14 September 2026
Pension drawdownSIPP drawdown is a flexible way to access money from your pension - you choose how to invest your pot and what income you take and when. Discover the benefits of drawdown here.
About the expert
Charlene joined AJ Bell in 2014 from a wealth management firm where she worked with private clients and small businesses as a financial planner.
Charlene has over 15 years’ experience in financial services, holding Chartered Financial Planner status and Chartered membership of the Personal Finance Society (PFS). She's also an associate member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP) and has a degree in Economics and Finance from the University of Bristol.
She's a core member of our team who create content and information to help you invest - from how to map out your financial goals and which accounts can help you on your investing journey, to making sense of the more intricate parts of the tax and pension rules.
Pensions are Charlene's thing, and her goal is to make them less daunting and complicated for everyone. She does this by writing articles for our website and investor newsletters, as well as recording podcasts, videos and webinars for our website, apps and social media channels. She’s been instrumental in the delivery of AJ Bell’s 'Learn' area – a hub of educational content for those newer to investing.
You’ll also see Charlene representing AJ Bell at our investor events and providing comments for national press and adviser publications. She’s a director of AJ Bell’s pension trustee companies.
Latest articles from Charlene Young
11 September 2026
Could a SIPP bring your retirement plans together?One of the greatest challenges in retirement planning is understanding whether your current savings will support the lifestyle you want later in life. When pensions are spread across several providers, it can be difficult to work out what level of retirement income they may generate as well as different investment strategies, levels of performance...
10 September 2026
What the TTFAC? The pension acronym that can cause tax-free cash confusionWhile the abolition of the lifetime allowance for pensions was largely welcomed, it also brought a new collection of jargon. Near the top of that list sits the transitional tax-free amount certificate, or TTFAC.
Most people will not need a TTFAC. But it is worth investigating if you accessed pension benefits before 6 April 2024 and took less tax...
17 August 2026
What you need to know about gifting money to loved onesMore people are thinking about passing wealth on during their lifetime rather than as a legacy in a will. The idea of giving with “warm hands” has gathered pace in recent years and is likely to receive even more attention as we approach April 2027, when unused pension pots are set to become part of an estate for inheritance tax (IHT) purposes.
Givi...
7 August 2026
Average inheritance tax bill hits £231,000 as pension changes loom: what can you do?New government data found that the average tax bill for an inheritance tax paying estate has increased to £231,000, up 9% year-on-year. This comes ahead of the changes which will see pensions included within inheritance tax (IHT) from April 2027 onwards.
Although only around 5% of estates pay the tax, the amount being collected continues to hit new...
21 July 2026
Are the newly updated Retirement Living Standards up to scratch?It’s rare that pensions are out of the news, but we’ve seen a sharp focus on whether people are saving enough for a decent retirement and what a decent retirement looks like. The interim report from the Pensions Commission was published in May, estimating a whopping 15 million people weren’t saving enough and we also saw an update to figures that...
3 July 2026
Seven gifting mistakes that could cost your loved onesThe government is collecting more in death taxes than ever before, and the inheritance tax (IHT) take has more than doubled in a decade thanks to rising asset values and frozen allowances. This, together with the April 2027 changes that will bring unused pensions into the value of estates, has led to many more people considering using gifts to...
2 July 2026
ISA taxThe main thing that makes ISAs popular is their tax perks. Let's take a look at how they work.
23 June 2026
Investing in foreign shares or fund? The tax on dividends explainedUK residents are taxed on their income and gains, and this will include dividends from international shares. While your AJ Bell ISA and SIPP wrappers shelter your investments from UK income and capital gains tax, there may still be other tax considerations related to foreign investments, even if they’re held in these wrappers.
This article will...
16 June 2026
How is my pension taxed on withdrawal?When you save for retirement using a pension, part of your withdrawal is tax-free, but what about the rest of it? This article looks at the taxes that apply when you access your pension.
