Taking the reins and having more control over your pension pot

Welcome to the latest issue. At the time of writing, the UK Government said it is ‘ready and willing’ to do a deal to leave the EU if new terms are negotiated with Brussels. But the new Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, has vowed the UK will leave the EU ‘come what may’ by 31st October – the date the UK must depart if no deal has been reached.

Even though we don’t definitively know what the impact of Brexit will be on both the UK’s and other countries’ economies, it doesn’t mean this is necessarily a bad time to invest internationally. Any well-run investment portfolio should include exposure to companies from around the world. This gives investors access to a greater range of opportunities and allows portfolios to be insulated from any shocks that could affect individual economies.

Saving for retirement is one of our greatest financial priorities, especially as life expectancy is growing and retirements are likely to last longer. It may be the case that you want to take the reins and have more control of your pension pot. Turn to page 06 to see how, for appropriate investors, one option to consider is a Self-Invested Personal Pension (SIPP).

Nobody wants to worry about how they’ll pay the bills if they become sick or injured and can’t work. But illness or injury can strike at any time and can lead to serious financial trouble. On page 12, we look at the latest government figures that report the dramatic increase in the likelihood of longterm sickness absence when we age, leading to an employment absence of four weeks or more.

Also inside this issue, we look at how to spot the warning signs if you’re approached by a pensions scammer; consider the winners and losers under the new State Pension; and if you have accumulated a number of pension pots over the years from different employers, why consolidating them could be appropriate.