Over-40s 'more concerned about health than wealth'

Over-40s are more concerned about sorting out their health than their wealth, research suggests.

More than two fifths (44%) of people have recently started focusing on improving their physical health in some way, but only 39% are concerned about planning for their future financial security, according to a survey of more than 1,000 people aged between 40 and 65.

Over half (58%) of those surveyed admit they rarely or never check the value of their retirement savings, the research from Prudential found. Only a third (34%) said turning 40 had spurred them on to sort out their retirement.

Kirsty Anderson, retirement expert at Prudential, said: "Changing lifestyle and improving physical health will make a major difference to millions of families across the UK and it is encouraging that so many over-40s are taking action.

"People are living longer but that is no benefit if they are unwell in old age, and the same applies to not having enough retirement savings to ensure you have a comfortable standard of living."

Here are some tips from Prudential for people wanting to check on and improve their retirement income:

:: Find pension pots that you may have forgotten about. The Pension Advisory Service and the Pension Tracing Service can help.

:: Remember to take your state pension into account. Find out more about your state pension, including what you might be entitled to and how to claim, on the gov.uk website.

:: Consider topping up your pensions in the years leading up to retirement. You might also be eligible to top up your state pension.

:: Consider retiring a little later than you had originally planned, which could give your pension fund more chance to grow. Remember though, if your pension fund remains invested the value could go down as well up and you may not get back what you put in.

:: Working part-time for a while after you finish full-time work might enable you to delay drawing your pension money, meaning your cash may last longer when you do retire.

Further tips are available at www.pru.co.uk/smallsteps