MY MONEY

How strong are your finances if your circumstances change? Do you know when you will have built up enough of a pension pot to retire and carry on doing the things you enjoy?

The Money and Pensions Service (external website) offers free information on your financial options, including workplace and personal pensions which could enable you to better manage your finances. If you are self-employed, you can have a free one-to-one midlife MOT (external website).

You can get help to plan your retirement income (external website). You can also check your State Pension (external website) online to find out how much you might get and when you can claim it. The full new State Pension is around £9,100 a year, but yours may be more or less, as it’s based on your National Insurance record.

The Pensions Advisory Service (TPAS) (external website) gives people professional, independent and impartial help with their pensions – for free. Pensions can change people’s lives. TPAS’s vision is a future where people are empowered to make the most of their pensions. Visit their website to:

  • receive free, independent information and guidance on pension matters
  • resolve problems you may have with your pension

Money Helper (external website) is free and gives guidance across a wide range of money matters, such as advice on budgeting and managing your money.  Anyone can use the service and they provide a number of useful tools and calculators to help people manage their money.