Welcome to the latest issue. At the time of writing,
the UK Government said it is ‘ready and willing’ to do
a deal to leave the EU if new terms are negotiated
with Brussels. But the new Prime Minister, Boris
Johnson, has vowed the UK will leave the EU ‘come
what may’ by 31 October – the date the UK must
depart if no deal has been reached.
Even though we don’t definitively know what the
impact of Brexit will be on both the UK and other
countries’ economies, it doesn’t mean this is a
necessarily a bad time to invest internationally. Any
well-run investment portfolio should include exposure
to companies from around the world. This gives
investors access to a greater range of opportunities
and allows portfolios to be insulated from any shocks
that could affect individual economies.
Saving for retirement is one of our greatest
financial priorities, especially as life expectancy is
growing and retirements are likely to last longer. It
may be the case that you want to take the reins and
have more control of your pension pot. Turn to page
08 to see how, for appropriate investors, one option
to consider is a Self-Invested Personal Pension (SIPP).
Nobody wants to worry about how they’ll pay the
bills if they become sick or injured and can’t work.
But illness or injury can strike at any time and can
lead to serious financial trouble. On page 28, we
look at the latest government figures that report
the dramatic increase in the likelihood of longterm
sickness absence when we age, leading to an
employment absence of four weeks of more.
Also inside this issue, we also look at how to
spot the warning signs if you’re approached by
a pensions scammer; consider the winners and
losers under the new State Pension; and if you have
accumulated a number of pension pots over the
years from different employers, why consolidating
them could be appropriate. A full list of the articles
featured in this issue appears opposite.