The FTSE 100’s Ultimate Retirement Shares

Roland Head assesses these blue chips for your pension.

The content of this article was relevant at the time of publishing. Circumstances change continuously and caution should therefore be exercised when relying upon any content contained within this article.

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The content of this article is provided for information purposes only and is not intended to be, nor does it constitute, any form of personal advice. Investments in a currency other than sterling are exposed to currency exchange risk. Currency exchange rates are constantly changing, which may affect the value of the investment in sterling terms. You could lose money in sterling even if the stock price rises in the currency of origin. Stocks listed on overseas exchanges may be subject to additional dealing and exchange rate charges, and may have other tax implications, and may not provide the same, or any, regulatory protection as in the UK.

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The last few years have been tough for those in retirement. Portfolio valuations have been hammered, annuity rates have plunged and uncertainty rules the roost. There’s no sign of things improving anytime soon, either, as the eurozone and the UK economy look set to muddle through at best for some years to come.

A great way of protecting yourself from the downturn, however, is by building your retirement fund with shares of large, well-run companies that should grow their earnings steadily over the coming decades. Over time, such investments ought to result in rising dividends and inflation-beating capital growth, especially if you keep the shares within a tax-efficient ISA or SIPP.

In this series, I’m tracking down the UK large-caps that have the potential to beat the FTSE 100 over the long term and support a lower-risk income-generating retirement fund.

But before you read my opinions, I would strongly suggest you take a look at the choices of super-investor Neil Woodford.

Mr Woodford is one of the UK’s most successful fund managers and specialises in identifying companies with strong income potential. Indeed, such investments have helped him produce a 347% return between 1996 and 2011 — a market-trouncing performance that included nine straight years of beating the index.

What’s more, you can learn more about Mr Woodford’s favourite holdings — and how he generated such wonderful profits — within this free Motley Fool report.

I strongly recommend you download “8 Shares Held By Britain’s Super Investor today, as many of Mr Woodford’s selections look like excellent retirement shares to me. Best of all, the report is free. But hurry, this Neil Woodford report is available for a limited time only.

You can read my company assessments to date by clicking the links below. I hope my research assists your investment decisions:

Is Aberdeen Asset Management The Ultimate Retirement Share?

Is Aggreko The Ultimate Retirement Share?

Is AMEC The Ultimate Retirement Share?

Is Anglo American The Ultimate Retirement Share?

Is Antofagasta The Ultimate Retirement Share?

Is Apple The Ultimate Retirement Share? 

Is Associated British Foods The Ultimate Retirement Share?

Is AstraZeneca The Ultimate Retirement Share?

Is Aviva The Ultimate Retirement Share?

Is Babcock International The Ultimate Retirement Share?

Is BAE Systems The Ultimate Retirement Share?

Is Barclays The Ultimate Retirement Share?

IS BAT The Ultimate Retirement Share?

Is BG Group The Ultimate Retirement Share?

Is BHP Billiton The Ultimate Retirement Share?

Is British Land The Ultimate Retirement Share?

Is BSkyB The Ultimate Retirement Share?

Is BT The Ultimate Retirement Share?

Is Bunzl The Ultimate Retirement Share?

Is Burberry The Ultimate Retirement Share?

Is Capita The Ultimate Retirement Share?

Is Carnival The Ultimate Retirement Share?

Is Centrica The Ultimate Retirement Share?

Is Coca Cola HBC AG The Ultimate Retirement Share?

Is Compass The Ultimate Retirement Share?

Is CRH The Ultimate Retirement Share?

Is Croda The Ultimate Retirement Share? 

Is Diageo The Ultimate Retirement Share?

Is ENRC The Ultimate Retirement Share?

Is easyJet The Ultimate Retirement Share?

Is EVRAZ The Ultimate Retirement Share?

Is Experian The Ultimate Retirement Share? 

Is Fresnillo The Ultimate Retirement Share?

Is G4S The Ultimate Retirement Share?

Is GKN The Ultimate Retirement Share?

Is GlaxoSmithKline The Ultimate Retirement Share?

Is Glencore Xstrata The Ultimate Retirement Share?

Is Hammerson The Ultimate Retirement Share? 

Is Hargreaves Lansdown The Ultimate Retirement Share?

Is HSBC The Ultimate Retirement Share?

Is IMI The Ultimate Retirement Share?

Is Imperial Tobacco The Ultimate Retirement Share?

Is InterContinental Hotels The Ultimate Retirement Share?

Is Intertek The Ultimate Retirement Share?

Is International Consolidated Airlines The Ultimate Retirement Share?

Is ITV The Ultimate Retirement Share?

Is Johnson Matthey The Ultimate Retirement Share?

Is John Wood Group The Ultimate Retirement Share? 

Is Kingfisher The Ultimate Retirement Share?

Is Land Securities The Ultimate Retirement Share?

Is Legal & General The Ultimate Retirement Share?

Is Lloyds The Ultimate Retirement Share?

Is London Stock Exchange Group The Ultimate Retirement Share?

Is Meggitt The Ultimate Retirement Share?

Is Morrisons The Ultimate Retirement Share?

Is National Grid The Ultimate Retirement Share?

Is Next The Ultimate Retirement Share?

Is Old Mutual The Ultimate Retirement Share? 

Is Polymetal International The Ultimate Retirement Share?

Is Prudential The Ultimate Retirement Share?

Is Randgold Resources The Ultimate Retirement Share?

Is RBS The Ultimate Retirement Share?

Is Reckitt Benckiser The Ultimate Retirement Share?

Is Reed Elsevier The Ultimate Retirement Share?

Is Resolution The Ultimate Retirement Share?

Is Rexam The Ultimate Retirement Share?

Is Rio Tinto The Ultimate Retirement Share?

Is RSA The Ultimate Retirement Share?

Is SABMiller The Ultimate Retirement Share?

Is Sage Group The Ultimate Retirement Share?

Is Sainsbury The Ultimate Retirement Share? 

Is Santander The Ultimate Retirement Share?

Is Schroders The Ultimate Retirement Share? 

Is Severn Trent The Ultimate Retirement Share?

Is Shell The Ultimate Retirement Share?

Is Shire The Ultimate Retirement Share?

Is Smith & Nephew The Ultimate Retirement Share?

Is Smiths Group The Ultimate Retirement Share?

Is Sports Direct International The Ultimate Retirement Share? 

Is SSE The Ultimate Retirement Share?

Is Standard Chartered The Ultimate Retirement Share?

Is Standard Life The Ultimate Retirement Share?

Is Tate & Lyle The Ultimate Retirement Share?

Is Tesco The Ultimate Retirement Share?

Is TUI Travel The Ultimate Retirement Share? 

Is Unilever The Ultimate Retirement Share?

Is United Utilities The Ultimate Retirement Share? 

Is Vedanta Resources The Ultimate Retirement Share?

Is Vodafone The Ultimate Retirement Share?

Is Whitbread The Ultimate Retirement Share?

Is William Hill The Ultimate Retirement Share?

Is Wolseley The Ultimate Retirement Share?

Is WPP The Ultimate Retirement Share?

Is Xstrata The Ultimate Retirement Share?

Should you invest, the value of your investment may rise or fall and your capital is at risk. Before investing, your individual circumstances should be assessed. Consider taking independent financial advice.

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