Retirement

Taking the steps now to prepare yourself for retirement

With increasing numbers of people working past traditional retirement ages[1], stopping work can seem a long way off, especially for younger people. But it’s the dream of an early retirement that keeps many people going through the daily work grind.

Key aspects that influence retirement decisions

Whatever you want to do when you retire, the better prepared you are, the more rewarding it will be. It’s important to assess the key aspects that will influence your retirement, as the decisions you  make can have a real impact on your savings. There are some important considerations to think about.

Timing

Pension savers risk a significant tax bill

For most people over the age of 55, it is now possible to cash in or unlock all of your pension. How you take these benefits will depend on the type of scheme you have and how you want to take benefits. But concerns have been raised that some savers may risk running out of cash if they siphon too much out of their pension pots.

Make your vision a reality

Exactly how much you’ll need for a comfortable retirement will depend largely on your cost of living and lifestyle choices. For many people, retirement is about sun-soaked holidays, leisurely rounds of golf and that boat they’ve always coveted.

More retirees drawing pensions without LPAs

People are generally living longer these days. Increasingly, more people are living well into their 80s and 90s – and some even longer. This may mean you have a long time to budget for. That’s why it is very important to consider all of your options carefully and think about what will matter to you in retirement.

Do you know the value of your pension savings?

With people living longer than ever before, we all need to save more. But because there’s always something more urgent to pay or save for, it’s something that many of us rarely think about.

Getting the date right can help you reach your destination sooner

At some point you’ll say ‘goodbye’ to your co-workers, get into your car and drive towards the next phase of your life – retirement. But when will that be? The move to retirement is one of the most important decisions you’ll make, so it’s not surprising that determining the date is harder than you may ever expect.

What’s the right answer for you?

The first increase in minimum automatic enrolment (ae) workplace pension contributions came into effect on 6 April[1]. According to research from Scottish widows, however, one in five Britons (20%) – amounting to more than ten million people – say they’ll work until they’re physically unable to, while one in 20 (6%) – another three million people – say they expect to work until they die.

With auto-enrolment contributions set to rise again, South Tyneside-based Fairstone, one of the UK’s largest Chartered financial planning firms, reflects on the need for everyone to have a practical retirement plan in place.

The start of the new tax year sees the minimum contributions of workers in auto-enrolment pensions rise from 1% of their income to 3%. Employer contributions have also increased from 1% to 2%.

Steps you could take to increase your eventual income

Even if retirement isn’t far away, there are steps you could take to increase your eventual retirement income. This applies both to your state pension entitlement as well as to any personal or workplace pension pots.

We’ve provided some areas to consider that you may wish to discuss with us to help you to meet your retirement goals.

Make sure you have details for all your pension pots