Planning for your retirement: How should it be done?
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When we’re in the prime of life, thinking about what the future holds might be put on the back burner, but at some point, we have to wonder what we’re going to do as soon as retirement appears on the horizon. We’re expected to retire from work for good as soon as we reach our mid-60’s, but saving as soon as possible is ideal.
If, for example, you don’t have the funds or financial knowhow to save for your retirement, what can you do when planning for old age? Here, we have a few handy tips for you in order to help ensure you have the means to pay for all the basics and more once you’re ready to call it a day at work.
Save a little each month
If, say, you have 20 years or so before you reach the legal retirement age where you become entitled to claim a state pension, then it’s not too late to start. Putting away as little as £10 each month can really stack up over several years; becoming something much bigger.
Claim what you’re entitled to
A no-brainer, but doing this will ensure that you won’t be left without something to live on. State pensions are there, as are discounts on heating bills during winter and even TV Licenses. There’s more information here.
Find the right pension product
This might sound hard, but it doesn’t take a lot. All you need to do is compare the best deals. Annuities, private pensions and savings accounts are all good, but the first two are best for receiving regular instalments.
Getting a good rate
To set one up, you need to purchase one now and ensure you get good value for money. In recent years, rates (which pay a percentage of the lump sum paid to an annuity provider) have fallen dramatically thanks to higher life expectancy among men and women. This means that getting value for money is vital. Something else you should take into account is any illnesses or long-term health conditions you may have. If you suffer from either, there’s a good chance that you’ll be paid a higher rate to help you pay for any additional medical costs.
Check for any dormant accounts
It’s not the most obvious thing to do, but there might be a little bit of money resting in accounts you may have forgotten about. Find out if you have them, whether there’s any money at all in them and, if there is, look into transferring those funds into your pension pot.
Save as soon as you can
Waiting until you feel you can save isn’t the worst decision you could make, but saving as soon as possible will give you more time to watch your pension pot grow. If you have no savings for retirement, it’s never too late to start if you have enough funds in a current account.
We try to save as much as we can. Right now we are saving over 50% of our take home pay.
That’s an amazing savings rate Michelle, you’ll be jet setting throughout retirement then 🙂
Now that the mortgage will be paid in full we will focus more on retirement funds. We have been contributing for years now but with the extra cash we can contribute more now.
Great way to use those extra funds Mr.CBB and congrats on getting rid of the mortgage.
“Anyone reaching state pension age from April 2016 onwards will receive the single-tier state pension, which replaces the current system of basic state pension, State Second Pension (previously SeRPS) and pension credit.” (UK) – I would suggest people read about it.
Thanks for mentioning that Kiril.
Love the tip about saving a little each month. People don’t always realize that it truly does add up in the long run, and doesn’t affect your pocketbook much at all during the time that you’re saving.
It really does Laurie, it might not give you everything you need for your retirement fund but it’s a good start.
Don’t forget employer pension plans. They will contribute x% to your pension but they will usually match your contributions up to a certain amount. Say they contribute 4% of your salary, and will match your contributions up to another 4%, this means:
Employer contribution: 4%
Your contribution: 4%
Employer matched contribution: 4%
Total: 12%
That’s a very healthy amount of money to be putting away in a tax deferred investment!
Great points Andrew, thanks for adding that!