Roberts Keen Independent Financial Advisers Ltd

28/08/2026

💷 Pension Friday: Taking tax-free cash doesn’t always mean triggering the MPAA

One pension rule is particularly important if you’re approaching retirement but still working and contributing to a pension.

You may have heard that accessing your pension can reduce the amount you can subsequently contribute — but the way you access it matters.

For the 2026/27 tax year, the standard pension Annual Allowance is £60,000 for most people, although individual circumstances can reduce this. The Money Purchase Annual Allowance (MPAA) is £10,000.

⚠️ But simply taking tax-free cash will not usually trigger the MPAA.

If you take up to 25% as tax-free cash and leave the taxable part invested, the MPAA will generally not be triggered.

However, once you start taking taxable income flexibly from a defined contribution pension, the MPAA can apply — potentially restricting future money-purchase pension contributions to £10,000 a year.

That could be particularly important if:

💼 You’re still employed and receiving employer pension contributions
💷 You’re planning larger pension contributions before retirement
📈 You’re gradually moving from full-time work into retirement

There’s another important difference: unused allowances from previous years cannot be carried forward to increase the £10,000 MPAA.

The key message?

Don’t just decide how much you want to take from your pension.

Think carefully about how you take it, too.

At Roberts Keen IFA, we can help clients plan pension withdrawals alongside ongoing contributions, tax considerations and their wider retirement strategy.

📞 Thinking about accessing your pension while you’re still working? Speak to us before making the withdrawal.

Roberts Keen IFA

Tax treatment depends on individual circumstances and may be subject to change. Pension and tax rules can change. The value of investments can fall as well as rise and you may get back less than you invested.

26/08/2026

💷 Wealth Wednesday: Is your ISA allowance quietly going to waste?

The ISA allowance is one of the most useful tools available when building long-term wealth — but unlike some pension allowances, you cannot carry an unused ISA allowance into a future tax year.

For the 2026/27 tax year, the overall ISA allowance remains £20,000. Money held within an ISA can grow free from UK Income Tax and Capital Gains Tax.

But here’s the important bit:

📅 Use it by 5 April 2027 — or that year’s allowance is gone.

That doesn’t necessarily mean investing £20,000 immediately, and an ISA shouldn’t be viewed in isolation.

The right approach depends on your circumstances, including how much accessible cash you need, your objectives, attitude to investment risk and the length of time the money can remain invested.

For longer-term investors, diversification can also be important. The Financial Conduct Authority explains that spreading investments across different companies, asset classes and geographical areas can reduce reliance on any single investment and help smooth returns over time.

💡 And there is a change on the horizon.

From 6 April 2027, the Government plans to introduce a £12,000 annual Cash ISA limit for people under 65, while retaining the £20,000 overall ISA allowance. Those aged 65 and over will retain a £20,000 Cash ISA limit.

At Roberts Keen IFA, we help clients look at ISAs as part of the bigger picture — alongside pensions, cash reserves, tax planning and their longer-term goals.

The question isn’t simply “Have I used my ISA allowance?”

It’s “Am I using the right allowances, in the right way, for what I want my money to achieve?”

Roberts Keen IFA

The value of investments can fall as well as rise and you may get back less than you invested. Tax treatment depends on individual circumstances and may be subject to change.

24/08/2026

Monday Market Briefing 📊

Markets begin the week with plenty for investors to digest, with geopolitics, bond yields and some major technology earnings likely to set the tone.

🌍 A cautious start in Asia

Asian markets moved lower this morning as investors awaited details of further US sanctions on Iran. Japan’s Nikkei fell around 0.5%, while South Korean shares were down around 2.8%. Oil prices actually eased in early trading, although uncertainty surrounding the Middle East remains a significant influence on markets.

🇪🇺 Europe has proved surprisingly resilient

Despite geopolitical uncertainty, European equities have held up relatively well. The STOXX 600 remains close to record levels, helped by stronger-than-expected company earnings and economic data. European companies are currently expected to report their strongest quarterly earnings growth in nearly four years.

🏢 Three companies we’re watching

Nvidia reports results on Wednesday. Expectations are extremely high, with analysts anticipating quarterly revenues approaching $92bn. That’s a useful reminder that even excellent company results can disappoint markets when expectations are already very high.

Alibaba shares fell around 9.5% in Hong Kong this morning after the company launched a $10.2bn share offering, with investors also considering the scale of its spending on artificial intelligence.

Samsung Electronics fell more than 8% after its record shareholder-return plans failed to meet investors’ expectations — another example of how markets react not simply to whether news is “good”, but to whether it is better or worse than investors had already anticipated.

💡 The Roberts Keen view

Today’s market update highlighted the contrasting mood across global markets, and it’s a good illustration of why we don’t believe successful long-term investing should depend on predicting next week’s headlines.

Different markets, sectors and companies rarely move in the same direction at the same time.

That’s why diversification, an appropriate level of risk and staying focused on your long-term financial plan remain so important — particularly when markets become noisy.

Have a great Monday. 👍

23/08/2026

Weekend Financial Thought 🌿

Financial planning isn’t about predicting the future. It’s about being better prepared for it.

Interest rates change. Markets rise and fall. Tax rules evolve. And life rarely follows the exact plan we had in mind.

