Welcome to our latest issue of Smartmoney, which you can view at Smartmoney September 2017.

Will you be one of the six million workers who will have to work an extra year before retiring after the Government announced that it would be extending the retirement age to 68? On page 6, we look at the new plans announced in July of this year and how they could affect you. A combination of increases in life expectancy and the number of retirees relative to the working-age population means that individuals will now have to save harder for their retirement.

With historic ultra-low interest rates on savings, many investors over the past decade have turned to income-paying funds as an alternative to cash-based savings. On page 10, we consider how our changing life plans and priorities mean we now encounter varying income needs and goals throughout our life, and when investing, how certain innate behavioural traits influence our decision-making.

New research finds consumers could be missing out on thousands of pounds in retirement by not shopping around for their pension. This means their retirement pot may not stretch as far as they hope it will, yet a significant proportion of people expect their retirement income to cover much more than just the essentials. Turn to page 13 to read the full article.

The full list of articles featured in this issue appears on page 3.

We do hope that you find Smartmoney interesting and informative. Should you have any questions, or require more information on any of the articles or any other financial matter, please do not hesitate to contact us by calling 01628 566777, emailing us at colin_a_sanders@yahoo.co.uk or completing the contact form on this website.

Andy Harris
Head of Operations
SFIA Group Ltd