New Toyota RAV4 stars in this week's Auto Express
In this week's issue of Auto Express we have the lowdown on the all-new Toyota RAV4, which gets a bold new look to help it take on the SUV elite.
We also have a family car showdown as the Dacia Bigster takes aim at the big-selling Nissan Qashqai in our latest head-to-head. Advertisement - Article continues below
Plus, we take a closer look at the new Alpine A390 electric SUV and have official pictures of the latest BMW M2 CS.
In the drives section we get behind the wheel of the BYD Dolphin Surf, try out the hybrid version of the Fiat Grande Panda and hit the road in the Smart #5.
If that wasn't enough we reveal the best small cars money can buy.
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Western Telegraph
an hour ago
- Western Telegraph
Starmer: Wave of investments will make military an ‘integrated fighting machine'
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Times
an hour ago
- Times
Why a mid-retirement MoT can keep you on track
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He also has £340,000 in a defined contribution (DC) pension — which gives him a retirement income based on how well his investments perform — which he has barely touched. 'I am keeping it for emergencies and future medical bills,' Ford said. 'Last year I paid about £7,000 to remove cataracts at a private clinic as I didn't want to wait for a slot on the NHS. I also need some money to make some repairs to my property near Bristol.' Ford retired from his job as a surveyor in the construction industry in 2017, when he was 65. His wife, Carole, 70, retired four years ago and gets a state pension plus a small defined benefit pension, giving her an annual income of about £15,800. • Flip-flopping is chipping away at our faith in pensions Ford said: 'Luckily we have enough to live a decent lifestyle and our spending has not really changed much since we retired. However, we know we may need money later in life for care bills, which is what the DC pot is for.' Reviewing your finances once a year can help you to identify whether you need to rebalance your investments or make any adjustments to the amount that you are withdrawing, and to check that you are on track with your financial goals. Lucie Spencer from the wealth manager Evelyn Partners said: 'The early years of retirement are usually where most of the non-essential spending happens. For many people this is the first time they have had a substantial pot of money and total freedom to spend it as they wish. 'However, many do not plan for their later years. What will happen if they go into a care home or need support at home? Who will pay the bills if all their funds are spent? Will the state pension be enough to live on if they've exhausted all their savings? Such questions tend to become more pressing from the mid-seventies.' 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Based on a typical portfolio of 60 per cent global shares and 40 per cent in bonds, there were only three years (1999, 2000, and 2001) in which someone could have started taking annual income and been left with a pot worth less after a decade — in all other years the pot's value would have increased, even after ten years of withdrawals. For example, if someone had started making withdrawals of 4 per cent a year in January 2014, the value of their £100,000 pot would have grown to about £154,000 by January 2024. However, if they had started withdrawing in January 2000, the value of their pot would have fallen to £81,319 by January 2010, according to Fidelity's analysis. • Are you on track for your dream retirement? It is important to bear in mind that managing withdrawals can become problematic at times of stock market turmoil. When the market falls, so too does the value of your pot, as many savers experienced during the recent Trump tariff upheaval. Spencer said it was best to avoid withdrawing money at such times as it could mean locking in losses, and make it harder for the value of your pot to recover: 'During retirement if you are drawing down on your pension after a market shock, you could be selling investments at impaired values and that can deliver a serious blow to the longevity of your pot.' It is recommended that you have about a year's worth of spending, including bills, saved in cash which you can use instead during such times, allowing your investments to recover. An alternative to leaving your pot invested is to use some or all of it to buy an annuity, which provides a guaranteed income for life in exchange for a lump sum. Tom Selby from the investment platform AJ Bell said: 'Once you reach your seventies, you may start to consider whether drawdown is still the right option, or if using some of your fund for an annuity could be a good choice.' Life expectancy directly affects annuity rates — the longer you are expected to live, the lower the rate, because the income will have to paid out for a longer period. This means that if you buy an annuity later in life, you could get a higher income. A healthy 75-year-old with a £100,000 lump sum could secure an income of about £10,129 a year, according to the pension firm Just Group. That is about 30 per cent more than the £7,813 a 65-year-old is likely to get. Disclosing health or lifestyle factors that might reduce life expectancy, such as smoking or diabetes, could also mean you get a better rate. Shopping around for the best deal is always advised. Annuities do have drawbacks. The level of income is fixed so you may find it is not enough if your circumstances change, such as needing more money for care costs. You also forgo potential long-term investment growth, and unless you choose a policy that pays out to a surviving spouse, the income dies with you. A concern for older people in retirement is cognitive decline and the associated anxiety with technology, digital accounts, and a general loss of confidence in managing money, especially investments. It is important to arrange for someone to manage your money if you aren't able to do it yourself. 'I recommend all clients have a power of attorney in place in case they do start to lose mental capacity,' Spencer said. • Do I need to update my power of attorney? A lasting power of attorney is an official document that gives someone the authority to manage your financial and medical interests if you are no longer capable. There are two types of power of attorney — ordinary and lasting. The first is used as a temporary measure, for example if you are overseas and cannot do it yourself. The lasting power of attorney comes in two forms — health and welfare, and property and finance. One allows someone to make medical decisions on your behalf, while the other covers your money. It is usually advisable to have both. You can apply for both at the same time and must have them in place while you still have the mental capacity to give someone the authority to act for you. The forms can be downloaded from and each costs £82. You get a 50 per cent discount if your pre-tax income is less than £12,000 a year.
