Pension stuff, how's it all looking ? HAve you prepared ?

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Re: Pension stuff, how's it all looking ? HAve you prepared ?

Post by weeksy »

Count Steer wrote: Thu Jul 25, 2024 5:30 pm
weeksy wrote: Thu Jul 25, 2024 4:06 pm
Count Steer wrote: Thu Jul 25, 2024 2:35 pm

You can pay more than £10k but you won't get tax relief on anything over £10k.

'If you take money out in this way, you may only be able to receive tax relief on up to £10,000 a year. If you exceed this figure, you may need to pay tax to HMRC. This is known as the money purchase annual allowance (MPAA).'
And is that done manually by them or something you have to do as a self-assesment ?
Err. Dunno! That's getting a bit specialist. I'd ask your payroll/pension people that one to start with. Someone like Sillycar might have an idea on the mechanics of tax relief application etc.
No worries, it's not for a while yet, so no rush.


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Re: Pension stuff, how's it all looking ? HAve you prepared ?

Post by Cousin Jack »

The thing that pisses me off, is that despite assorted govts encouraging us to invest in long term planning for pensions....

a) They keep changing the rules/options.
b) They make the rules so bloody complicated that only a specialist can understand them.

Grr!
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Re: Pension stuff, how's it all looking ? HAve you prepared ?

Post by Count Steer »

weeksy wrote: Thu Jul 25, 2024 5:35 pm
Count Steer wrote: Thu Jul 25, 2024 5:30 pm
weeksy wrote: Thu Jul 25, 2024 4:06 pm

And is that done manually by them or something you have to do as a self-assesment ?
Err. Dunno! That's getting a bit specialist. I'd ask your payroll/pension people that one to start with. Someone like Sillycar might have an idea on the mechanics of tax relief application etc.
No worries, it's not for a while yet, so no rush.


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:D

I think it will probably depend on whether the 10k+ is coming directly out of salary and employer contributions, or if you are contemplating putting slabs of cash directly into your DC scheme...or some of both.

As CJ says it's all a bit complicated...for them to administer too. The tax systems must be in the 'maintained to death' state.
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Re: Pension stuff, how's it all looking ? HAve you prepared ?

Post by wheelnut »

Cousin Jack wrote: Thu Jul 25, 2024 5:41 pm The thing that pisses me off, is that despite assorted govts encouraging us to invest in long term planning for pensions....

a) They keep changing the rules/options.
b) They make the rules so bloody complicated that only a specialist can understand them.

Grr!
Yeah - waiting for labour to drop the hammer on the amount that can invested each year that you get tax relief on.

Or change it so you can’t get higher rate relief.

Or both!

I don’t think they’ll dare touch the 25%
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Re: Pension stuff, how's it all looking ? HAve you prepared ?

Post by Sunny »

I've just whacked up my pension contributions at the new job to 20% all in.
It's a smaller, less-corporate company, so their contribution isn't amazing, which is a shame, but I can afford to whack in a chunk.

First payslip with the new contribution might be a bit painful though :shock:
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Re: Pension stuff, how's it all looking ? HAve you prepared ?

Post by Count Steer »

weeksy wrote: Thu Jul 25, 2024 5:35 pm
Count Steer wrote: Thu Jul 25, 2024 5:30 pm
weeksy wrote: Thu Jul 25, 2024 4:06 pm

And is that done manually by them or something you have to do as a self-assesment ?
Err. Dunno! That's getting a bit specialist. I'd ask your payroll/pension people that one to start with. Someone like Sillycar might have an idea on the mechanics of tax relief application etc.
No worries, it's not for a while yet, so no rush.


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Good news mon ami. The £10k limit applies if you have taken taxable money out of the fund, not tax-free. See:
https://www.fidelity.co.uk/retirement/m ... allowance/

(The UFPLS bit means taxable lump sums ie - 'An UFPLS is a flexible way to take money from your pension. You can withdraw your entire pension in one go, or a bit at a time. An UFPLS withdrawal shouldn't be confused for a tax-free cash pension lump sum, where the entire payment is tax free.')

