“Labour government likely to beef up auto enrolment and re-instate LTA”

Oct 24, 2023 | Pensions

Beefing up auto-enrolment has to be a good thing. We’re under-pensioned and don’t save enough, as has often been trailed on these and other pages. If beefing-up means hiking what needs to be paid-in, the danger is that more will opt out unless their wages go up and mortgages and rent go down, a difficult circle to square; but hey, Kier and Rachel, that’s why you’re paid the big bucks. The lifetime allowance is another thing and adds, I’d say, a ridiculous amount of complexity to our system for little tax-reward. It is, ultimately, an idealogical anti-fat-cat measure and limiting reliefs on the way in would work better. All, of course, speculation, as we might still be stuck with Rishi, Jezza and Co., and Labour might not get around to any of it anyway. You can only plan on the basis of the known, I’ve always preached.

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a woman holding a jar with savings written on it
“Why you should never retire”

“Why you should never retire”

On my 50th birthday, I will always remember, amongst the card or two I received was a letter from Saga’ who’d managed to find out my age through the wonder of the internet, and were pleased to tell me I now qualified to join my parents and go on holiday with them.

“National insurance cut raises questions over state pension funding”

“National insurance cut raises questions over state pension funding”

In an election year, all parties will try to be all things to all men. Mostly, it’s only stuff which matters ‘on the doorstep’ which matters. In isolation, Mrs Miggins (not my invention) will be delighted that her pension has gone up with the highest measure of inflation; and no one running a business will be complaining that National Insurance has been reduced.