Office for National Statistics

Chancellor George Osborne has been given a boost ahead of next month's Budget after official figures showed the UK posted its largest budget surplus in four years.

People need to take ownership of financial planning as the average retirement age increases, says an AXA Wealth spokesman.

Average retirement ages rose by almost one year between 2004 and 2010 according to research published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

UK GDP for the fourth quarter of 2011 dropped by 0.2%, a worse than expected figure that will heighten fears of a double-dip recession.

UK CPI inflation fell from 4.8% in November 2011 to 4.2% last month, the equal largest drop since December 2008, according to the Office for National Statistics.

The British economy just managed to achieve growth in the fourth quarter of 2011, according to the National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR).

Official government figures have revealed that the average annual salary earned by financial and insurance brokers this year has increased 17.3% on 2010 to £54,924.

The UK economy grew by 0.5% in the third quarter, the Office for National Statistics confirmed today in its second official estimate.

Unemployment has risen to 2.62 million people over the past quarter according to Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures released today.

Andy Gadd discusses the potential benefits of venture capital trusts in a retirement planning strategy