Inflation drops further

According to The Telegraph, `Britain is now deeply in deflationary territory`; inflation has seen its biggest drop since records began in 1948.

In particular, RPI (Retail Prices Index) annual inflation stood at minus 1.6% in June.

A debt expert for Think Money commented: “Although some people may welcome falling prices, it is important to be aware of the implications.

“On a national level, deflation is bad for the economy. When people know that prices are dropping, they`re always tempted to put off spending money until `tomorrow`. This means businesses make less money, and that`s clearly bad for their employees.

“Plus, at a time like now, some people may suffer because their annual pay rise is based on RPI. For people with debts that are continuing to grow, it may become increasingly difficult to stay on top of their finances. We would advise anyone in this situation to contact a professional debt adviser without delay.”

Don’t outlive your cash

Before the market imploded last year, turning your nest egg into steady income for 30 or more years of retirement seemed pretty straightforward. Just follow the old 4% rule: Withdraw that much of your portfolio’s value initially and then boost that dollar amount annually for inflation.

But as I’ve pointed out in this column and online, the 4% rule has two big problems. If your investments thrive, you could end up with a huge balance, meaning you lived more frugally than you had to. On the other hand, if your portfolio suffers a steep loss, especially early on in retirement, the odds of your money running out can soar. This risk, no doubt, has become painfully clear. Continue reading