A good financial plan therefore shouldn’t rely on everything going perfectly.

It should give you enough flexibility to deal with the unexpected, while still keeping sight of the things that matter to you — whether that’s:

🏡 Becoming mortgage-free
💷 Building financial security
🌍 Enjoying retirement
👨‍👩‍👧 Helping your family
🛡️ Protecting the people who depend on you

At Roberts Keen IFA, our role isn’t to tell you exactly what the next 10 or 20 years will look like.

It’s to help make sure your finances are prepared for whatever those years might bring.

A financial plan should change as your life changes.

Have a great Sunday.

Roberts Keen IFA

The value of investments can fall as well as rise and you may get back less than you invested. Tax treatment depends on individual circumstances and may be subject to change.

22/08/2026

Great service as always! 👏🏻

21/08/2026

💷 Pension Friday: Thinking of dipping into your pension while you’re still working?

Reaching retirement age doesn’t necessarily mean you have to stop working — and increasingly, retirement isn’t a single event.

You might reduce your hours, continue working part-time, or access some of your pension while still earning.

But there’s an important pension rule worth knowing before you start taking money.

⚠️ Accessing taxable income flexibly from a defined contribution pension can trigger the Money Purchase Annual Allowance (MPAA).

For the 2026/27 tax year, the standard pension Annual Allowance is £60,000 for most people. However, once the MPAA has been triggered, the amount that can subsequently be contributed to defined contribution pensions while benefiting from the relevant tax advantages can be restricted to £10,000 a year.

And importantly, you cannot carry forward unused allowances from previous tax years to increase the £10,000 MPAA.

That can make a significant difference if you’re still working, receiving employer pension contributions or planning to make larger pension contributions before fully retiring.

The good news is that not every way of accessing a pension automatically triggers the MPAA.

That’s why the order in which you take pension benefits can matter.

👨‍💼 Retirement planning isn’t simply about when you can access your pension — it’s about deciding when and how to access it.

At Roberts Keen IFA, we can help you understand your options and structure your retirement income around your wider financial plans.

📞 If you’re approaching retirement or considering taking money from a pension while you’re still working, speak to us before making the withdrawal.

Roberts Keen IFA

Tax treatment depends on individual circumstances and may be subject to change. The value of investments can fall as well as rise and you may get back less than you invested.

19/08/2026

Great offer this….. 🤩

19/08/2026

Great opportunity!

WE ARE HIRING!

📍 Location: Office based – Merthyr Tydfil
💼 Job Type: Full-time
💷 Salary: Competitive, based on experience + excellent benefits (Including TRAINING CONTRACTS)
📅 Closing Date: 30.08.2026

Our conveyancing team continues to grow and we are seeking an experienced Conveyancer to join our team. In this role, you will manage residential property transactions from inception to completion, ensuring a seamless process for our clients.

If you have experience in a similar role and a commitment to client care, we’d love to hear from you.

Apply by sending your CV to: [email protected]

19/08/2026

💷 Wealth Wednesday

📈 Inflation has risen again - so what does that mean for your savings?

Fresh figures released this morning, 19 August, show that UK CPI inflation rose to 2.9% in July, up from 2.6% in June.

One of the biggest contributors was household energy costs, following an increase in the energy price cap. Core inflation, which strips out some of the more volatile components, was also 2.6%.

So why does this matter for your wealth?

💷 Because inflation quietly reduces what your money can buy.

If the return you’re receiving on cash is below inflation, the number in your bank account might not be falling - but its purchasing power is.

🏦 Cash still has an important job

We’re certainly not suggesting that everyone should move their savings into investments.

Cash can be ideal for:

🛟 Emergency funds

🏡 Money needed for an upcoming house purchase

✈️ Planned expenditure over the next few years

💷 Providing financial security and peace of mind

But money you don’t expect to need for 5, 10 or even 20 years may have a very different job to do.

📈 That’s where investing can come into the conversation

Investments fluctuate in value and returns aren’t guaranteed.

However, for someone with an appropriate attitude to risk and a sufficiently long timescale, investing gives capital the potential to grow ahead of inflation over the longer term.

And that’s an important distinction.

The aim isn’t simply to make the number on a statement bigger.

🎯 It’s to preserve and hopefully increase what that money will actually buy in the future.

💚 Roberts Keen Wealth Tip

Don’t just ask:

“What interest rate am I getting?”

Also ask:

“What return am I receiving after inflation?”

That difference is sometimes referred to as your real return - and it can give you a much better idea of whether your wealth is genuinely growing.

The Bank of England is currently holding Bank Rate at 3.75%, while today’s inflation figure shows why the outlook for interest rates, savings and investments can change surprisingly quickly. Its next interest-rate decision is due on 17 September.

💚 At Roberts Keen IFA, we help clients decide how much they should retain in cash and how much could appropriately be invested for their longer-term goals.

📞 If you’ve accumulated cash savings and aren’t sure whether they’re still in the right place, perhaps it’s time for a review.

Roberts Keen IFA
Independent financial advice, built around you.

The value of investments can fall as well as rise and you may get back less than you invest. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future returns. Tax treatment depends on individual circumstances and may change in the future.