Five to ten years from retirement
Bringing pensions, investments and retirement targets into one clearer plan before the transition begins.
Find pension and retirement advice.
Plan how to use your pensions, investments and savings for retirement. Tell us the help you need, and Advisedly will review your enquiry for a possible introduction to a financial adviser.
What do you need pension advice for?
Someone five years from retirement may need a different service from someone already drawing income or consolidating several pensions.
About to retire
Understanding how different assets might support income and how much flexibility you want.
Already retired
Reviewing withdrawals, investment risk, cash reserves and whether the ongoing service remains useful. Explore when advice can still help after retirement.
Multiple pensions or providers
Finding an adviser who can review several pensions and explain whether bringing them together would help. Combining pensions is not always the right choice.
Make the first meeting useful.
Good questions can tell you more about fit than a glossy brochure.
How much of your work is retirement planning?
Regular retirement work may matter more than a generic pension label.
What level of assets is your service designed for?
Check minimums before investing time in a first meeting.
How do you charge for initial and ongoing advice?
Ask for actual pounds and what ongoing work is included.
How do you review retirement income over time?
Ask how the adviser tests spending, inflation and investment assumptions. Our cash-flow modelling guide explains what a projection can and cannot tell you.
Retirement advice should be easier to price-check.
Ask what the initial plan costs, whether putting it into action is extra and what you would pay each year. Our research into firms’ published fees explains the different structures and what each figure includes.
Simple illustration0.75% on £500,000 = £3,750 a year
That only explains the maths. It does not tell you what a specific adviser charges or whether the service is good value for your circumstances.
Use the fee calculatorStart nearby and look further afield if needed.
A local adviser may be ideal if you value face-to-face meetings. A specialist slightly further away may be a better fit if your retirement situation is more complex.
What should your retirement advice answer?
Start with the decision you need to make. A savings projection, a retirement income plan and a recommendation about a particular pension are different pieces of work.
| Your question | What to ask the adviser to explain | What you should receive |
|---|---|---|
| Can I afford to stop work? | How spending, other income and the retirement date affect the plan, including less favourable assumptions. | A cash-flow plan showing assumptions, shortfalls and decisions still to make. |
| How could I take pension income? | Which income options fit the need, what is guaranteed and what depends on investments. | A personal recommendation with the costs, risks and alternatives explained. |
| Do I need continuing advice? | Which withdrawals, investments and changes will be reviewed, and how often. | A written ongoing service and charge, or a clear handover after one-off work. |
Illustration: spending of £2,400 a month minus £1,500 of other income leaves £900 a month, or £10,800 a year, to fund. That is a budget gap, not a safe pension withdrawal rate; tax, inflation and changing spending still need to be considered.
What to expect from a first conversation
An initial conversation can establish which pension or retirement decision you need help with, whether the firm covers it and what the advice would cost.
A rough idea of your pensions, other savings and intended retirement date is enough to start the conversation. The adviser can explain which statements or plan details they need later.
Check whether the meeting is free and agree the scope and fee before paid work begins. Take the free meeting pack with you, then compare written quotes once you have them.
Tell us what help you need.
Advisedly’s enquiry service is free. We review your answers and aim to acknowledge your enquiry within one working day, with an update on the next step within two. You choose whether to take advice.
Choosing a retirement adviser
What type of adviser should I look for when approaching retirement?
Look for someone who regularly helps people move from saving for retirement to taking an income, understands pensions and other assets, and offers a service that fits your needs.
Should I choose a local retirement adviser?
Local face-to-face access may matter to you, but specialist experience, minimum asset levels, service style and fees can matter just as much. Advisedly is designed to balance those factors.
How do I compare retirement adviser fees?
Ask for the initial and ongoing cost in pounds, understand whether charges are fixed, percentage-based, tiered or capped, and check what ongoing service you receive for the fee.
Explore retirement and pensions
Do I need a financial adviser for my pension?
Compare pension guidance, one-off advice and ongoing retirement planning. Understand what each can deliver, the fees to check and what to prepare.
Read guide →Pension drawdown vs annuity: when can advice help?
Compare pension drawdown and annuities and understand when regulated retirement advice may be useful.
Read guide →Questions to ask a retirement adviser before paying
Ask a retirement adviser about income plans, assumptions, pension experience, fees and future reviews. Prepare a focused checklist for your meeting.
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