The way that pensions are invested means you may see yours go down in value sometimes.
Don’t Panic
When it comes to pensions, it’s important to avoid making any spur of the moment decisions. With any decision you make regarding your pension or pensions, you should make sure to take your time and consider all of your options. Withdrawing your funds from an investment just because the value has dropped in the short-term could lead you to missing out on future growth. financial adviser can also help you to make the best decision for you based on your own personal set of circumstances.
Fluctuations in the market are normal – your pension is a form of long-term savings, designed to grow over time. This means that the value of your pension pot can go up or down in the short-term but should be growing overall in the long-term. If you’re planning on retiring soon, have seen the value of your pension pot drop significantly, or just aren’t happy with your fund performance, it’s worth contacting a financial adviser so that they can advise you on the best course of action.
Default Fund
Many people invest their pensions into a default fund, which is whatever the provider has chosen. Doing this means you don’t have to decide what to do with your pension fund, as these choices will be made for you.
Default funds tend to avoid higher-risk investments and many will move your pension savings from higher risk to lower risk funds as you get closer to retirement age, to help protect your pension from suddenly dropping in value without a chance to recover just before you retire.
Alternatively, some pension providers allow you to choose where your money is invested yourself. Again, it is worth speaking to a financial adviser to decide what option is right for you when it comes to your pension.
Check Your Pension
It’s important to regularly check your pension to keep an eye on your fund performance and to see if you’re on track to achieve the income you’d like in retirement. Checking your pension means you can easily identify anything you’d like to change, such as if you’re not seeing as much growth as you’d like, or don’t think you’re contributing enough to achieve the lifestyle you’d like when you retire. This means you can then make adjustments as and when needed, such as switching your investments or increasing your monthly contributions.
Checking your pension information and statements also means you can be aware of any fees or charges you may be paying. Additionally, it’s important to ensure that your pension information is accurate, keeping things like your address up to date. An incorrect address, for example, could, among other things, lead to you missing important communication from your pension provider, or cause delays if you ever choose to transfer your pension.