For people aged 50+ · Free to use · No obligation
Retirement
Clarity Check
Get a clearer view of when you'd like to retire, the lifestyle you're aiming for and how your pensions, savings and other retirement income could fit together.
Your Retirement Snapshot is illustrative and based on the information you enter. It provides general information only, not personal financial advice or a guarantee of future retirement income.
See your retirement picture more clearly
First we will map where you are now, including the day-to-day and occasional costs your retirement may need to cover. Then you can tell us which investment and retirement-income options you are interested in exploring. Finally, we will look at how you would like your retirement income to work. Your report will reflect what you told us and highlight areas to explore next - it will not recommend an investment or product.
Where you are now
Your retirement timing, pensions, State Pension, housing, known income and a more detailed spending picture - from food and energy to Christmas, holidays, home repairs and replacing a car.
Part 1What you want to explore
Your interests in funds, shares, bonds, cash, property, cryptoassets and guaranteed lifetime income, plus your experience, access needs and how you feel about investment ups and downs.
Part 2How you want income to work
Explore the balance between guaranteed income, flexibility, growth potential and leaving money available for later.
Part 3What HFP sees - and when
You stay in control of when your retirement answers are shared with HFP.
HFP receives your name, email address, phone number and a note that you started the Retirement Check. This lets us follow up about this specific enquiry if needed.
Your questionnaire answers and on-screen report are not sent to HFP just because you started or completed the on-screen check.
HFP receives your completed answers and report only if, at the end, you tick the permission box and press Send my completed report to HFP.
Build your Retirement Clarity Report
Allow around 10-15 minutes. You do not need exact pension figures to start - enter what you know and leave optional figures blank.
Before the questions begin: we will ask for your contact details and send those details to HFP so we can follow up about this Retirement Check. Your questionnaire answers are not shared with HFP unless you choose to send your completed report at the end. Marketing is optional.
When would you ideally like retirement to begin?
Start with the retirement you would like - not what you think may or may not be possible yet.
Are you mainly planning retirement on your own or with a partner?
Some retirement costs are shared, so this changes the lifestyle benchmark we show you.
What would you like your retirement to feel like?
Choose the lifestyle that feels closest to the retirement you would like. These are illustrative spending benchmarks - not personal income requirements.
What do you expect your housing situation to look like in retirement?
How clear is your pension picture today?
What do you expect could provide money during retirement?
Select all that apply. Where you know an annual income figure, you can add it. Pension pot values are kept separate - this basic check will not convert a pot into an assumed income.
Have you checked your State Pension forecast?
What might your retirement actually cost?
Add rough figures where you can. Leave anything blank if you do not know it yet. We will annualise monthly and occasional costs so that easy-to-forget items - such as Christmas, home repairs and replacing a car - are visible in your report.
Essential monthly expenditure
The regular costs you are likely to need to keep paying.
Lifestyle & regular extras
The things that may make retirement enjoyable or support family life.
Big & occasional costs
These do not arrive every month, but they can make a big difference over a long retirement.
What would you most like your retirement money to do?
Choose the closest answer. This helps us understand what you are interested in exploring - it does not assess whether an investment or retirement-income product is suitable for you.
Which areas are you interested in exploring?
Select any that interest you. Selecting something here is not a recommendation to invest in or buy it.
Would you like to understand how a guaranteed lifetime income could fit alongside investments?
A lifetime annuity is one way to use some or all of a defined contribution pension to buy guaranteed taxable income for the rest of your life. It can sit alongside other pension or investment money, but it works differently from keeping that money invested.
How familiar are you with investing?
When might you need to use money that remains invested?
How do you think you would feel if an investment fell sharply for a period?
This is not a formal risk-profiling question. It simply helps us identify areas you may want to discuss in more detail.
Which matters more to you when thinking about retirement income?
If we could help you clarify one retirement question, what would it be?
Your Retirement Clarity Report
An observation based on the information and interests you entered - not a personal recommendation or suitability assessment.
Your on-screen report is ready.
This is your instant summary based on the information you entered. If you would like us to go further, you can send your completed check to HFP. We will review what you have shared, pull together a bespoke written report and arrange a complimentary meeting to take you through what stands out, what may need clarifying and the areas you may want to explore next.
Would you like HFP to review your completed report?
There is no charge for the review and meeting, and no obligation to continue. The purpose is to help you understand your current position and the questions worth considering before any financial recommendation is made.
1Your retirement journey
See when different parts of your retirement picture may become relevant.