Still worth getting a bit of professional advice though. :)

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Re: Pension stuff, how's it all looking ? HAve you prepared ?

Post by weeksy »

Oh don't worry about that, when I hit 54 I'll be getting fully IFAd up and working all the plans out.
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Re: Pension stuff, how's it all looking ? HAve you prepared ?

Post by weeksy »

https://www.retirementlivingstandards.org.uk/

Not sure how the people who are retired/retiring view this... I still struggle a little with how £44,000 and no mortgage only equates to 'comfortable', i'd have thought it'd be a bit more than comfortable.
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Re: Pension stuff, how's it all looking ? HAve you prepared ?

Post by Count Steer »

weeksy wrote: Wed Jul 31, 2024 9:11 am https://www.retirementlivingstandards.org.uk/

Not sure how the people who are retired/retiring view this... I still struggle a little with how £44,000 and no mortgage only equates to 'comfortable', i'd have thought it'd be a bit more than comfortable.
Depends what you're used to as a couple. eg If you've had a combined income of £200k+ then £44k will feel rather different. If you've survived on £50k you will probably feel better off. I'll see if I can dig out the Which? analysis on what you can actually do on a 'comfortable' amount. It's a pretty modest lifestyle in terms of holidays, cars, (and bicycles :D ), home improvements and general expenditure etc etc.
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Re: Pension stuff, how's it all looking ? HAve you prepared ?

Post by weeksy »

Count Steer wrote: Wed Jul 31, 2024 9:28 am
weeksy wrote: Wed Jul 31, 2024 9:11 am https://www.retirementlivingstandards.org.uk/

Not sure how the people who are retired/retiring view this... I still struggle a little with how £44,000 and no mortgage only equates to 'comfortable', i'd have thought it'd be a bit more than comfortable.
Depends what you're used to as a couple. eg If you've had a combined income of £200k+ then £44k will feel rather different. If you've survived on £50k you will probably feel better off. I'll see if I can dig out the Which? analysis on what you can actually do on a 'comfortable' amount. It's a pretty modest lifestyle in terms of holidays, cars, (and bicycles :D ), home improvements and general expenditure etc etc.
Well yes i get that... but i always equate retiring with paying off the mortgage, which saves over £1000 (close to £1400) a month, so i see my 'need' as going down dramatically. I also struggle to see where £3000 a month goes and disappears to if you've not got a mortgage
That's then not including that Mrs Weeksy would have a job/pension on top ... which again where the heck does all that go lol.
Maybe i'm seeing it with rose tinted glasses, but i honestly see say £44,000 as a great amount for retirement.
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Re: Pension stuff, how's it all looking ? HAve you prepared ?

Post by Count Steer »

weeksy wrote: Wed Jul 31, 2024 9:32 am
Count Steer wrote: Wed Jul 31, 2024 9:28 am
weeksy wrote: Wed Jul 31, 2024 9:11 am https://www.retirementlivingstandards.org.uk/

Not sure how the people who are retired/retiring view this... I still struggle a little with how £44,000 and no mortgage only equates to 'comfortable', i'd have thought it'd be a bit more than comfortable.
Depends what you're used to as a couple. eg If you've had a combined income of £200k+ then £44k will feel rather different. If you've survived on £50k you will probably feel better off. I'll see if I can dig out the Which? analysis on what you can actually do on a 'comfortable' amount. It's a pretty modest lifestyle in terms of holidays, cars, (and bicycles :D ), home improvements and general expenditure etc etc.
Well yes i get that... but i always equate retiring with paying off the mortgage, which saves over £1000 (close to £1400) a month, so i see my 'need' as going down dramatically. I also struggle to see where £3000 a month goes and disappears to if you've not got a mortgage
That's then not including that Mrs Weeksy would have a job/pension on top ... which again where the heck does all that go lol.
Maybe i'm seeing it with rose tinted glasses, but i honestly see say £44,000 as a great amount for retirement.
The £43.1k figure is for a couple.
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Re: Pension stuff, how's it all looking ? HAve you prepared ?

