Finance Monthly March 2019 Edition

32 www.finance-monthly.com EXPERT INSIGHT - FINANCIAL PLANNING With the state pension age forecast to rise to 68 over the next 20 years, the rush to protect our futures is on. Life expectancy may have stuttered over the past two years, sitting at an average of 85 for people over 65, but as populations continue to grow and live for longer than ever, it has never been more important to make correct and informed choices about how our assets will last the course. Here, Tony Duckworth, MD and Chartered Financial Planner at Cowens Financial Architects, discusses how we can safeguard our precious pension pots through sound financial planning. t’s no secret that state pensions aren’t enough to cover most people’s plans for their leisurely retirement years. The push on the need for private savings from the government and the introduction of the compulsory work-place pension in light of these ever-increasing age stats have further heightened the pressure on working people to get their finances in order. The good news is, it’s never too late to start putting the wheels in motion to build a portfolio of assets designed to meet your future financial needs, while also ensuring loved ones are protected should the worst happen. The introduction of Pension Freedom in April 2015 means that anyone over the age of 55 can CHOICES, CHOICES: THE IMP RTAN E OF FINANCIAL PLANNING FOR RETIREMENT Tony Duckworth, Managing Director of Cowens Financial Architects About Cowens Financial Architects: Cowens Financial Architects is a trading name of R A Cowen and Partners Financial Services Ltd, part of Cowens Group. The team delivers a range of financial planning services, focused on helping people to make the right financial decisions, including financial planning, investment advice, retirement planning, and inheritance tax planning. In addition to the financial planning provided by Cowens Financial Architects, the business also provides corporate financial planning through its brand, Cowens Employee Benefits Ltd. www.cowensifa.com I R A Cowen & Partners Financial Services Ltd. Registered office: Inbro House, Commercial Gate, Mansfield NG18 1EU. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority