Comparing the market when looking for the best annuities

April 11th, 2012 No Comments »

Did you know that without comparing annuity providers your retirement income could be as much as 40% lower?  I had not realise this until I recently helped a friend looking for advice with pension, something that most people don’t actually think about until they reach retirement. You can’t blame people for this as it is a pretty dull subject, however it is one that we really should all be learning more about.

If you do yourself need to find the best annuity rates, then you can try Annuity Warehouse, a free service I found while searching online for annuities. They are a comparison website that offers individuals the chance the compare pension annuity providers for free. This helps people compare the annuity market, a process known as the open market option.

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Buying a second property to fund retirement

April 5th, 2012 No Comments »

Many of those aged 50 or over are in a position where they have paid off their mortgage in full, often living in a property with several unused bedrooms. If retired then they may be in the position of being ‘asset rich but cash poor’, whereby their wealth is mostly tied up in the value of their property, that they own outright. Although it isn’t always appealing, often couples decide to sell the property and downsize in order to release the equity and provide them with a lump sum. This lump sum can they be used or invested to fund the rest of their retirement.

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