Drawdown is one of the most flexible ways to access your pension.
It’s available from age 55 (rising to 57 from 2028) and you can usually take up to 25% as a tax-free cash lump sum (up to a maximum of £268,275) keeping the rest invested for later.
You’re in control of how much taxable income you take and can make withdrawals whenever you need to.
If you’re already in drawdown or are planning to be, there are lots of approaches to investing.
Here are some of the funds our drawdown clients bought last month. But bear in mind, these investors might have strategies different to you.
Some investors might be investing for income, taking only the income their investments make. Some might be investing for growth because they want to keep their investments growing. Others might be making withdrawals from capital. And some might be looking for a combination.
You can find out more in our guide to investing in drawdown.
What you do with your pension is an important decision. You could run out of money if you make unsustainable withdrawals. Make sure it’s the right decision for your circumstances and you understand all your options and their risks. Pension and tax rules can change, and their benefits depend on personal circumstances. If you’re 50 or over, the government's free and impartial Pension Wise service can offer you guidance and if you’d like a personalised recommendation, we can offer you financial advice if you’d like it.
Where were our drawdown clients investing in June 2024?
Below is the most bought actively-managed (trying to beat the market) and tracker (trying to track the market) funds by number of trades (minus any sales) by drawdown investors on our platform in June 2024.
This article has been written independently of our investment research team for interest and to offer some inspiration, but isn't personal advice or a guide on how or where to invest.
You should choose investments based on your own objectives and attitude to risk. Investments and income from them will rise and fall in value. This means income isn’t guaranteed and you could get back less than you put in.
Most bought active funds | Key Investor Information |
|---|---|
Regular savings are excluded. The HL Multi-Index funds were launched in June. HL funds are managed by our sister company Hargreaves Lansdown Fund Managers Ltd
How to pick investments for drawdown
Investing in these funds won't be right for everyone. Only invest in a fund if its objectives align with your own, and there's a specific need for that type of investment in your portfolio. Investors should understand the specific risks and charges of a fund before they invest and be investing for the long term (usually five years or more).
It's also important not to put all your eggs in one basket. Spreading your money and diversifying, gives you access to more opportunities and can reduce risk.
If you're looking for inspiration, our Wealth Shortlist is designed to help investors build and maintain a well-balanced and diversified portfolio.
We've put funds under the microscope to make sure the list only contains the funds that our in-depth analysis shows have the greatest long-term performance potential. Whatever you choose, you’ll need to check in on your investments every now and then to make sure they still meet your needs and objectives.