March 2026

US retirees are trading the 4% rule for the ‘bucket strategy.’

For decades, retirees have followed the guideline to withdraw 4% of their investment portfolio each year in retirement. This maximum withdrawal rate was believed to be a sure-fire method for stretching retirement income for 30 years or more. One of the rule’s big advantages is its simplicity, but simple doesn’t always mean better. Given how unpredictable the economy has become, the so-called 4% rule is seen as outdated, with outfits like Morningstar recommending withdrawal rates between 3.3% and 4% depending...

January 2026

Mexico. 38 Billion Pesos Withdrawn from AFORE Accounts Due to Unemployment

At the close of 2025, unemployment withdrawals from retirement savings accounts (AFOREs) broke records and climbed to 38 billion 882 million pesos , the highest level since 2005, the year up to which the National Commission of the Retirement Savings System (CONSAR) has records. According to data from the regulator, around 1.94 million people requested this withdrawal from their retirement savings account, which represented an increase of 227,400 compared to 2024. “This reflects that more people are turning to this type...

November 2025

UK savers pulling cash from pensions ahead of budget, money managers say

 British money managers are reporting a jump in people withdrawing cash from their pensions before this month's budget, amid fears for their tax advantages as the government warns it needs to make "hard choices" to prop up public finances. Most British savers can receive up to 25% of their pension as a tax-free lump sum. Some experts on fiscal policy have speculated that Rachel Reeves, the finance minister, might reduce the amount that can be withdrawn tax-free, a potential motive for savers to withdraw...

September 2025

Boosting Retirement Income through Dynamic Withdrawals

By Ravi Saraogi Dynamic withdrawal strategies, extensively researched internationally, remain underexplored in India. This paper bridges this significant research gap by rigorously evaluating popular dynamic withdrawal methods using Indian data. Employing simulations based on historical equity, debt and inflation data from the Indian market, we compare 10 different adaptive and dynamic withdrawal strategies. The study demonstrates that dynamic strategies can improve withdrawals and sustainability compared to static withdrawal methods. However, this improvement comes at a significant cost of volatility in...

UK. Policy rumours and Budget speculation prompt ‘surge’ in pension withdrawals

There has been a significant increase in the amount of money being withdrawn from pensions, with a particular "surge" seen in those accessing large pension pots, the latest Retirement Income Market Data from the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has revealed. The figures showed that the amount of money withdrawn from pensions had risen by 35.9 per cent over the past year, increasing from £52.152bn in 2023/24 to £70.896bn in 2024/25. The number of pension plans accessed for the first time has...

August 2025

UK. Thousands of pensioners overcharged £10,000 on pension withdrawals

Thousands of pensioners have claimed back more than £10,000 after being overcharged tax on their pension withdrawals, new analysis shows. A handful of people in the UK were given a refund worth more than £100,000. The HMRC figures, which were obtained by Royal London through a freedom of information (FOI) request, show an increase in the number of refunds claimed in 2023-24. Pension freedoms, which came into force from 2015, gave over-55s a range of options over how to use their defined contribution (DC) pension pot. Generally,...

US. What’s Driving Early Retirement Plan Withdrawals?

Hourly workers tend to cash out their retirement plan savings more frequently than salaried workers when they leave their job, according to a report from Vanguard. Early cash outs from defined contribution plans normally come with a 10% tax penalty, and far more often than not, represent a sub-optimal savings strategy. About 33% of participants in Vanguard-administered plans took a cash-out when they left their jobs in 2023. This is consistent with data from the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI),...

July 2025

The countries where workers can dip into their pension pots early, mapped

British workers could soon be allowed to access part of their pension savings long before retirement, under proposals reportedly being considered by Labour. The idea, dubbed “sidecar savings,” would let people draw down a small portion of their pension for emergencies or major life events – potentially at any age. Supporters argue it could help those living pay slip to pay slip, while critics warn it risks draining retirement funds too early. But the UK wouldn’t be the first to do it. A growing number of...

March 2025

​Danish pensions lobby rejects pension withdrawals for home purchase

Denmark’s pensions industry has rejected the idea of allowing younger people to withdraw their pension savings to finance home buying, saying people should rather be increasing pension contributions. Analysts at the Danish central bank, Danmarks Nationalbank, recently produced a report on access to the housing market for younger people with targeted financing relief, in which they also rejected the idea, currenly under discussion, of freeing young people to use their pension savings for house purchases. According to the report, authored by five analysts:...

February 2025

The effect of Covid pension withdrawals and the Universal Guaranteed Pension on the income of future retirees in Chile

By Carlos Madeira Chile implemented large pension withdrawals during the Covid pandemic. Afterwards, Chile increased non contributory beneÖts in a quasi-universal scheme. Simulating future pensions, I show that the average loss in contributory pension income is 27.9%, with losses of 23.9% and 31.4% for men and women, respectively. After accounting for public transfers, the average loss in total pension income is just 6.2%, with losses of 7.5% and 5.2% for men and women, respectively. Current retirees lost just 1.1% of...