4Your known annual retirement income
This only plots annual income figures you entered. Pension pots, savings and investments are not automatically converted into income.
6What your answers emphasised
8Your investment & retirement-income interests
These are the areas you selected to understand better. They are not recommendations.
2The lifestyle you selected
3Your spending picture
A rough annual view based only on the costs you entered. Blank items are treated as unknown, not zero spending.
5Your Retirement Clarity Map
These are information and preference indicators, not a financial-readiness score.
7How you want retirement income to work
Your tailored retirement checklist
Based on your answers, these are useful questions and areas to clarify next.
Would you like us to look at your report personally?
Send us the Retirement Clarity Check you have just completed. We will review the information, prepare a bespoke written report for you and arrange a complimentary meeting to take you through it.
There is no charge for this review and meeting and no obligation to continue. Any regulated financial advice or personal recommendation would be a separate step.
Clear the questionnaire answers and start again from Question 1. Your contact details already registered with HFP will stay linked to this visit, so you will not create another first-gate notification.
Trusted retirement and pension guidance
Heathcote Chartered Financial Planning has provided us with exceptional service for many years, and we could not be more pleased with the support and guidance we have received throughout that time.
Their expertise, professionalism, and dedication have been invaluable in helping us manage existing pensions, liaise with previous workplace pension trustees, and ensure we always achieve the best possible financial outcomes. Nothing has ever been too much trouble, and we have always felt confident that our financial interests are in safe hands.
We would highly recommend Heathcote Chartered Financial Planning to anyone seeking trustworthy, knowledgeable, and highly personalised financial advice, and we look forward to continuing to use their outstanding services for many years to come.
Steve came recommended to me by Pension Wise so I knew he was reliable. I understand enough about the risks of trusting the wrong adviser and ending up losing your pension pot.
After an initial face-to-face meeting at his office I still needed more assurance that I could safely take his advice. My funds have been growing steadily with regular updates on opportunities and risks from Steve.
I think he has been a safe pair of hands for me. Thanks Steve!
Great pensions advice clarifying my options especially regarding risk and returns at retirement.
Given the wide range of options and providers available I found it extremely helpful talking to an independent whole of market financial adviser.
Want to see what other clients have said about HFP?
Read more Google reviewsFrequently asked questions
A few useful things to know before you start your Retirement Clarity Check or decide whether you’d like HFP to take a closer look.
Who is the Retirement Clarity Check for?
It’s designed for UK adults aged 50+ who are approaching retirement or starting to think more seriously about when they could retire, the lifestyle they want and how their pensions, savings and other retirement income may fit together.
How long does the Retirement Clarity Check take?
Allow around 10–15 minutes. You’ll work through one clear question at a time and receive your Retirement Snapshot when you finish.
Do I need to know exactly how much is in all of my pensions?
No. Enter the information you know. If there are pensions, forecasts or figures you’re unsure about, that can be useful to identify too. Your results can highlight some of the areas that may be worth finding out more about.
Will the check tell me if I can afford to retire?
It will help you build a clearer picture, but it isn’t a full financial plan. You’ll see your retirement timeline, chosen lifestyle benchmark, known retirement income and areas that may need further thought. It won’t automatically turn pension pots into income or tell you that you definitely can or cannot afford to retire.
What do I receive when I complete the check?
You’ll unlock your Retirement Snapshot and a tailored retirement checklist based on your answers. You’ll also have the option to request a personalised HFP adviser review.
Is there a cost to use the check or speak to HFP initially?
No. There is no cost to complete the Retirement Clarity Check and no cost for the initial 20-minute conversation with HFP. You can see your results first and then decide whether you’d like to take things further.
What happens if I request the personalised HFP review?
If you choose Bonus 3, HFP will review the Retirement Check you’ve completed and use your answers as the starting point for your initial 20-minute conversation. We can then talk through what stands out, the questions you want answered and the areas that may be worth exploring in more detail.
Can I complete the check with my partner?
Yes. You can tell us that you’re planning retirement as a couple, and the check will show the relevant two-person household lifestyle benchmarks. You can also include your partner’s pensions or expected retirement income where relevant.
Is the Retirement Clarity Check financial advice?
No. The check provides general information and an illustrative snapshot based on the information you enter. It doesn’t assess suitability or provide a personal financial recommendation.
What happens to the personal information I enter?
HFP will use the information you provide to deliver and follow up on your Retirement Clarity Check. Any separate marketing preference is optional. Read the HFP Privacy Statement for more information about how your personal information is handled.