All Blog Posts

If you read one thing on this site, start here. The decisions I worked through in the 18 months before I resigned; pensions, ISAs, tax, draw-down, and the harder questions most checklists leave out.

The numbers, the sequencing, the stress tests and the stuff that doesn't appear on any spreadsheet. A practical guide to putting it all together.

The Most Important Figure in Your Early Retirement Plan - How Much is Enough?

My wife and I believed that the spousal exemption eliminated inheritance tax from consideration. However, for families with children, like ours, the reality is much more complex.

I see this type of retirement headline everywhere online. It generates clicks, triggers anxiety and tells you almost nothing useful. Here's why - and what a better question looks like. 

I spent my whole career on PAYE, where tax more or less looked after itself. Planning to stop work at 58 forced me to actually understand it, and the biggest surprise was how little I'd owe in the early years if I was even slightly deliberate. Here's what I worked out for my own situation.

Not stopping completely. Not carrying on full time. Something in between - and for many people, the most sensible and sustainable option of all.

The evidence on retirement and health is more nuanced than most people expect. Here's what the research actually says and what it means for anyone planning to stop work before 65.

I understood that National Insurance contributions are important for the State Pension, but I wasn't clear on the details, especially regarding how your record is affected if you stop working before the age of 67.

Leaving employment doesn't just change your income. It quietly removes protection you didn't know you were relying on.

I spent decades contributing to a workplace pension without ever fully understanding what I had, when I could use it, or how the rules actually work. Here's an honest guide to the complexities that matter.

One of the most debated questions in personal finance has a mathematical answer and a human answer. They're not always the same. And in my case, a family legacy made the choice clearer - but the question still applies to everyone.

For most of my working life, my pension was just a line on my payslip. Money went out, my employer supposedly put some in, and I assumed that some magical day in my sixties, a switch would flip and I’d be looked after. 

One of the most liberating discoveries of early retirement is that a lot of what you currently spend money on isn't actually making you happy. It's making work manageable.

Pension consolidation is frequently regarded as a straightforward and sensible choice. However, the reality is more complex. Here’s how I approached the topic, including potential pitfalls that could lead to significant financial losses if overlooked.

The annuity question is several years away for me. Annuity rates are the best in over a decade but that doesn't automatically mean an annuity is right for you. Here's an candid assessment of how they work, who benefits most, what to watch out for and the questions every provider should be able to answer.

A SIPP isn't just for people building a pension from scratch. In the final years before retirement, and in the draw-down phase that follows, it can be a genuinely useful tool. Here's what I've been working through.

Most early retirement content focuses on DC pensions and ISAs. If you're like me and have an old DB pension sitting in a former employer's scheme, the picture is different and considerably more valuable than you might realise.

I've been postponing important legal and estate planning decisions. Here’s why these choices are crucial, what they entail, and why taking action now is far more beneficial than waiting.

Many retirement activity guides are tailored for individuals who have just turned 65. However, if you, like me, are considering retirement a decade earlier, the landscape changes significantly and much of the conventional advice may not apply.

The BIG retirement question! When to draw from what, how much to take, how to pay less tax, and what to do when markets fall. With worked examples for different pot sizes and couples.

A plain English guide to the benefits available when you stop work before State Pension age - including how savings affect eligibility and why more people should check. 

Here's a practical guide to funding the bridge years between stopping work and drawing your full pension - with worked examples across different pot sizes and income sources.