Why a mid-retirement MoT can keep you on track

Times

2 days ago

You get your car checked every year, and even the boiler gets a regular service — but when was the last time you gave yourself a money MoT?
People are living longer than ever, and while this is a welcome development, it also presents a significant financial challenge: ensuring your pension pot can comfortably last the distance.
For many people in their seventies, a mid-retirement MoT has become an essential part of managing their finances. By this stage, people tend to have settled into retirement and have a clear picture of their lifestyle and outgoings. This makes it easier to work out a sustainable rate at which to take money from their pension pot.
Only 48 per cent of people aged between 65 and 75 are confident their savings will last their lifetime, according to a report by the insurance company Aviva and the charity Age UK. That's despite the fact that many people underestimate how long they will live.
Many people assume that their spending patterns will be consistent through retirement, the survey of 1,000 people found. That's wrong — it is usually 'U-shaped', say experts, with higher initial outgoings, a potential decline in the middle years, and then a resurgence in later life, particularly if there are care costs.
Romi Savova from the pension firm PensionBee said: 'Just as regular pension check-ins are essential before retirement, it is important to assess your income and spending once you're in retirement, and especially around the halfway point.
'A mid-retirement MoT is a good way to make sure your savings remain on track, particularly as your lifestyle, spending and health needs may have changed over time.'
John Ford has planned meticulously. Ford, 73, has an inflation-linked defined benefit pension — which pays a guaranteed income — and a state pension, which together give him an annual income of about £36,000. 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.
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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.'
Withdrawing money from your pension is a fine balance — it needs to be enough to provide the lifestyle you want, without depleting your pot so fast that it runs out.
A common guideline suggested by experts is to withdraw money at a rate of 4 per cent of the value of your pot per year. The idea is that since the rest is still invested, it should be able to replenish itself in time for the next withdrawal.
Fidelity International, the wealth manager, analysed what happened to a £100,000 pension pot after ten years of withdrawals starting at 4 per cent a year and rising by 2 per cent each year to factor in inflation.
Its analysis looked at withdrawals starting each year from 1994 to 2014 to see how much the pot would be worth after a decade. 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.
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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 gov.uk and each costs £82. You get a 50 per cent discount if your pre-tax income is less than £12,000 a year.