We’re back with another Q&A show, with a bit of a DB Pension tilt this time, though we even get into a question on equity release. We cover lots of ground, as always - hope it’s useful!

Shownotes: https://meaningfulmoney.tv/QA5

00:55 As you made a request for questions I thought I'd pose this (apologies in advance for the length, feel free to trim as required):

I am single, mid-forties, with no dependents (I do have some family I plan to pass wealth on to, but when they need it rather than leaving it in my estate). I'm aiming for the mystical die with zero.

As a home owner, and given I'm not worried about passing it on, would it be a good idea to start drawing on the capital locked up in my home via drawdown equity release (using say home reversion) before the investments in my pension and ISAs given this is the most illiquid and concentrated of my assets?

Downsizing isn't really an option to release capital (it's a two-bed semi so property doesn't get much smaller). That said equity release looks to offer rates well below the market value (apparently they want to make a profit), certainly if you're on the younger end of the eligibility spectrum. It's far from the case of selling 50% of the house and getting that amount, even spread over a number of years.

I could sell the house myself and rent instead, using the released money to pay the rent (and if the money is invested, provided my rent doesn't rise egregiously, it might even stay ahead of that cost). Though there are potential issues with that approach, certainly over the long term.

Are there any other ways to unlock the capital tied up in my property?

Regards, Lee

10:20 Hello Pete and Roger.

I work in public sector and have a decent DB pension, larger part being final salary and lesser part CARE. I will be able to commute up to 25% with a commutation factor of about 24:1. Which will give me about £180,000 depending on when I leave.

Upon retirement I will seek to move most into a 100% equities investment wrapper, I’m fairly happy with proportionate risk, as my DB pension will provide a life long index linked safety net, and I will also build a bit of cash ladder of declining risk.

I have recently watched your ISA v Pension comparison with keen interest. It was fascinating to see that even though a pension is taxed, the tax relief going in, offset the tax going out, and the option of having both works particularly well in terms of tax efficiency and retirement planning.

I had been putting a modest amount into a S&S ISA each month for the last few years, but recently opened a SIPP and am now sending the spare cash that way for the extra tax relief. It’s very satisfying seeing the “free money” coming in each month..

I can potentially retire in 2 years at 55 with an actuarial reduction or continue working until 60, or retire sometime in between. I also have a preserved DB pension that I can take at 60 from a previous employer.

In the mean time I want to keep saving and investing, and will try to ramp it up for next few years.

My question is – It was pretty clear from your numbers that those with a DC pot are best with both ISA & SIPP in terms of tax efficiency and flexibility, but given that my DB pension will use up all my personal tax allowance, does that swing the momentum on where to invest back in favour of an ISA over a SIPP, as other than the 25% tax free element, I would pay basic rate tax on all my SIPP drawdown. I’m sure other people with either a modest DB pension or secondary passive income could find themselves in similar quandary. ( I’m aware all could change after the next budget. ) I live up north, houses are cheap as chips, therefore IHT unlikely to be a major concern in terms of decedents.

Chris

16:47 Loving the sultry combination of the north and south tones! I’ve been listening to the podcast for several years now, and you’ve given me loads of practical tips that I’ve been able to take forward. However, I’ve recently received an ADHD diagnosis, and while I earn a good salary, my impulsivity often leads to overspending, and I’m finding it difficult to maintain control over my finances. I have a monthly planner that I check regularly with the bills, so they are ok, but on spending it is always difficult, and I often dip into credit card usage.

I would really appreciate any advice or practical tips you could offer for someone like me, who struggles with impulsive spending with a disability. Things like “just don’t spend money” just don’t work! Are there any specific strategies, tools, or approaches that can help someone with neurodiversity, particularly ADHD, to manage their money more effectively? Thanks again for the amazing content you put out. Looking forward to any guidance you can provide.

Best regards, Ian

22:53 My question / suggestion relates to listeners with Defined Benefit (DB) pensions.

Although they’re becoming rarer, there is still a sizeable minority of people who have DB pensions. I suspect the majority of them are (or have previously been) employees in the public sector – but they’ll run to quite a high number.

For instance, there are 1.5 million current employees in the NHS, half-a-million Civil Servants, half-a-million teachers, Police, Fire Fighters etc etc. Double that to allow for all the former employees, plus those with DB pensions in the private sector, and you’re talking decent numbers.

I’ve learned a lot over recent years from your Podcast, but there have been a number of occasions where you’ve alluded to the fact that financial planning advice might differ for folk with DB pensions.

One example might be the topic of opening a separate SIPP (in addition to the DB pension) to supplement retirement income (or to fund early retirement) or to move money outside the person’s estate.

Another example might be the balance of ISA versus Pension: with some DB schemes, the benefit of “topping-up” is reduced compared with those in DC pensions. In many cases the employer isn’t adding “free money” to your pot, so for many there may be more reason to lean towards ISA contributions.

Another difference might be the topic of investment risk – if someone with a DB pension has a guaranteed inflation-proof income in retirement, might they be wise to consider higher risk investments? And certainly without the dreaded “profiling”.

Another example (as alluded to earlier) might be in Estate Planning: with a DB pensions, there’s no “pot” of invested money lying outside one’s estate, so there’s no IHT advantage.

I realise this might amount to more than just a 5-minute topic for your Q&A edition, but I think you’d have enough listers to make a whole episode for DB pension recipients. What to you reckon?

Thanks for all the great advice. Best wishes, Dr Pete

29:43 Thank you for all of your support over the years through the podcast and YouTube.

I work for the NHS which is very tough at the moment but it does give me the benefit of a defined benefit pension when I get there. I am 35 years old but am wanting to make sure I am saving enough for retirement but also to make sure that I have enough for my children to support them through university and starting life! My wife is a fantastic stay at home Mum. We are aiming to have the “comfy” level of retirement at £58000 that you have previously mentioned which should give us some capacity to support the children!

I earn £58000 plus about £7000 as a side hustle. I save into my NHS pension, save about 50% of the side hustle income into a SIPP, and save around £400 into a S&S ISA and £200 into cash savings each month.

There are lots of examples about how much you should save but I haven't found anything when you are part of the NHS/other DB pension. Am I saving enough, or too much? I don't want to miss out on life now by over saving!

Thanks, Alex

36:13 Enjoying listening to another excellent podcast where I heard the shout out for questions. One I had is “what’s the best tax efficient way to save for kids futures? I started going down the path of saving into JISA’s, but then didn’t like the idea of being unable to access the money on their behalf, or them to do so before 18. I contribute to premium bonds, but theoretically that will be capped at £50k (here’s hoping!). Any other obvious good suggestions?”

Thanks & keep it up, continue to love the show.

Cheers, Chris

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