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Balancing pension pots
While the gender pay gap is now widely discussed and publicised, the gender pension gap is less prominent, but by the age of 50 women have saved an average of just £56,000 into their pension pots vs £112,000 for men*.
The gap starts at birth
HMRC data shows that the gender pension gap begins at infancy. According to recent statistics, parents or grandparents paid money into a pension for 13,000 girls in the 2016-17 tax year, compared with 20,000 boys**.
What you can do
Starting to save for your son or daughter, grandson or granddaughter as soon as possible, is a great discipline. An early start to saving can make a huge difference to the size of the pension pot down the line.
If you’d like to find out how much you can pay into a pension on behalf of a child, or explore which plan might best suit their needs, we can help.
*Aegon, 2018
**HMRC, 2019
A pension is a long-term investment. The fund value may fluctuate and can go down. Your eventual income may depend on the size of the fund at retirement, future interest rates and tax legislation. The value of investments and income from them may go down. You may not get back the original amount invested.
It is important to take professional advice before making any decision relating to your personal finances. Information within this document is based on our current understanding and can be subject to change without notice and the accuracy and completeness of the information cannot be guaranteed. It does not provide individual tailored investment advice and is for guidance only. Some rules may vary in different parts of the UK. We cannot assume legal liability for any errors or omissions it might contain. Levels and bases of, and reliefs from, taxation are those currently applying or proposed and are subject to change; their value depends on the individual circumstances of the investor. No part of this document may be reproduced in any manner without prior permission.
The value of investments can go down as well as up and you may not get back the full amount you invested. The past is not a guide to future performance and past performance may not necessarily be repeated. If you withdraw from an investment in the early years, you may not get back the full amount you invested. Changes in the rates of exchange may have an adverse effect on the value or price of an investment in sterling terms if it is denominated in a foreign currency.
Information is based on our understanding of taxation legislation and regulations. Any levels and bases of, and reliefs from, taxation are subject to change.
Tax treatment is based on individual circumstances and may be subject to change in the future.
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