Pensioners have been warned that tough times lie ahead as the UK’s inflation rate rises and hits the economy.
The latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) have revealed that the consumer price index (CPI) rate rose to 2.2 per cent over the 12 months to July 2024.
Analysts had previously forecast inflation to be around 2.3 percent for last month.
This comes shortly after the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee voted to cut the base rate from its 16-year high of 5.25 percent after hitting its 2 percent inflation target.
The current level of inflation is higher than expected and as a result, traders are postponing their forecast for interest rate cuts until later in the year.
The market now expects the Bank of England’s base rate to fall to just 5 percent by the end of the year, when previously it was expected to fall to 4.75 percent.
With inflation now above 2% for banks, many may be wondering what this means for their pensions and savings.
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With inflation now running above the bank’s 2 per cent target, many may be wondering what this means for their pensions and savings.
Lily Megson, policy director at My Pension Expert, said: “A small spike in inflation is certainly not great news after the long road back to target levels, but it is not devastating either.
“This should serve as a reminder that we are not out of the woods yet. Until inflation stabilises, things will be tough for British pensioners and those planning for retirement, particularly after years in which their savings were hit by high inflation.
“So what is to be done? Frankly, the responsibility for ensuring that savers receive the help and support they need to make well-informed financial decisions, even in uncertain times, falls on our new government.
“In practice, this means facilitating access to financial advice, as well as education and guidance on savings and investments.”
The stock market is not officially linked to inflation or the base rate, but both can have a big impact on investor sentiment.
Jason Hollands, managing director of Evelyn Partners’ Bestinvest, said this morning’s fall in the inflation rate could be good news for investors.
He said: “The combination of slowing inflation, the prospect of lower borrowing costs and an improving UK growth outlook should also prove supportive for UK stocks, especially the more domestically focused small and medium-sized names, which have been deeply disliked in recent times.
“This could be a good entry point for investors as UK equity valuations remain very cheap compared to global equities, a point that has evidently not been lost in the wave of bidding for UK companies by foreign buyers and private equity funds that we have seen recently.
“The UK stock market has certainly faced many challenges, including a dearth of IPOs and companies being attracted to overseas exchanges, but improving economic news, high levels of share buybacks and a wave of offerings are creating plenty of opportunities for investors.”
Although inflation has fallen dramatically from the double-digit figures of previous years, it remains an important factor in people’s retirement planning.
They could be retired for twenty years or more and need to do what they can to preserve their purchasing power.
Britons looking for an annuity can get hold of level annuities which offer higher initial income than their inflation-linked counterparts. However, it should be noted that a price-linked product will grow over time, whereas a level annuity will not.
The latest data from HL’s annuity search engine shows that a 65-year-old with a £100,000 pension can get up to £7,215 a year from a single annuity with a five-year guarantee. On the other hand, an RPI-linked annuity offers up to £4,541 as an initial income.
Helen Morrissey, head of retirement research at Hargreaves Lansdown, said: “You have to take into account the fact that inflation can vary wildly over the course of retirement and you may find that you catch up in terms of income quicker than you thought.
“If high inflation returns, the purchasing power of fixed annuity income that once seemed so attractive could be seriously affected.
“Alternatively, if you don’t want to go with the flow of inflation, you may want to consider splitting your pension into instalments over time. This allows you to secure a higher income as you get older while allowing the remainder of your pension to remain invested and grow.”
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