I am in my early sixties and had expected to retire when I reached the state pension age, but I am seriously thinking about bringing my retirement forward to later this year. I’ve been furloughed for several months and, frankly, I don’t want to go back to work. I have built up a pension that is worth about £350,000 now and have about £150,000 in ISAs and other investments. Is there a formula I can use to help calculate my pension income and how long it will last?

North Norfolk News: Matthew Beck is an Independent FInancial Adviser with Smith & PinchingMatthew Beck is an Independent FInancial Adviser with Smith & Pinching (Image: Smith & Pinching)

Matthew Beck of Smith & Pinching responds:

The run-up to retirement is probably one of the most important points in your life in which to do some financial planning. A comfortable retirement isn’t just about achieving the income levels you need – it’s also about all those other things that you might want to do, such as holidays, moving home or helping the children. Your retirement plan should explore every aspect of the life you want to live over the years to come.

When we talk to clients about their retirement, we usually use lifetime cashflow planning tools to demonstrate how their income and wealth is affected by the different events and demands they expect to happen in the future. This process opens up a world of possibilities for your retirement and gives you the reassurance that your plans are achievable.

Retiring early shouldn’t adversely affect your ability to do all the things you want to do, but it may mean adjusting your planning a little. Lifetime cashflow planning allows us to move milestones and evaluate what difference that will make to your overall goals.

Once your financial plan is in place, we can review what you currently have in terms of both pension savings and other investments and work out how these can be best used to fund your retirement. We can then set up pension arrangements as needed to provide you with the resources to fit your retirement lifestyle.

I recommend that you start the process now with a full review with a Chartered Financial Planner. Your retirement is something to be enjoyed and a financial plan will give you the assurance to do just that.

Any opinions expressed in this article do not constitute advice. The value of an investment and the income from it could go down as well as up. The return at the end of the investment period is not guaranteed and you may get back less than you originally invested.

For more information, please visit www.smith-pinching.co.uk