission has warned, in the Pensions 2050: evidence and future priorities – interim report, that 15 million people are on course for inadequate retirement incomes. The proposed solutions will sound familiar: higher pension contributions, wider automatic enrolment, stronger retirement safeguards, … Continue reading The Missing Asset in Britain’s Retirement Debate →

12.2 Million People Are Being Told They Face Pension Poverty.

But What If the Missing Asset… Is You? A new retirement report from Scottish Widows says 12.2 million people across the UK are at risk of “pension poverty.” The proposed solutions are familiar: Save more into pensions Increase auto-enrolment contributions Invest more for longer Build larger retirement pots Those things matter. But there is another … Continue reading 12.2 Million People Are Being Told They Face Pension Poverty. →

🧭 Auto-Enrolment’s Hidden Crisis: 10 Million Dormant Pots and the Price of Passive Saving

By Steve Conley, Academy of Life Planning “When systems are built on inertia, they collapse under disengagement.” New data released under a Freedom of Information request has revealed a shocking truth:Less than one-third of Nest’s 13.7 million members are paying into their pensions.That means nearly 10 million workers—almost half the UK workforce—have abandoned their pension … Continue reading 🧭 Auto-Enrolment’s Hidden Crisis: 10 Million Dormant Pots and the Price of Passive Saving →

🧭 Affordability or Opportunity? Rethinking Why Older Workers Keep Working

By Steve Conley – Academy of Life Planning When new research tells us that “older Londoners can’t afford to retire,” it’s worth pausing to ask: is that really the full story? According to data analysed by Bower Home Finance, seven of the UK’s top ten areas where people over 65 remain in work are in … Continue reading 🧭 Affordability or Opportunity? Rethinking Why Older Workers Keep Working →

🏛️ Aktivrente: A German Blueprint for Active Ageing — and Why the UK Should Follow

Germany’s “Aktivrente”: A Blueprint for Active Ageing the UK Can’t Afford to Ignore Germany’s 2026 Aktivrente will let pensioners earn €2,000/month tax-free. Steve Conley argues the UK should adopt a similar Active Pension Allowance to extend working lives, boost growth, and reduce fiscal strain. Germany has recognised a quiet revolution already underway: older people can, … Continue reading 🏛️ Aktivrente: A German Blueprint for Active Ageing — and Why the UK Should Follow →

🐷 Hands Off Our Pensions: Why Mandating Investment Isn’t Reform—It’s Raid

By Steve Conley | 9 July 2025 This week, Parliament debated the new Pension Schemes Bill—a bill that, if passed, would allow government ministers to direct how private pension funds are invested. It's being sold as a benign “backstop,” but to many in the profession, it looks less like reform and more like requisition. Bank … Continue reading 🐷 Hands Off Our Pensions: Why Mandating Investment Isn’t Reform—It’s Raid →

The Great Pension Heist: Are Our Retirement Savings Being Looted?

By Steve ConleyFounder, Academy of Life Planning "They say it's putting money in people’s pockets — but like the artful pickpocket, they’re actually taking it out." Today’s unveiling of the UK government’s Pension Schemes Bill has been lauded in headlines as a “game-changer,” a “blockbuster,” even a “revolution” for savers. But scratch beneath the surface … Continue reading The Great Pension Heist: Are Our Retirement Savings Being Looted? →

Annuities Are Back—And They Might Just Break the Advice Industry

Big changes are coming to retirement planning—and fast. If you’ve been paying ongoing fees to a financial adviser to manage your pension pot, you might want to take a closer look. Why? Because soaring annuity rates and the Chancellor’s raid on inherited pensions could combine to blow a hole in the traditional "assets under management" … Continue reading Annuities Are Back—And They Might Just Break the Advice Industry →