{"id":34326,"date":"2026-03-31T11:09:02","date_gmt":"2026-03-31T10:09:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/new.contentdeployment.co.uk\/tomd\/2026\/03\/31\/the-gradual-retirement-trend-making-the-right-choices\/"},"modified":"2026-03-31T16:53:37","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T15:53:37","slug":"the-gradual-retirement-trend-making-the-right-choices","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new.contentdeployment.co.uk\/tomd\/2026\/03\/31\/the-gradual-retirement-trend-making-the-right-choices\/","title":{"rendered":"The gradual retirement trend \u2013 making the right choices"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Research shows that floral street names can significantly boost the value of a property<\/td>Uncertainty around pension rules can affect confidence, leading to rushed or potentially regrettable financial decisions <\/td>Careful planning and professional guidance help ensure retirement choices align with long-term goals and lifestyle <\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
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New research<\/strong>1<\/sup><\/strong> highlights a growing preference among UK workers for a gradual transition into retirement, rather than a \u2018hard stop\u2019 where work ends entirely.<\/strong> <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Fewer than a quarter (24%) of workers expect to stop working altogether when they reach retirement age. The majority plan to either change the way they work (43%), continue in their current role (15%), or move into a new position (9%). <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Finding balance \u2013 financially and personally<\/strong> <\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Gradual retirement can take many forms. Some people choose to reduce their working hours over time, while others shift into consultancy roles, mentoring or part-time work, sometimes in a new field. This approach can offer financial stability, maintain purpose and social connection, and support overall wellbeing as routines and priorities evolve. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Confidence to make the right choices <\/strong> <\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n
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The research also highlights some challenges. Many nearing retirement are concerned that uncertainty around pension rules and tax treatment could undermine their plans. This lack of confidence can lead to rushed financial decisions, such as taking a tax-free cash lump sum or drawing income earlier than necessary, choices that could later be regretted. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Aegon\u2019s Pensions Director, Steven Cameron, says a \u201csignificant cultural shift<\/em>\u201d in how people approach later-life work and retirement is occurring. He stresses the importance of a stable pension system that gives people the confidence to plan for the long term. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Plan, don\u2019t rush<\/strong> <\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Today\u2019s retirees have more flexibility than ever before, but with choice comes complexity. Taking time to plan carefully, and seeking professional guidance, can help ensure decisions align with your long-term goals and lifestyle. Whatever approach you take to retirement, we\u2019re here to help you make confident, informed choices. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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1<\/sup>Aegon, 2025 <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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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. The Financial Conduct Authority does not regulate Will writing, tax and trust advice and certain forms of estate planning.<\/strong> <\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Research shows that floral street names can significantly boost the value of a property Uncertainty around pension rules can affect confidence, leading to rushed or potentially regrettable financial decisions  Careful planning and professional guidance help ensure retirement choices align with long-term goals and lifestyle  New research1 highlights a growing preference among UK workers for a gradual […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":34330,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[32,88],"tags":[],"hd_content_source":[116],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.contentdeployment.co.uk\/tomd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34326"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.contentdeployment.co.uk\/tomd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.contentdeployment.co.uk\/tomd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.contentdeployment.co.uk\/tomd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.contentdeployment.co.uk\/tomd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=34326"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/new.contentdeployment.co.uk\/tomd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34326\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":34331,"href":"https:\/\/new.contentdeployment.co.uk\/tomd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34326\/revisions\/34331"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.contentdeployment.co.uk\/tomd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/34330"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.contentdeployment.co.uk\/tomd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=34326"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.contentdeployment.co.uk\/tomd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=34326"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.contentdeployment.co.uk\/tomd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=34326"},{"taxonomy":"hd_content_source","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.contentdeployment.co.uk\/tomd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/hd_content_source?post=34326"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}