AJ Bell Money & Markets Deep Dive #11 Your big pensions questions answered
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Sep 15, 2026 Charlene Young, AJ Bell’s pensions and taxation specialist, joins Rachel Vahey, a pensions policy expert, to tackle big retirement questions. They explore early saving, salary sacrifice, SIPPs versus ISAs, inheritance tax changes, the jump in pension access age, state pension eligibility and higher-rate tax relief. They also unpack pensions dashboards, retirement income needs and why age 75 still matters.
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Start Pension Saving Before Retirement Feels Close
- Keep contributing to a pension when possible because employer payments, tax relief and decades of compound growth materially increase retirement savings.
- Charlene Young says investment growth could account for around 60% of a pot’s eventual value; review default-fund choices and lost workplace pensions.
An ISA May Not Solve Pension Inheritance Tax
- Assess whether future inheritance-tax rules affect your estate before moving pension money into an ISA.
- Spending or gifting excess funds can reduce the estate; simply moving them to an ISA or bank account generally cannot.
Early Pension Access Rules Depend On Your Birth Date
- Check whether the age-57 access change affects your birth date and pension holdings before taking money early.
- Those born between April 1971 and April 1973 may access part at 55 but wait until 57 for untouched funds.