Double Your Pension Income

New evidence shows shopping around before you purchase an annuity can mean an increase in your annual pension income of up to 120%

Emma Wall 12 November, 2013 | 3:05PM
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Pension saver Mr J saw an increase in his retirement income of 117% - an extra £1,461 a year for life - after shopping around before he bought his annuity. He was smart enough to consider the options before fixing his rest-of-life wage. 

Exercising your open-market option before securing your retirement income is essential in order to maximise the largest possible pension income. But even though it is guaranteed to help get you extra cash in retirement, not all pension investors take advantage of the choice on offer. 

Tom McPhail, head of pensions research at Hargreaves Lansdown said: "Pension investors lose more money from making poor retirement income decisions than at any other point in the life of their pension. Shopping around at retirement is absolutely vital."

Buying an annuity is a once in a lifetime experience - that interest rate will determine a retiree's income for the rest of their life. The Association of British Insurers (ABI) confirms that the difference between the average worst and best annuity rate is 26%, and that is before taking into consideration any health conditions. 

Mr J, a Hargreaves customer, boosted his retirement income by declaring his health conditions and getting quotes from numerous providers.

If you have a medical condition that could impair your lifespan you could be entitled to an "enhanced annuity". The most commonplace conditions include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, an increased alcohol intake, smoking, diabetes and even being overweight. 

This means you can secure a great retirement income - as the morbid assumption is your pension pot does not need to be divided by as many years.

Retirees across the county see their income drop by an average of 40% when they give up work. But those who live in London will experience the greatest reduction.

Partnership, one of the UK’s leading enhanced annuity providers, calculated that Londoners will see a 48% fall in their income once they retire.

Andrew Megson, managing director of retirement at Partnership, people can maximise their pension income by shopping around and finding out if they are eligible for an enhanced or impaired annuity.

“While this is important for all those approaching retirement, it is particularly vital for those who live in more affluent areas as if their provider uses postcode pricing they may find they are worse off," he said.

The information contained within is for educational and informational purposes ONLY. It is not intended nor should it be considered an invitation or inducement to buy or sell a security or securities noted within nor should it be viewed as a communication intended to persuade or incite you to buy or sell security or securities noted within. Any commentary provided is the opinion of the author and should not be considered a personalised recommendation. The information contained within should not be a person's sole basis for making an investment decision. Please contact your financial professional before making an investment decision.

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Emma Wall  is former Senior International Editor for Morningstar

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