Financial Matters

With Akwasi Duodu | akwasi@sterlingandlaw.com | www.sterlingandlaw.com

Five ways to avoid pensioner poverty

The breadline is a very real prospect for many at retirement. Most people born post 1970 are facing very different retirement prospects to those of their parents and grandparents. Back then, a job was for life and final salary pension schemes were commonplace. If you worked for a company for 30 years or more, you were sorted. Those were the good old days but times are very different today. It’s every man for himself. What’s in store for you? Many of us are heading for the breadline in retirement unless you have a plan. It’s one thing being poor, but being old and poor is quite another. Here are five ways to avoid this:

1) Assess your current situation

How much would you need to live on in retirement and are you on target to achieve this? Any good plan starts with knowing exactly where you are as a starting point. Where exactly are you now? Do you have any current pension arrangements, or nothing at all? Do you have any old pensions with previous companies? Do you have a personal pension? How is it invested? What is it likely to produce if maintained at its current level? A good independent financial adviser will be able to assess your current position, help project where you are heading and help you put a plan in place to achieve your target.

2) Determine what you want

Now that you know where you are and where you are heading, determine whether that is what you want. Are your current arrangements adequate? If not, your adviser should be able to help you determine the shortfall between where you are now and where you want to be. Your adviser could convert that shortfall into monetary terms and give you an idea of what sort of capital you would need to build between now and your chosen retirement age to be financially secure in retirement.

3) Consider your options

Let us assume that your financial adviser has determined that you have a pension shortfall of a certain amount. Let’s say you are 40 and that shortfall is £200,000. Your adviser could help you find ways of making up that shortfall. I like to break it down into how much you would need to save on a monthly basis to build a fund large enough to support you ion your later years. There are many ways to save for retirement these days, including self-invested (SIPPs) and personal pensions, ISAs and other tax efficient investments. Building a property portfolio is also an option. Factor in your current budget, assess what is affordable and think about how much time you have to achieve your target.

4) Have a plan

Once you have decided what option works best for you, start putting together your plan. Determine how much it would cost you on a monthly basis, or whether you would need to find a lump sum of capital to fund your strategy. Think of all the pros and cons of your plan and assess the risk involved. Again, your financial adviser should be able to help you devise a plan and consider the risks.

5) Do it now!

It’s amazing how many people come up with amazing plans on paper and then do nothing with them. One of the most common statements I hear from people on the countdown to retirement is “If only I had done this years ago!” Your strategy is useless without implementing it. Get started and avoid the breadline. The clock is ticking.

Wednesday 28 September: Goose Green Coffee Morning Talk - Highlights from the Tate Galleries

11am-12.30pm. Do join us for this special talk by Marcus Dickey Horley, Curator of Access Projects at the Tate Gallery. Marcus will describe the history of the Tate Gallery, from its origins near East Dulwich to its spread right across the Nation. The talk will be accompanied by described images and also by the use of handling objects and tactile replicas, so this talk is particularly suitable for people who are partially sighted or who might enjoy being able to touch. All are welcome. Free event. Coffee Morning will open at 11 o'clock with the talk starting at 11:30. St John's East Dulwich, 62A East Dulwich Road, East Dulwich.

Wednesday 28 September: Cooking with Scissors

6.45pm-8pm. An opportunity for local business professionals to meet, make new contacts and gain new business. The last Wednesday of every month. Free Admission. To find out more or register please go to our website:

www.cookingwithscissors.co.uk

The Lordship Pub, 211 Lordship Lane, SE22 8HA

Thursday 29 September: Jeremy Bowen: The Making of the Modern Middle East

7:30pm - 8:30pm. Jeremy Bowen, the BBC’s Middle East Editor has been covering the region since 1989. He has also been reporting on the Russian invasion of Ukraine from the heart of the conflict. This is his account of the making of the modern Middle East. In this new book, in part based on his acclaimed podcast, Bowen takes us on a journey across the Middle East and through its history. He has reported from more than seventy countries, covering thirteen wars including those in Afghanistan, Lebanon, Chechnya, Somalia, the Middle East, Rwanda and former Yugoslavia. His previous books include Six Days, War Stories and The Arab Uprisings. A Village Books and Alleyn’s Schools Enterprises Event. Tickets: www.mct.alleyns.org.uk The MCT at Alleyn’s, Alleyn’s School, Townley Road, Dulwich, SE22 8S

Friday 30 September: Chris Wood, Joe Wilkes, Jim O’Mulloy

7:00pm - 11:00pm. We are delighted to be welcoming Chris Wood back to The Goose Is Out! In a world of soundbites and distractions Chris is a truth seeker. His writing is permeated with love and wry intelligence, uplifting and challenging as he celebrates the sheer one-thing-after-anotherness of life. Winner of 6 BBC Folk Awards, he was a key member of The Imagined Village along with Billy Bragg and Martin Carthy. A wise and soulful craftsman, his concerts are a cliche free zone. Joe Wilkes (replacing Rainy Day Woman) is a brilliant singer songwriter based in South London. Jim O’Mulloy is another local lad who sings and plays guitar very beautifully. Tickets: www.wegottickets.com/thegooseisout The Ivy House, 40 Stuart Road, Nunhead, SE15 3BE