Considering Retirement
Richard, aged 50, wasn't intending on retiring for some time so wondered why he had been invited to a retirement seminar. However, after the event, he commented, "This is one of the most useful things I have ever done."
He continued, "The presenter at the event not only had an in-depth knowledge of financial issues, but of all BT's Pension and Share plans. It answered many questions that I had been thinking about for some time including the 'how and when can I afford to retire' question, which I am sure all of us consider when we reach that certain age. In addition, it helped me to understand what I needed to do now in order to maximise my pension and manage my savings and investments in the most tax efficient way, including how to maximise my annual Capital Gains tax allowance.
I have made several changes as a result of attending the workshop – I have increased my AVC contributions considerably, changed the location of some of my savings and I am currently reviewing the best way to deal with my shares. Overall, this was a very useful experience and financially, when I retire, I will be in a far better position."
Life in Retirement
At age 51, Melvyn a BT employee from Essex thought it probably wasn't possible for him to retire at such an early age. Melvyn therefore attended the planning for retirement course and found that retirement was actually possible for him. Intrigued, Melvyn arranged a personal one-to-one meeting with WEALTH at work, who provided him with a detailed analysis in a written report. Based on this report and a subsequent meeting, Melvyn realised that retirement was a real option for him, aged just 51.
Since retiring, Melvyn has been on a number of holidays as well as adopting several new hobbies including learning to speak French, website design, and more importantly he has been able to spend and enjoy more quality time with his wife. Melvyn commented: "The help provided by WEALTH at work was crucial in allowing me to understand whether retirement was a reality given my age and financial situation. It is so important to get good advice to help with these important decisions."
See the full article on the HR Magazine website.
Understand your options at Retirement
Rod, 60 from Middlesex, first attended a Retirement Planning seminar whilst he was working as an engineer for BT. Despite previously having several misconceptions about retiring, Rod found the seminar to be excellent, and provided him with detailed information to help him think about the options available to him. After attending the seminar, Rod arranged a personal one-to-one meeting with WEALTH at work. The Strategic Investment Planner Rod met was knowledgeable, friendly, and took the time to talk to Rod and his wife about what they wanted and how WEALTH at work could tailor their investments to suit their retirement income needs. Rod found the one-to-one meetings to be beneficial, informative and gave him the confidence to retire knowing his finances were in order.
Rod is now happily enjoying his retirement and is looking forward to a month long trip to New Zealand to visit his family. Rod commented “It is so important to understand your options at retirement and getting the right advice is crucial to this.”
