Harrogate & North Yorkshire
From our office at Haggs Farm, Follifoot: Harrogate, Knaresborough, Wetherby, Ripon, Otley, Ilkley, Tadcaster, Nidderdale and north Leeds.
Pension and retirement planning
Know when you can stop work, what you can spend, and what your pensions will mean for your family. Independent pension advice from chartered planners in Harrogate and Birkdale.
“Yes, you can retire. Today if you want.”
That’s the conversation our planners enjoy most. Getting there means bringing every pension, the State Pension and your savings into one picture, then building an income plan that works in good years and bad ones.
Most of our clients have several pensions from different jobs, a mix of rules and charges, and not much idea what they add up to. We trace and review them, recommend what to keep or combine, and plan how to draw income tax-efficiently once you stop.
- Retirement income planning. Drawdown, annuities or both, planned around your spending and the State Pension.
- Pension consolidation. Combining old pots where it helps, keeping guarantees where it doesn’t.
- Contributions. Using your annual allowance, carry forward and employer contributions to save tax.
- Pensions and inheritance tax. Re-planning for April 2027, when most unused pensions enter the estate.
- Business owners. Employer contributions as a tax-efficient way to draw value from your company.
Pension figures for 2026/27
The numbers that shape most retirement plans this tax year. We check how each one applies to you.
| 2026/27 | Amount |
|---|---|
| Pension annual allowance | £60,000 |
| Money purchase annual allowance (after flexibly accessing a pension) | £10,000 |
| Tapered annual allowance starts (threshold / adjusted income) | £200,000 / £260,000 |
| Lowest tapered annual allowance | £10,000 |
| Lump sum allowance (most people’s tax-free cash limit) | £268,275 |
| Lump sum and death benefit allowance | £1,073,100 |
| Full new State Pension | £241.30 a week |
| Normal minimum pension age | 55 (57 from 6 April 2028) |
Sources: HMRC and DWP. The State Pension age is rising from 66 to 67 between 2026 and 2028.
Three ways to take an income
| Drawdown | Annuity | |
|---|---|---|
| Income | Flexible, you choose | Fixed and guaranteed |
| Investment risk | Stays with you | Passes to the insurer |
| On death | Remaining fund can pass on | Depends on options chosen |
| Best for | Flexibility and legacy | Certainty for essentials |
Many people use both: an annuity or the State Pension to cover the bills, and drawdown for everything else. The third option, taking lump sums as you go, can suit smaller pots. Read our guide to pension allowances.
What’s changing, and when
Five dates that shape pension and inheritance tax planning between now and 2031.
Farm and business relief capped
100% agricultural and business relief now applies to the first £2.5 million of qualifying assets per person (transferable between spouses). Above that, relief is 50%.
Pensions enter the estate
Most unused pension funds and death benefits count towards inheritance tax for deaths on or after this date. Death-in-service benefits are excluded.
Minimum pension age rises to 57
The earliest age most people can take money from a personal pension moves from 55 to 57. The State Pension age is also reaching 67 by 2028.
Salary sacrifice capped
Only the first £2,000 a year of pension contributions made by salary sacrifice will stay free of National Insurance.
Allowance freeze ends
The £325,000 nil-rate band, £175,000 residence nil-rate band and £2.5 million relief allowance are fixed until this date.
Pension planning near you
Two offices, each covering about 15 miles around it, and video for everywhere else.
Birkdale, Southport & West Lancashire
From our Birkdale office: Southport, Ainsdale, Formby, Crosby, Maghull, Ormskirk, Burscough, Skelmersdale, Tarleton, Leyland and Lytham St Annes.
Chris from Seventy sat with me and assessed my needs and how risk averse I am. He then provided me with a full review of findings and investment options. I am now in a better financial position than I would have been without his advice and I have been able to take early retirement.
My wife and I first contacted Chris at Seventy some 10 years ago. We were very impressed with him and the advice we were given, and have been ever since. It is good to know that our finances are being taken care of by such a competent adviser and I would recommend Chris’s services to anyone.
Seventy brought real clarity to my personal situation, highlighting areas that need attention and which were performing well. I appreciated the genuine desire to understand my personal situation. The unhurried and professional approach made Seventy a pleasure to work with.
I have enlisted the help of two leading members of Seventy Financial Planning over the past few years – Chris Riley and Andrew Brierley. Both have been fantastic and relaxed in their friendly Yorkshire manner! In fact all of the team at Seventy are great. Highly recommended.
The team at Seventy Financial Planning have provided my wife and I with invaluable expert advice and support over a number of years. Their services are very professional and first class. I would not hesitate to recommend them to anyone seeking independent financial advice.
Seventy has been a real lifesaver for us. Our investments with a previous firm were rapidly depleting. This would have resulted in severe difficulties for us. Seventy stabilised and grew our investments. That this was achieved in the difficult markets we are seeing is impressive.
Pensions: your questions
When can I take my pension?
Most personal and workplace pensions can be accessed from 55, rising to 57 from 6 April 2028. Your State Pension starts at State Pension age, which is moving from 66 to 67 between 2026 and 2028.
How much can I take tax-free?
Usually 25% of each pension, up to a lifetime lump sum allowance of £268,275 for most people. The rest is taxed as income when you draw it.
What happens to my pension when I die?
From 6 April 2027, most unused pensions will count towards your estate for inheritance tax unless they pass to your spouse, civil partner or a charity. Death-in-service benefits are excluded. If you die after 75, beneficiaries also pay income tax on withdrawals. Our guide explains the change.
Should I combine my pensions?
It can reduce charges and make retirement income simpler, but some older pensions carry valuable guarantees or protected tax-free cash. We compare before recommending any move.
Can I keep paying into a pension after I start drawing from it?
Yes, but if you take taxable income from a defined contribution pension, the money purchase annual allowance of £10,000 usually applies to future contributions. Taking only tax-free cash doesn’t trigger it.
Is pension advice worth it?
Retirement decisions are some of the biggest and least reversible you’ll make. A good plan can reduce tax, avoid mistakes and give you the confidence to spend. The first conversation is free.
Let’s chat
You’ve learned a little about us, and now we’d like to know a little about you.
Let’s arrange a free, no-obligation call with one of our advisers.
Fill in the form and we’ll be in touch, or simply call us on 01423 611004.
HarrogateHaggs Road, Follifoot, Harrogate, North Yorkshire
BirkdaleBirkdale, Southport, Merseyside