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Retirement

Any teachers on here making AVC’s? Do you have to use Prudential or are there other options? ‘Er indoors has emailed the Teacher’s Pension bods but nobodies bothered to reply.
4 day weeks
How will parents manage the extra day off

 

Any teachers on here making AVC’s? Do you have to use Prudential or are there other options? ‘Er indoors has emailed the Teacher’s Pension bods but nobodies bothered to reply.

Do you get the benefit of salary sacrifice? If not, you might just be better opening your own SIPP
 
Vanguard is good choice if you just want to keep things simple rather than having hundreds of funds to choose from. They've also been around forever so have more of a track record than these app-only startups.
Thanks and to Fletch too.
Surprised by the sheer quantity of funds on offer. Tempted to just stick say £500 per month in a LifeStrategy 100% equity fund as will be there for over 10 years. Presume can derisk near the time of retirement. Will just be looking to drawdown rather than annuity
 
Thanks and to Fletch too.
Surprised by the sheer quantity of funds on offer. Tempted to just stick say £500 per month in a LifeStrategy 100% equity fund as will be there for over 10 years. Presume can derisk near the time of retirement. Will just be looking to drawdown rather than annuity

That's nothing compared to the choice of funds you get from other providers. Vanguard only offer their own.

Yes the LS 100 is a good place to start if you are more than 10 years from retirement.
 
I`ve been loitering here taking an interest in people`s plans and circumstances as I am considering retirement soon/very soon.

I lost my wife to cancer a year and a half ago. She retired early on medical grounds but never really had the chance to enjoy her retirement.

I bitterly regret not retiring at the same time but back then when we first discussed it, I`d have taken a big hit on my annual pension and lump sum. She was worried for me how I`d cope financially if I retired then so I kept working. At least I was able to work from home so was on hand whenever she need anything.

I decided after I lost her that I`d work until I was 60 then I`d have a decent pension and lump sum to last me to 67 and that`s been my plan ever since.

BUT

After being content to be alone for the rest of my life, I`ve met someone. It`s a nice story but there is a sting. I first met her on her 18th birthday in 1985 and we wrote to each other as friends for a few years while we were both a uni. In 1990 we got together for a while but she`d moved down south so it fizzled out. She did absolutely nothing wrong and think that the distance and our young age is the reason it ended. Fast forward to this summer. She had moved back up here to look after her Dad and I randomly got in contact to see how she was and soon after we met up for the first time in 35 years and hit it off straight away and we basically picked up where we left off. It feel like fate intervened while I was at my lowest to pull me round. I never expected that to happen and all I`d hoped for when I contacted her was an occasional message at Christmas/birthdays etc but you get hit when least expecting it.

BUT

She has stage 4 cancer and is on her last line of treatment which so far is working. My mortgage is paid off in June and now I am having a big rethink of my plans. I don`t know how long we`ve got and don`t want to waste the upcoming summer being stuck in the office. I want to make every day count with her.

I`m going to check my pension calculator today but I assume going at 59 and a half instead of 60 won`t make a significant difference to my pension.

I`m quite risk averse so I suppose I`m just trying to get some reassurance for a decision I think I've already made.
Jeez fingers crossed for you both. If a work pension scheme, is there any free advice on offer? I’d have thought 6 months won’t make a big difference to your annual amount but might make a huge difference to quality of life to you both in that time. Easy for me to say of course but seen a few older people at work hang on a bit longer and then massively regret it because of family ill-health
 
That's nothing compared to the choice of funds you get from other providers. Vanguard only offer their own.

Yes the LS 100 is a good place to start if you are more than 10 years from retirement.
The more funds on offer the more complex it gets. For most folk all you need is a good diverse all world fund, a good bond fund and a money market. Vanguard offer all this.
 
Thanks and to Fletch too.
Surprised by the sheer quantity of funds on offer. Tempted to just stick say £500 per month in a LifeStrategy 100% equity fund as will be there for over 10 years. Presume can derisk near the time of retirement. Will just be looking to drawdown rather than annuity

The LS funds have quite a uk bias (guessing its a currency hedge) some investors dont like it, and prefer something like the ftse global all cap index fund
 
Thanks and to Fletch too.
Surprised by the sheer quantity of funds on offer. Tempted to just stick say £500 per month in a LifeStrategy 100% equity fund as will be there for over 10 years. Presume can derisk near the time of retirement. Will just be looking to drawdown rather than annuity
I dunked a few quid in all three life strategy ones. From memory I think the 80/20 is performing best over the last 3 years or so.
As savings rates start to head down I will start looking for more of these funds from other providers just to mix it up a bit more. I'm sure there is more to be made with a little bit more effort on my part but being lazy I tend to go for the ready made ones.
 
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The LS funds have quite a uk bias (guessing its a currency hedge) some investors dont like it, and prefer something like the ftse global all cap index fund

Vanguard claim this is due to "customer demand" but at least it gives people a choice between funds with a UK bias and those without.
 
The LS funds have quite a uk bias (guessing its a currency hedge) some investors dont like it, and prefer something like the ftse global all cap index fund
Probably wise to not be too US exposed at the moment I would say with the tech stocks being a bit over valued. The LS funds seems a decent bet at the minute.
 
