Telegraph Money 

The week's most important personal finance news, analysis and expert advice, from pensions and property to investment ideas and savings tips.

The Telegraph take

By Stephanie Baxter, deputy personal finance editor

We all aspire to have a comfortable life when we stop working so we can do the things that make us happy. And the sooner that starts, the better.

But fulfilling that dream is becoming harder, particularly as the age at which you can start receiving the state pension rises. It is currently 65, will go up to 66 by the end of this year, and for younger people it will be 67 or 68.

A radical suggestion has been floated by the Centre for Social Justice to increase the state pension age to 70 by 2028 and to 75 by 2035. Unsurprisingly, this has ruffled quite a few feathers. While this would be political suicide for the Government, it should remind us why it is important to be financially self-reliant. The future is always uncertain – who knows if the state pension will be available at all to those born in decades to come?

Laura Miller finds that a rising state pension age need not be a barrier to retiring as you originally planned if you take the right steps now. Fight back against increases and retire up to eight years early with our ultimate guide to bridging the retirement gap. And in our latest Money Makeover, we find out whether a 32-year-old reader earning 36k could achieve his ambitious aim to retire at 47.

Separately, don't forget there are just nine days left to make a PPI claim – find out how before it's too late. You could be in store for a large payout like one of readers who won an astonishing 33,000 in compensation. Tell us about your PPI stories by contacting money@telegraph.co.uk.

Get the best of our stories – as well as tips on investing, tax, pensions, property and more – with a subscription to Telegraph Premium.It's just 2 a week and free for 30 days. Try it here.

Top stories

Moral Money

Investing

Fame and Fortune

Pensions and savings

Questor

You have the last word...

John Comis says about Donald Trump eyes Greenland: can you buy a country – and how can investors get a piece of the action?: "Why would anyone pay for a country? The system can bankrupt a country and then buy it for nothing. Look at Germany acquiring Greece for nothing."

Victor Value says about Three British giants ripe for a foreign takeover: "We are selling off our assets. Soon there won't be enough large businesses to make a proper FTSE 100, let alone significant businesses to make supposed trade deals viable."

D Ti says about Storage unit in Crawley charges higher rent than a luxury Mayfair apartment: “Great job getting any sort of refund! I guess not letting them off the hook for doing so might act as encouragement for others in the future to fully acquiesce to Katie’s requirements, but it might also go the other way, and deals might get more difficult in future! As far as storing stuff in these places go, only ever consider it for short term. If you calculate the value of goods you put in there, especially furniture, you will soon find you are in negative equity within months if not weeks and it might be better to give it to charity or sell it, difficult though that decision is.”

Contact us: to pose a question to our team of expert reporters, email moneyexpert@telegraph.co.uk. If you'd like a free financial plan, email money@telegraph.co.uk with the subject 'Give me a Money Makeover'.

Join our new investment-focused Facebook group to debate the latest share tips and investing trends.

See more Telegraph newsletters

Investor  |  Property  |  Business  |  Front Bench

You have received this email because you have agreed to receive marketing messages by email from Telegraph Media Group Limited or its group companies or you may have signed up to receive this newsletter. Please do not reply to this email.

Terms and conditions apply to all offers, prices and competitions that may be shown in this email. For full details please click on the advertised offer. The Telegraph reserves the right to withdraw these offers without notice.

To unsubscribe from this newsletter, visit your account here, and update your preferences. If you have forgotten your password, you can reset it by visiting the account login page.

In accordance with the 2018 Data Protection Act, Telegraph Media Group Limited and its group companies are committed to protecting your privacy. If you wish to know more please access our privacy policy.

This email is from Telegraph Media Group Limited or its group companies - 111 Buckingham Palace Road, London SW1W 0DT. Registered in England under No 451593.