Pensions

Tuesday 15th September is National Pension Awareness Day in the UK. On this page, you’ll find out more about the basics of pensions and saving for retirement, and why pensions might not be your only option when it comes to saving for your future.

A state pension provides you with regular payments from the government once you reach state pension age. Find out everything you need to know about the UK state pension, how it works, how you can claim and ways in which you may be able to increase your state pension.

Looking to retire early? It might be possible with the F.I.R.E or Financial Independent, Retire Early method.

If you’re saving for retirement, you may find yourself considering opening a pension or a savings account. Discover the benefits of both, so you can decide which option best suits you.

Workplace pension schemes can help you save more for your retirement. Find out everything you need to know about workplace pensions, including how they work, the different types of schemes and their benefits.

The Teacher’s Pensions Scheme is a good way for teachers to save for retirement, but it can be complicated to understand. Read our guide to find out everything you need to know.

Knowing your retirement age is important, because you can use it as a target for when you can stop working. Find out the current retirement age in the UK, how to claim your state pension and ways you can save for your retirement.

The cap on pension contributions you can make and still receive tax relief is £40,000 per year. Find out more about the maximum pension, what happens if you exceed it and how much you should be putting away.

Understanding minimum pension contribution, and knowing what you want yours to be, is important if you want to live comfortably in retirement. Find out more about minimum pension contributions, what GMP is, how much you’ll be able to claim from your state pension and if there’s a way to increase the amount you could get.

An annuity is a type of retirement product you can purchase using your pension pot, and pays you a guaranteed fixed income that can either last your lifetime or for a set period. Find out more about pension annuity, how it works and the different types of annuities.

Early retirement is something many people consider, or at least, it’s something that many people would like to consider. If you want to retire early, it’s worth reviewing your finances sooner rather than later. Find out what to consider, how to retire early and your other retirement options.

Your state pension is a regular payment you can claim from the government once you reach state pension age. Find out more about the state pension, what being eligible means, the requirements you’ll need to meet and the different types of state pension.

Pension credit is a tax-free financial benefit for low-income pensioners. Find out more about pension credit entitlement, who can claim pension credit and how to claim.

Pension credit is extra money you may be able to claim from the government if you’re a pensioner on a low income, but calculating how much you may get can be confusing. Read our guide to pension credit calculators to find out more.

Every year, thousands of people in the UK have to stop working due to ill-health. Find out more about ill-health pensions, what qualifies as ill-health and what you may need to consider if you’re planning to retire due to ill-health.

Pension credit provides additional retirement income for pensioners on a low income. Read our guide to discover what pension credit is, how it works, if you’re eligible and how you can claim.

If your spouse or civil partner passes away, you may be entitled to receive a welfare benefit from the government. Find out more about widows’ pensions (now called the Bereavement Support Payment) and the benefits you may be entitled to.

The UK government considers saving for retirement so crucial to financial wellbeing that you’re now auto-enrolled into a workplace pension scheme. However, you can choose to opt-out. Learn everything you need to know if you’re considering opting out of a pension.

The state pension age for women is steadily increasing and will continue to rise in the future. Read our guide to find out the effects of these increases, particularly for those born in the 1950s.

A pension calculator helps you plan for the future by figuring out how much you might need to live on and how much you’ll need to save to reach that amount by your retirement. Find out what a pension calculator is, how it works and how much you should be saving for your retirement.

Taking out a pension is a good way to ensure a comfortable income when you retire, and some pensions allow you to take out a lump sum. Find out everything you need to know about pension lump sums, tax implications and what you might want to consider.