Retirement planning: More than half look to buy-to-let

Over half of people planning retirement are looking at alternative income such as buy-to-let, with a fifth showing scepticism about pensions. That was the conclusion of research carried out on behalf of mortgage lender Kensington.Some 15% of savers reported regretting their pension investments, while 6% were unsure about them, despite the new freedoms.There was growing interest in alternatives to pensions such as buy-to-let, the survey uncovered.Around 53% of retirement savers said they would consider investing or are already investing in buy-to-let to increase their income in retirement.{desktop}{/desktop}{mobile}{/mobile}Nearly one in 12 (8%) of over-40s said they were already investing in buy-to-let while another 45% say they would consider it.Pension freedoms allowing over-55s to take their defined contribution fund as cash subject to tax rates could be a major source of funds for buy-to-let, the research found.Around half of potential buy-to-let investors said they would use their pension fund to start as a landlord or to expand their portfolio.Steve Griffiths, head of sales and distribution at Kensington, said: "The launch of pension freedoms has led to a lot of excited talk about the potential boost for buy-to-let with thousands of retired landlords rushing to set up in business."With so many people unhappy with pension saving there is a need for alternative approaches but buy-to-let will not be right for everyone and anyone planning to do so needs to get advice from a broker as well as advice on other issues including tax."The fact is buy-to-let is already a strong and growing market with more than 1.63 million mortgages worth around £188 billion representing around 14% of the total mortgage market."The research showed the over-55s were slightly less likely to consider investing in buy-to-let or were already doing so – around 48% would do so with 8% saying they were already landlords.

Retirement planning: More than half look to buy-to-let

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