Annuity specialist Retirement Advantage has been bought out by Canada Life for an undisclosed sum. Retirement Advantage, which also operates in the equity release market, has more than 30,000 customers and more than £2bn in assets under management. This includes a £1.5bn block of in-payment annuities. Canada Life UK executive vice-president and chief executive Doug Brown said: “Canada Life has …
What an annuity costs and where to buy it
If you’re looking to purchase a life-long income with your pension savings, there’s a lot to think about when making the irreversible decision about where to put your money. Where can you find a good annuity? How much do they cost? Where to buy First of all, your pension provider may offer their own annuity six months before you retire, …
Chancellor under pressure to scrap 25% tax free lump sum
Chancellor George Osborne is facing increasing pressure to scrap the 25% tax-free lump sum people can take out of the pension pots ahead of next month’s Budget. Currently people can access 25% of their pension pots tax-free in a single lump sum when they reach 55. Think tank the Institute of Economic Affairs recently proposed the tax-free lump sum should …
Second-hand annuities – Pro’s and Con’s
The government has stated that from 2017 pensioners will be able to sell their annuities for a lump sum. This would extend pension freedoms to those who’ve already bought a guaranteed income. But can it really work? We wonder… When pension freedom arrived in April 2015, many people missed out. Those who had already bought a guaranteed income no longer …
Basic state pension to rise to £119 per week
Autumn Statement boost for pensioners In Wednesday’s Autumn Statement, the Chancellor will announce the basic state pension will increase to £119.30 a week from April 2016. The BBC reported the basic state pension will get its biggest rise since 2001. The increase equates to 2.9% and will be worth £174.20 extra a year to someone on a full basic state …
Drawdown interest drops and annuities surge six months after pension freedoms
New research has suggested that 10 per cent more people are likely to seek a guaranteed income – such as an annuity – than they were in the immediate aftermath of the introduction of pension freedoms in April this year. The latest index from financial forecasters eValue has revealed that 43 per cent are now exploring a guaranteed income post-retirement, …


