Free Retirement Planning Resources for Financial Advisers & Those Coming to Retirement

Free tools to support better retirement planning — without consultancy fees

At Money Wise UK®, we believe in empowering advisers and individuals with the right tools. If you want to enhance your advice process without external consultancy costs, here are some excellent, free resources to help you. These tools support the foundations of robust retirement planning: sustainability, governance, Consumer Duty alignment, and client understanding.

This list will continue to expand over time.

MySafekeep — Digital Estate & Document Vault

MySafekeep is a secure, encrypted digital vault allowing clients to store wills, LPAs, financial records, documents, personal notes, and essential instructions. Users can grant access to trusted contacts to ensure information is available during illness, loss of capacity, or death.

Why it’s useful:

• Helps clients organise key documents

• Reduces risk of missing or outdated information

• Supports later-life and estate planning

• Complements CRP® processes around longevity and dependency

🔗 Visit MySafekeep

Consumer Duty Alliance (CDA)

Independent, not-for-profit body supporting advisers in implementing Consumer Duty.

Key resources:

• Diagnostic & benchmarking tools

• Practical checklists on fair value & vulnerable clients

• Forums, webinars, and access to FCA insights

Free membership for advisers and firms.

🔗 Visit Consumer Duty Alliance

Mabel Insights

Free UK fintech platform supporting advisers with investment research and planning.

Key services:

• Mabel Ratings (1,500+ DFM portfolios)

• Risk profiling tools

• Tax-aware cashflow modelling

• Customisable client investment reports

🔗 Visit Mabel Insights

NextWealth — Insights & Research

NextWealth produces high-quality research on financial planning, retirement, Consumer Duty, and client behaviour.

Useful for advisers:

• Retirement income trends

• Cashflow modelling benchmarking

• Consumer Duty implementation studies

• Industry-wide advice process analysis

🔗 Visit NextWealth

PLSA — Retirement Living Standards

Benchmarks retirement costs at “Minimum”, “Moderate” and “Comfortable” levels.

Why it matters:

• Helps advisers frame lifestyle discussions

• Supports budgeting and income modelling

• Creates clarity for clients making retirement decisions

🔗 View PLSA Retirement Living Standards

Age UK — Later Life Planning Resources

Age UK provides high-quality guidance on care, benefits, housing, and later-life decisions.

Why it's useful:

• Accessible, client-friendly explanations

• Supports advisers working with older or vulnerable clients

• Helps families navigate later-life transitions

🔗 Visit Age UK

State Pension Forecast (Gov.uk)

The State Pension is the cornerstone of most retirement plans. This free tool allows individuals to check:

• Their State Pension entitlement

• National Insurance history

• Gaps they may wish to fill

🔗 Check State Pension Forecast

Inflation & Cost of Living Tools (ONS)

Up-to-date data on inflation and spending patterns — essential for modelling sustainable income.

🔗 Visit ONS Inflation Hub

Recommended Reading

Money & Meaning — George Ladds
A practical exploration of our relationship with money, behavioural patterns, and the emotional side of financial decision-making.

The Financial Wellbeing Book by Chris Budd
Aligning money with values; proceeds donated to Penny Brohn UK.

The One-Page Financial Plan by Carl Richards
Clarity, simplicity and value-driven planning.

Breaking Through: Building a World-Class Wealth Management Business by John J. Bowen Jr.
Seven strategies for building a world-class advisory business.

The Little Book of Behavioural Investing by James Montier
How biases influence decisions — and how to reduce them.

Talking to My Daughter About the Economy by Yanis Varoufakis
Simple, story-led explanations of money, debt, and inequality.

FCA Thematic Review of Retirement Income Advice

In March 2024, the FCA published its review into retirement income advice.

Key findings:

• Overall suitable, but some clients faced unnecessary charges

• Weaknesses in assessing income sustainability

• Poor cashflow assumptions

• Gaps in documentation

The FCA has since launched RIAAT and issued a Dear CEO letter urging firms to strengthen their CRP® processe

🔗 Read the full FCA Thematic Review

Money Wise UK Podcast

Discussions with fund managers, behavioural experts, planners, and researchers covering:

• Retirement planning

• Investment strategy

• Behavioural finance

• Market insights

• Financial wellbeing

🔗 Explore the Money Wise UK Podcast

Free Money Wise UK® Resources

Money Wise UK® also provides a growing library of free downloads, including:

• Fund manager meeting notes

• Retirement planning articles

• Investment insights

• Explainers on cashflow, risk and Consumer Duty

• Practical templates

• Evidence-based retirement frameworks

• Checklists & guides

These are designed to help advisers deepen their understanding without cost.

Retirement Income Advice - Good Practice and Key Findings

This “bite-sized” article follows the FCA’s Retirement Income Advice Thematic Review. It provides practical examples of good and poor practice to help financial advice firms deliver better outcomes for clients approaching or in retirement (also known as decumulation). It supports the FCA’s broader strategy of enhancing consumer outcomes and promoting sustainable business growth.

Free Resources