Articles
Planning articles and practical guides
Thoughtful public content on UK planning decisions, written to be useful on its own and connected to the wider Planiva workbench.
These articles are part of the public marketing and content layer, not the authenticated app. They are intended to help people think through planning questions before taking advice or using a more detailed tool.
How to find forgotten pensions, savings and investments, and plan what to do next
Billions of pounds may be sitting in forgotten pensions, savings, investments, bank accounts, Premium Bonds and children’s accounts. Here is how to start checking, and how to think about what any found money could change.
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Retirement planning is becoming a guided journey, not a one-off calculator
Retirement decisions are getting more complex. See why pension planning is moving beyond simple calculators towards guided retirement planning, scenario comparison and ongoing review.
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Cashflow Planning vs Actuals
Planiva’s Cashflow Planner now includes Plan vs actual, Actuals projection, visual tracking, reports and exports, helping you compare your saved plan with real month-end balances.
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How Planiva protects your data
Planiva now protects saved planning data with stronger default encryption and offers an optional Enhanced Privacy mode for users who want more control over selected saved data.
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How to think about tax-free pension cash
Should you take your pension tax-free cash all at once, gradually, or leave it for later? Here is how to think through the decision using goals, tax, cashflow and future flexibility.
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How to bridge the gap before State Pension starts
Retiring before State Pension age can create a cashflow gap. Learn how savings, pensions, tax-free cash, part-time work and careful planning can help bridge the years before State Pension begins.
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Why retirement is really cashflow planning
Retirement planning is not just about the size of your pension pot. It is about how income, spending, tax and savings move through time.
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Planiva Cashflow Planner: now with multi-year projections, clearer risks and stronger scenario comparison
Planiva’s Cashflow Planner has been upgraded with 1 to 5 year projections, smarter charts, clearer risk visibility, better assumptions, richer scenario comparison and improved Excel and PDF outputs.
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Can your pension be held back for inheritance tax from 2027?
From April 2027, unused pension funds and pension death benefits will usually count towards inheritance tax. Here is what the 50% withholding rule really means, and why retirement planning and inheritance planning now need to work together.
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Pension Schemes Act 2026: what UK pension savers need to know
The Pension Schemes Act 2026 is now law. Here is what UK pension savers need to know about small pots, value for money, guided retirement and retirement planning.
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Retire poor, die rich? The hidden risk of preserving wealth you never use
Many retirement plans focus on running out of money. But some households face the opposite problem: holding on to pensions, property and other assets so cautiously that retirement becomes smaller than it needed to be.
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Pensions Dashboard is getting closer: what to do now if you have lost pension pots
The UK Pensions Dashboard is moving closer, but people with old workplace pensions should start gathering information now.
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The State Pension tax trap in 2026/27: what to check before drawing extra income
The full new State Pension now sits close to the Personal Allowance, so even modest extra retirement income can create tax issues.
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Pension Credit in 2026: the hidden retirement income many people still miss
Pension Credit can top up retirement income and unlock extra help, but many eligible households still do not claim it.
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National Insurance top-ups: could they boost your State Pension?
Missing National Insurance years can reduce your State Pension. Some people can fill gaps with voluntary contributions, but paying does not always help. Here is what to check before you top up.
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Pensions and inheritance tax from 2027, what is changing
A practical guide to the planned UK changes that may bring more unused pension wealth into inheritance tax from 2027.
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Healthy life expectancy is falling. Should that change how you plan retirement?
New UK healthy life expectancy figures are a reminder that retirement planning is not just about making money last. It is also about when you want freedom, choice and flexibility.
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Will I ever be able to retire?
Many people worry they may never be able to retire. This UK-focused guide explains how to turn retirement anxiety into practical scenarios using State Pension age, private pension access, spending needs and retirement income planning.
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State Pension age to 67. What the 2026 rise means for retirement planning
The State Pension age starts rising from 66 to 67 from 6 April 2026. This article explains why that matters, where the real planning gap often sits, and what to model before you decide when retirement is affordable.
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Annuity or drawdown? Why more UK retirees should compare both
Annuities deserve a second look, but not a sales pitch. This article explains how annuities, drawdown and blended retirement income strategies compare, and why many UK retirees should model more than one scenario before deciding.
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What the 4% rule gets wrong for UK retirement planning
A practical look at why the 4% rule can be too blunt for UK retirement planning, and why scenario planning gives a more useful view.
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