Pension

Cardiff-based IFA Penguin Wealth has launched an online retirement planning advice service aimed at lower-net-worth consumers.

FIVE THINGS

Prime Minister David Cameron has said the state pension will continue to rise by at least 2.5% a year until 2020 if the Conservatives win the next election.

The majority of employers are in favour of using auto-escalation schemes to increase contribution rates in defined contribution (DC) schemes, according to research from the Association of Consulting Actuaries (ACA).

In this week's quick-fire poll we ask: Will 2014 be a challenging year for pensions?

Two fifths of pension schemes are open to investing in alternative asset classes to reduce their portfolio risk, according to Aon Hewitt, increasing their need for advice in this area.

More than two million people have been auto-enrolled into a workplace pension scheme, according to The Pensions Regulator (TPR).

Tax relief on retirement savings should be cut and pensioners should have to pay National Insurance contributions, according to a think tank.

Pension PlayPen has launched a free comparison tool to rate and compare quotes from all the main pension providers.

Companies could be forced to funnel another £250bn into their final salary pension schemes over the next decade because of ultra-low interest rates and QE, according to a report.