There's an urgent need for better at-retirement support, according to former pensions minister Steve Webb, who has called on the FCA to speed up its advice/guidance review.

There was a record high in demand for annuities among advisers in the first half of the year, according to figures published today by pensions technology provider iPipeline.

Over four in five retired annuity holders who would likely qualify for an enhanced annuity do not currently have one, according to new research.

I’ve just received a very optimistic-sounding email from HMRC entitled, "A happy new tax year starts here.”

A 65-year-old with a £100,000 pension could get themselves up to £7,430 per year from an annuity, the highest since last October, according to data from Hargreaves Lansdown.

In the immortal words of the legendary French singer Maurice Chevalier, “Ah yes, I remember it well.” In this case, the rather incorrect prediction of the death of annuities.

The annuity market is buoyant as the Bank of England’s rate pause has encourage people to take the plunge, according to Hargreaves Lansdown.

In the last two years annuity rates have risen by more than half, according to Canada Life, giving a 65-year-old with a £100,000 annuity an extra £2,500 a year.

The difference between the best and worst annuity in the open market could pay an extra £13,240 in income or £662 a year over a typical 20-year period, according to Canada Life.

Average annuity rates climbed to 7.25% for a 65-year-old in September, up from 7.11% in June, according to the Standard Life Annuity Rate Tracker.