Read the latest news and articles from the Gem & Co team
It’s been 40 years since Back to the Future delighted cinema-goers with its time-travelling adventure. Teenager Marty McFly discovers the power of the “ripple effect”, and it’s something that could be valuable when you’re creating a financial plan as well. One of the plot devices in Back to the Future is the ripple effect –
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Uncertainty continued to lead to market volatility in May 2025. However, there was some good news for investors as some markets recovered the losses they experienced in April 2025. Read on to find out more and what factors may have influenced your portfolio’s performance recently. While market movements may be worrisome, remember, it’s a normal
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New research suggests that our cognitive skills can start declining by age 30, if not earlier. If maintaining your health as you get older is one of your top priorities, it’s important to include mental workouts in your exercise regime as well as physical activity to keep your brain sharp. Read on to discover 10
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As a parent, you might worry about your child’s long-term financial wellbeing. While you might consider supporting them through university, helping out with day-to-day costs, or handing over a home deposit, have you thought about contributing to their pension? It could go further than you think. Younger generations face some key challenges when saving for
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Salary sacrifice schemes could offer employees a tax-efficient way to boost their retirement savings. It could benefit your business too, so they are well worth considering. If you’ve been thinking about salary sacrifice pensions or want to explore how you could expand your workplace benefits, read on to discover what they could mean for your
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The pension gap between men and women is closing. But, once life expectancy is taken into consideration, women still need to save an extra £185,000 for retirement, on average, according to the Scottish Widows 2021 Women and Retirement report. The report finds that young women in their 20s today can expect to have around £250,000
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Research suggests that millions of workers are being too cautious with their pensions. Taking too little investment risk with retirement savings could mean your pension is much lower than it could have been. It could affect your retirement lifestyle. Pensions and investment risk If you pay into a defined contribution (DC) pension, your money will
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The age you can access defined contribution (DC) pensions is rising. Research suggests that many people are unaware of this, but it could affect your retirement plans. At the moment, you can access money saved into a DC pension scheme from the age of 55. However, from 2028, this will rise to 57. If you’d
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It’s been six years since Pension Freedoms were introduced. They gave retirees more choice in how they accessed their pension, and increased the need to make important decisions about how and when to do so. Unfortunately, it’s also made pensions an attractive target for fraudsters. In recent weeks, the lack of Pension Freedom safeguards, causing
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2020 saw a lot of volatility within investment markets. While vaccine news means there is hope for battling Covid-19 in 2021, there’s still a lot of uncertainty. If you’re retired and are taking a flexible income from your pension, it’s likely your pension is invested, so it’s important to take stock of how it has
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More people are becoming self-employed and it’s a step that’s been linked to improved wellbeing. But it can mean your financial security falls, particularly when looking ahead to retirement. For self-employed workers, it’s important to take steps that can ensure your financial security in the long term. According to research from the Institute of Fiscal
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Your 55th birthday, rising to 57 in 2028, often marks being able to access your pension for the first time. The opportunity to take a 25% lump sum tax-free is certainly attractive and can be too tempting to resist. But it’s not a decision to take lightly and it isn’t the right move for everyone.
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From 2028, you won’t be able to access your Personal Pension until the age of 57. The government’s decision could affect your retirement plans and it’s important to review what it means for your future. The government previously stated it intended to increase the age people could access their Personal Pensions, currently set at 55.
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