Money – In The News

Savers say goodbye to £34m in LISA bonuses

During the 2020/21 tax year, HMRC reclaimed £34m in Lifetime ISA (LISA) withdrawal charges¹. Although the government reduced withdrawal charges for LISAs from 25% to 20% in 2020 (to 5 April 2021) to help those who had no choice but to access their savings during the pandemic, this figure represents a threefold increase on the previous tax year (2019/20). No doubt the decision to access these savings earmarked for home purchases and retirement, was likely to have been a difficult decision for many, knowing they would be penalised on withdrawal. There have been calls on the government to reassess the withdrawal charge. We will keep you posted with any developments.

Making ends meet in retirement

Research² has found that over a third of retirees (37%) don’t think they will have enough money to last their full retirement. Nearly half of those surveyed (48%) said they plan to reduce their spending habits to support themselves in retirement, while nearly one in three (27%) expect to continue to work part time and a fifth (21%) plan to sell their property or downsize. With longevity increasing and retirement consequently lasting many more years, the need to take advice to draw up a robust financial plan has never been so important.

¹FoI request, 2022

²abrdn, Sep 2021

The value of investments can go down as well as up and you may not get back the full amount you invested. The past is not a guide to future performance and past performance may not necessarily be repeated.