Ashley's blog

Ashley Shepherd is the founder and managing director at Over50choices. With over 30 years’ experience in financial services, he has held senior roles in building societies, banks and insurance companies.

Pensioners enjoy retirement ‘on the house’ as demand for lifetime mortgages hits an all time high

Pensioners enjoy retirement ‘on the house’ as demand for lifetime mortgages hits an all time high; could you be doing the same?

Another win in the fight against prostate cancer Image

06th Jun 2018

Another win in the fight against prostate cancer

It was with a happy heart that I read the latest BBC health news report about a new immunotherapy drug trial that appears to have had amazing results in one in 10 men with untreatable prostate cancer.

16th May 2018

Planning for a long life

By simply entering your age, gender and the country you live in, the life expectancy calculator will work out in a flash how long on average you should expect to live and what percentage of your life will be healthy.

Expats in Spain living the good life Image

22nd Apr 2018

Expats in Spain living the good life

More than 120,000 (some 40%) of these British expatriates have chosen to retire there since they are aged 65 or over.nbsp;What kind of life are they living? A very good one by all accounts.nbsp;nbsp;The Expat Insider Report for 2017 offers some of the clues as to why that might be.

22nd Apr 2018

Why make a Will?

If you do not write a Will, you have no control over what happens to your estate ndash; all your possessions, property, and money ndash; after you die. Without a Will, you are said to have died ldquo;intestaterdquo;, and your surviving relatives and friends are likely to be left with anguishing decisions ndash; not to mention time and hassle ndash; about the distribution of your assets.

10th Apr 2018

Long term care pensions

Once you pass the age of 60 your worries are likely to be less about the inevitability of death, but the extent, length and cost of long-term care as you enter old age.

Health insurance and your holidays Image

24th Mar 2018

Health insurance and your holidays

Beware, however, that all the benefits of your medical insurance plan are unlikely to provide any comfort or security at all once you travel abroad on business or on holiday.nbsp;

Can I use my home as my pension pot? Image

20th Mar 2018

Can I use my home as my pension pot?

The simple answer to that question is yes you can ndash; and there are plenty of homeowners who bear witness to the fact.nbsp;Although a more recent report by retirement specialists Advantage found that fewer people in the UK are considering using their property for an income in retirement.

15th Mar 2018

How do I cope with grief?

The death of someone close to us typically releases very personal emotions. Coping with grief is likely to vary considerably from one person to another and from one time to another.

28th Feb 2018

Later life planning

In the latest figures released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) - a man now aged 65 may expect to live a further 18.5 years and a woman 20.9 years. 20 years of life in retirement may prove difficult for many people to fund.nbsp;

The older you get, the more staying healthy becomes a priority Image

27th Feb 2018

The older you get, the more staying healthy becomes a priority

For all the myths and old wives tales, there is no elixir of life to keep you forever young. But bookshelves and the internet these days are awash with practical ways on how to stay healthy for longer and the older you get, staying healthy becomes ever more a priority.

Pension scam - take care of your pension pot Image

15th Jan 2018

Pension scam - take care of your pension pot

It is an unfortunate fact of life that there are plenty of people out there who will be only too keen to remove your money from you by whatever means possible. That includes your pension lump sums or ldquo;pension potrdquo; as theyrsquo;re sometimes called.