The retirement planning environment is changing. With most unused pension funds and death benefits due to fall within the scope of inheritance tax from April 2027, established assumptions about how pensions should be drawn, preserved and passed on are being reconsidered. Yet the core principles remain: understand the client, establish clear objectives and build a retirement income strategy designed to deliver good outcomes over the long term. Drawing on emerging thinking across the retirement market, the session highlights how structure supports behaviour and how blending flexibility with dependable income can help clients use their pension with greater confidence.

Learning objectives

• Apply enduring decumulation principles whilst balancing tax considerations
• Understand how the changing inheritance tax treatment of pensions reshapes retirement income and legacy planning
• Recognise how a structured blend of flexibility and dependable income can support confidence and resilience in later life
  

Retirement isn’t a one off decision anymore — it’s an ongoing journey. This session explores how changing client behaviour, market volatility and upcoming pension IHT reforms are reshaping decumulation strategies. As the UK enters one of the largest intergenerational wealth transfers in history, it asks a critical question: are we helping clients use their wealth, or simply pass the problem on? Discover why annuities are re emerging as a powerful tool — not just for income, but for tax efficiency, gifting strategies and long term financial resilience.

Learning Objectives

• Reframe the role of annuities in modern retirement planning By the end of this session, advisers will understand why annuities are experiencing a resurgence, using the “subscription model” analogy to better articulate the value of certainty, predictability, and guaranteed lifetime income to clients.
• Assess the impact of the 2027 pension IHT changes on retirement and estate planning strategies Advisers will be able to explain how the inclusion of pensions in estates for IHT purposes fundamentally changes decumulation decisions, and identify when traditional drawdown approaches may become less tax-efficient.
• Apply annuities within intergenerational wealth and gifting strategies Advisers will gain practical insight into how annuities can be used beyond income provision — specifically to enable surplus income gifting, reduce estate value, and support more effective intergenerational wealth transfer.
  

Every client walks into a retirement income conversation already holding one inflation-linked annuity: the State Pension. In this session, Baillie Gifford sets out the three risks that shape retirement income advice, longevity, sequencing and inflation, and works through a trade-off framework covering annuities, bucketing, capital withdrawal and flexible natural income. Using a sequencing risk case study and a client scenario, they show what each route promises against what it costs, and how diversification and dividend growth can help support real income over time.

Learning objectives

• Identify the three key decumulation risks (longevity, sequencing, inflation) and explain how the State Pension already addresses part of that picture during the session
• Evaluate four retirement income routes, annuities, bucketing, capital withdrawal and flexible natural income, against a shared trade-off framework.
• By the end of the session, participants will be able to describe the cost of flexibility and explain how blending a guaranteed and a flexible route can reduce that cost for a client who needs both certainty and access to capital.
  

As the retirement income outlook continues to change, advisers face the challenge of helping clients navigate uncertain conditions. Market volatility, sequencing risk, inflation and changing client needs can all put pressure on retirement income strategies, while regulatory scrutiny continues to raise expectations around how those strategies are designed and reviewed. Forecasting isn't about certainty. It's about preparation. This session explores how natural income can form part of that preparation on fo. By seeking diversified sources of income from underlying assets, rather than relying solely on capital withdrawals, we'll consider how advisers can build greater resilience into retirement portfolios. We'll also explore how natural income, diversification and balanced risk can sit within a Centralised Retirement Process (CRP) - helping advisers create a more consistent approach to retirement planning and support clients through changing market conditions. Come rain or shine, the aim is simple: helping clients approach retirement with greater confidence. 

Learning objectives

• Position natural income as a core pillar of a compliant and outcome focused Centralised Retirement Process
• Clearly articulate the value of a diversified income approach, including its potential benefits, limitations, and role in delivering sustainable retirement income.
• Implement natural income strategies with confidence to enhance retirement portfolios and client outcomes.
  

With rising numbers of HNW clients exploring life beyond the UK, pre departure planning is often overlooked. This session focuses on retirement and wealth planning for those considering a UK exit, covering the statutory residence test, the long-term residence regime, pensions, and other popular savings vehicles. Double tax treaties and succession issues will also be considered. We'll examine common misconceptions, key planning opportunities before departure, potential pitfalls awaiting the unprepared, plus what to look out for should one ever return.

Learning objectives

• Understand when UK tax residence and long-term residence ends
• Consider which UK savings and retirement vehicles are best/least well suited for the internationally mobile
• The position of pensions in popular overseas jurisdictions
• Pre-arrival considerations for returners
  

In this session, we’ll explore how advisers can respond to evolving client needs—balancing certainty with flexibility—and how integrated solutions can drive planning efficiency and give clients greater confidence in their retirement journey.

Learning objectives

• Understand the factors that are shaping the modern retirement landscape and how they influence client behaviour
• Consider the different ways income can be structured to enhance retirement outcomes
• Understand how integrated solutions can drive planning efficiency and give clients greater confidence in their retirement journey