Guardian Associates Limited

Personal Pensions - what you need to know

The individual and group pensions market is an ever changing world, with new legislation being brought out on a regular basis, it is difficult to keep track of what options are available with regard to your retirement planning. Hopefully within this section of our website we can explain many of these options in plain simple language and help you plan for your future. This information is purely intended as guidance and therefore if you require any specific advice please contact us directly for independent financial advice.

The value of your pension can fall as well as rise and you may not get back the original amount invested.

How Much Should I Save Towards My Retirement

What is a personal pension?

The fundamentals of a personal pension plan are very simple. You put money into a savings fund, it hopefully grows in value and at retirement you convert the fund into a regular income payment, which will replace part, or all, of your earnings from employment. read more..

What Are My Options At Retirement?

The purpose of this document is to try and explain some of the common options open to clients when they come to take their retirement benefits.This document does NOT apply to people who are in Final Salary pension plans. read more..

Income Drawdown - Is It Right For Me?

Annuities are historically the most popular option in retirement, with a great many looking for the security that they provide. However, it's unlikely that they will continue to account for as high a % of retirement income products as they have in the past, Why, you ask? This document will explain further. read more..

State Second Pension - The Facts and Figures

This document is geared to contracting out using personal / stakeholder pensions. The position for employer-sponsored schemes can be different and you should seek further guidance from your scheme administrators. read more..

Pensions And Divorce

Although the number of divorces granted in the UK has been falling, to just under 150,000 in 2006 (Source: National Office of Statistics 2007), divorces still affect well over 1/4 million adults every year and their pension prospects. Like it or not, with pensions being most people’s second biggest asset, a major consideration is always going to be pension benefits. read more..

Understanding Personal Pensions

Personal pensions may be suitable if you're employed and not in a company pension scheme, or as an addition to a company pension. You may also wish to set up a personal pension if you are self-employed or if you are not working but can afford to put aside money for retirement. read more..

Reshaping Retirement

We all know it’s important to plan for retirement, but many of us are still not planning well enough. Despite all the media headlines and Government initiatives, many of us still have a ‘tomorrow will do’ attitude. This is worrying for one simple reason – we are going to live longer than most of us think. This article explains further. read more..