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, keeping the rest invested for later. You’re in control of how much taxable income you take and can make withdrawals whenever you want to.
If you’re already in drawdown or are planning to be, there are lots of approaches to investing.
We look at some of the funds that 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 cash income their investments make. Some might be investing for growth because they to keep their investments growing or make 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. You should check you're making 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.
The government's free and impartial Pension Wise service can help (if you are 50 or over) and we can offer you financial advice if you’d like it.
Where did our drawdown clients invest in September 2023?
The tables below show 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 September 2023.
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.
With interest rates rising, money market funds have grown in popularity – find out what they are and what you need to know.
| Most bought active funds | Key Investor Information |
|---|---|
| Jupiter India | KII |
| Man GLG Japan CoreAlpha Equity | KII |
| Royal London Short-Term Money Market | KII |
| Royal London Sterling Extra Yield Bond | KII |
| Schroder High Yield Opportunities | KII |
| Most bought tracker funds | Key Investor Information |
|---|---|
| Fidelity Index World | KII |
| Legal & General International Index Trust | KII |
| Legal & General Global Technology Index Trust | KII |
| Legal & General Global 100 Index | KII |
| Legal & General US Index | KII |
Regular savings are excluded. Funds are given in alphabetical order.
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 within 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.
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT DIVERSIFICATION
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.
Editor's choice: our weekly email
Sign up to receive the week’s top investment stories from Hargreaves Lansdown
Please correct the following errors before you continue:
Hargreaves Lansdown PLC group companies will usually send you further information by post and/or email about our products and services. If you would prefer not to receive this, please do let us know. We will not sell or trade your personal data.