Whether you have a final salary pension scheme, a private pension or no pension at all, you are likely to wonder how much money you will actually need for retirement. Perhaps you are hoping to retire early and wonder if you have enough in savings to allow you to do this. Here, your trusted Windsor IFA, Giles Warren, takes you through some simple steps to help you work out how much you are likely to need once you’ve stopped working for good.

Consider your priorities

Firstly, it’s important to point out that enough money to live on for one household isn’t necessarily enough for another. Of course you need to consider the amount of money you are used to living on now, but you also need to think about how many luxuries you are hoping to enjoy in retirement.

Many people see retiring as an opportunity to travel more, so the cost of this needs to be factored in. Others prioritise things like new cars, or eating out. Your plans for retirement, in terms of how you see yourself spending time (and money), are a crucial in helping you work out how much you need.

Will you have debts?

We all hope to be debt-free by the time we retire (and that includes a mortgage), but this isn’t always possible. Factoring in mortgage or other debt repayments is a must-do when you start to plan for retirement.

What do most people live on in retirement?

Again, this is hard to say, but research by Which? found that their members spent an average of £2,200 per month (£26,000 per year) in retirement, rising to £39,000 per year for those leading more luxurious lifestyles with long-haul travel etc.

Another common calculation for working out how much you need to retire is to aim for around 70 per cent of your current annual salary, or your final salary before retiring. You’ll then need to deduct the state pension you receive, and the value of your workplace pension and other retirement income, if you have any. This will help you to identify if you have a shortfall that will mean you need to increase your savings.

What does a state pension provide?

The current state pension for a retired couple amounts to, a not-inconsiderable, £251.90 per week. This will go some way towards covering your retirement expenses, but you’ll need to find the remainder from elsewhere if you hope to live any more than a pretty simple existence.

And Workplace Pensions?

These automatically put aside 8 percent of your income each month (from April 2019) but you may need to increase this to save enough to retire in comfort.

If you have a pension through work, you have several options in terms of how you draw down the cash – including a lump-sum, a choice that requires some self-discipline.

To conclude, there’s an awful lot in the media about the shortfall in pension and retirement income. However, many people also tend to overestimate how much they will spend in retirement. Consider talking to us about your specific situation if you have concerns about retirement and we can help you to plan for a prosperous future.