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Why are our pensions in crisis?

Huge deficits mean around 600 pension funds are certain to collapse in the next decade, according to the Pensions Institute at Cass Business School. It says another 400 are also at risk. These funds have combined deficits of around £45 billion, a figure which could potentially overwhelm the PPF rescue fund.

Britain’s blue chips are dishing out billions more in dividends to shareholders despite a crisis in their pension funds. One investment group analysis shows that 54 companies in the FTSE 100 index have handed out £48billion to investors in the last two years despite having a £52 billion pension black hole.

Another commentator said that insufficient contributions to pension funds could leave companies with hefty liabilities which could drag on future performance and, ultimately, lead to staff receiving lower pensions if the business runs in to difficulties and enters administration.

This communication is for informational purposes only and is not intended to constitute, and should not be construed as, investment advice, investment recommendations or investment research. You should seek advice from a professional adviser before embarking on any financial planning activity. Whilst every effort has been made to ensure the information contained in this communication is correct, we are not responsible for any errors or omissions.

Other News

The Catalan Crisis in Spain

Catalan and Spanish FlagCatalonia’s push for independence after a referendum has plunged Spain into its worst political crisis since the attempted military coup in 1981.

The crisis could have huge repercussions for the Spanish economy. Catalonia itself has its own language, parliament, police force and controls some of its own public services, such as schools and healthcare.  It is one of Spain’s wealthiest and most productive regions and has a distinct history dating back almost 1,000 years.

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Understanding Risk in Retirement Investing

Avoid RisksLife is inherently risky: if we did not accept risks as an inevitable part of life, we would never leave our homes or attempt to alter or improve the circumstances which lie ahead. So, we must negotiate a certain amount of risk while avoiding the most obviously dangerous situations.

Investing for retirement in stocks, shares and other commodities is similar; we need to accept the risks. By making calculated decisions we can hopefully avoid making detrimental investment decisions.

Unfortunately, those who don’t know how to invest for retirement, or those who receive bad, fraudulent or unregulated retirement investing advice, may be tempted by the promise of so-called “guaranteed” returns or unrealistically high dividends only to find that they have sacrificed their life savings for fool’s gold.

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