I`ve been loitering here taking an interest in people`s plans and circumstances as I am considering retirement soon/very soon.

I lost my wife to cancer a year and a half ago. She retired early on medical grounds but never really had the chance to enjoy her retirement.

I bitterly regret not retiring at the same time but back then when we first discussed it, I`d have taken a big hit on my annual pension and lump sum. She was worried for me how I`d cope financially if I retired then so I kept working. At least I was able to work from home so was on hand whenever she need anything.

I decided after I lost her that I`d work until I was 60 then I`d have a decent pension and lump sum to last me to 67 and that`s been my plan ever since.

BUT

After being content to be alone for the rest of my life, I`ve met someone. It`s a nice story but there is a sting. I first met her on her 18th birthday in 1985 and we wrote to each other as friends for a few years while we were both a uni. In 1990 we got together for a while but she`d moved down south so it fizzled out. She did absolutely nothing wrong and think that the distance and our young age is the reason it ended. Fast forward to this summer. She had moved back up here to look after her Dad and I randomly got in contact to see how she was and soon after we met up for the first time in 35 years and hit it off straight away and we basically picked up where we left off. It feel like fate intervened while I was at my lowest to pull me round. I never expected that to happen and all I`d hoped for when I contacted her was an occasional message at Christmas/birthdays etc but you get hit when least expecting it.

BUT

She has stage 4 cancer and is on her last line of treatment which so far is working. My mortgage is paid off in June and now I am having a big rethink of my plans. I don`t know how long we`ve got and don`t want to waste the upcoming summer being stuck in the office. I want to make every day count with her.

I`m going to check my pension calculator today but I assume going at 59 and a half instead of 60 won`t make a significant difference to my pension.

I`m quite risk averse so I suppose I`m just trying to get some reassurance for a decision I think I've already made.
Does retirement have to be permanent?

Why not consider it as a career break for 12 months then reassess how you are doing? You might find you can live and enjoy life on what you have now, or if that is not working then you have options to go back to your old line of work, go back part time or do a low stress lower paid job to top things up.
 
Does retirement have to be permanent?

Why not consider it as a career break for 12 months then reassess how you are doing? You might find you can live and enjoy life on what you have now, or if that is not working then you have options to go back to your old line of work, go back part time or do a low stress lower paid job to top things up.

I was going to suggest the same @mickb2112

If your firm offers a career break and you can afford to get by on savings for a year then do that and take it from there.

Some even offer holiday pay and/or count it as another year of service.
 
I`ve been loitering here taking an interest in people`s plans and circumstances as I am considering retirement soon/very soon.

I lost my wife to cancer a year and a half ago. She retired early on medical grounds but never really had the chance to enjoy her retirement.

I bitterly regret not retiring at the same time but back then when we first discussed it, I`d have taken a big hit on my annual pension and lump sum. She was worried for me how I`d cope financially if I retired then so I kept working. At least I was able to work from home so was on hand whenever she need anything.

I decided after I lost her that I`d work until I was 60 then I`d have a decent pension and lump sum to last me to 67 and that`s been my plan ever since.

BUT

After being content to be alone for the rest of my life, I`ve met someone. It`s a nice story but there is a sting. I first met her on her 18th birthday in 1985 and we wrote to each other as friends for a few years while we were both a uni. In 1990 we got together for a while but she`d moved down south so it fizzled out. She did absolutely nothing wrong and think that the distance and our young age is the reason it ended. Fast forward to this summer. She had moved back up here to look after her Dad and I randomly got in contact to see how she was and soon after we met up for the first time in 35 years and hit it off straight away and we basically picked up where we left off. It feel like fate intervened while I was at my lowest to pull me round. I never expected that to happen and all I`d hoped for when I contacted her was an occasional message at Christmas/birthdays etc but you get hit when least expecting it.

BUT

She has stage 4 cancer and is on her last line of treatment which so far is working. My mortgage is paid off in June and now I am having a big rethink of my plans. I don`t know how long we`ve got and don`t want to waste the upcoming summer being stuck in the office. I want to make every day count with her.

I`m going to check my pension calculator today but I assume going at 59 and a half instead of 60 won`t make a significant difference to my pension.

I`m quite risk averse so I suppose I`m just trying to get some reassurance for a decision I think I've already made.
I take it you're not self employed ? I read your stuff about interviews so thought maybe freelance . No chance of a year off?
Edit ,should have read thread to end
 
Does retirement have to be permanent?

Why not consider it as a career break for 12 months then reassess how you are doing? You might find you can live and enjoy life on what you have now, or if that is not working then you have options to go back to your old line of work, go back part time or do a low stress lower paid job to top things up.

That's my plan. Another 3 or 4 years to build up the piggy bank then take a year out (being made redundant would be ideal) to do some thinking about what to do next as a grown up.
 
Does retirement have to be permanent?

Why not consider it as a career break for 12 months then reassess how you are doing? You might find you can live and enjoy life on what you have now, or if that is not working then you have options to go back to your old line of work, go back part time or do a low stress lower paid job to top things up.
A mate of mine did that. He retired, was retired for 10 months, was bored, went back to work, lasted 3 months before telling his new boss to feck off then retired again 😊
 
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