Post by weeksy »

Count Steer wrote: Wed Jul 31, 2024 9:41 am
weeksy wrote: Wed Jul 31, 2024 9:32 am
Count Steer wrote: Wed Jul 31, 2024 9:28 am

Depends what you're used to as a couple. eg If you've had a combined income of £200k+ then £44k will feel rather different. If you've survived on £50k you will probably feel better off. I'll see if I can dig out the Which? analysis on what you can actually do on a 'comfortable' amount. It's a pretty modest lifestyle in terms of holidays, cars, (and bicycles :D ), home improvements and general expenditure etc etc.
Well yes i get that... but i always equate retiring with paying off the mortgage, which saves over £1000 (close to £1400) a month, so i see my 'need' as going down dramatically. I also struggle to see where £3000 a month goes and disappears to if you've not got a mortgage
That's then not including that Mrs Weeksy would have a job/pension on top ... which again where the heck does all that go lol.
Maybe i'm seeing it with rose tinted glasses, but i honestly see say £44,000 as a great amount for retirement.
The £43.1k figure is for a couple.
I was looking at Comfortable rather than Moderate :)
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Re: Pension stuff, how's it all looking ? HAve you prepared ?

Post by Count Steer »

Ah. Righto. The key figure really is the £59k for a couple. TBH I could probably exist on £44k but my clothes budget is considerably less than hers. :)

Easiest way to do it is look through a month or two of bank statements and see what you actually both spend and what you both wouldn't spend after retiring.
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Re: Pension stuff, how's it all looking ? HAve you prepared ?

Post by weeksy »

Count Steer wrote: Wed Jul 31, 2024 9:57 am Ah. Righto. The key figure really is the £59k for a couple. TBH I could probably exist on £44k but my clothes budget is considerably less than hers. :)

Easiest way to do it is look through a month or two of bank statements and see what you actually both spend and what you both wouldn't spend after retiring.
Yeah i need at some stage to write a spreadsheet of what goes out in terms of bills.... but i don't think we're quite at the stage where that's necessary yet. It's mostly just me thinking "hmmm and oooh" when i see certain figures.... but i'd expect they've done a bit more indepth research than i have at this stage.
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Re: Pension stuff, how's it all looking ? HAve you prepared ?

Post by Horse »

Count Steer wrote: Wed Jul 31, 2024 9:57 am Easiest way to do it is look through a month or two of bank statements and see what you actually both spend and what you both wouldn't spend after retiring.
Be honest and realistic.

You might not be paying a mortgage - but you might have major repair bills running into thousands (from new boiler at £2k through to re-roofing at £20k, f'ristance).

Include example costs for Christmas and birthday presents, etc.

Also, as you get older you're likely to be less able to carry out previously easy maintenance tasks.
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Re: Pension stuff, how's it all looking ? HAve you prepared ?

Post by Count Steer »

I realised last night that the figures are for expenditure only. So the numbers are after tax. That £59k figure is actually about (wet finger in air) £68k before tax. (Assuming all pensionable income is taxable ie not coming from ISAs etc). The £44k figure is ~£50k before tax.
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Re: Pension stuff, how's it all looking ? HAve you prepared ?

Post by Horse »

For reference, when you qualify (and if entitled to the full amount), state pension is £11K
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Re: Pension stuff, how's it all looking ? HAve you prepared ?

Post by JackyJoll »

Horse wrote: Thu Aug 01, 2024 10:08 am For reference, when you qualify (and if entitled to the full amount), state pension is £11K
Mine is about £11,500.
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Re: Pension stuff, how's it all looking ? HAve you prepared ?

Post by Yambo »

Mine is £10237.

Born 4 months too early so clearly don't need as much.
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Re: Pension stuff, how's it all looking ? HAve you prepared ?

Post by Horse »

Yambo wrote: Thu Aug 01, 2024 2:32 pm Mine is £10237.

Born 4 months too early so clearly don't need as much.
Google was wrong, then.

As of April 2024, the full new state pension in the UK is £221.20 per week, or £11,502 per year.
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