When you think of life goals, chances are you’re dreaming of financial freedom and a long retirement. Maybe you’re telling yourself it is a distant fantasy, but don’t be so quick to despair of your retirement prospects. The reality is that the action you take now could mean enjoying an earlier retirement. Here’s the secret on how to retire at 55…

Start early and invest regularly

Little and often investing, over a long period of time, could mean you are able to retire as young as 55. The earlier you start, the more likely you are to benefit from the positive effect of compound returns. This works by earning growth upon growth as well as the initial investment. The more time you have, the more compounding can take effect!

How much do you need to retire?

Time is on your side to make the most out of tax allowances and maximise your Pension’s potential. Our own Savings Gap research shows that an income of £23,000 is needed annually in retirement to live comfortably. However, based on actual savings behaviour, people in the UK are on course to receive an income of just £6,000 per year from their retirement fund.

The key to avoiding a Savings Gap is to invest earlier, with regular contributions that will eventually culminate in a goal retirement pot. According to our own research you may need to amass a pot worth £920,000 to retire comfortably, if you go by an assumption of needing £23,000 a year for forty years after retiring at 55.

How much do you need to contribute a month to get there? What might help?

We’re all living longer, and early retirement could mean you’ll have to fund many more decades of life. Thankfully, there’s ways to supercharge your Pensions.

With a Workplace Pension, you’ll also benefit from employer contributions topping up your investment. Your employer must contribute a minimum of 3% of your salary. With you and your employer contributing towards your retirement, the prospect of retiring at 55 isn’t so unrealistic. You’ll also benefit from tax relief on your workplace pension, which means you’ll save the income tax you would have paid on that money. This is particularly beneficial for higher rate taxpayers.

And don’t forget, if you have 35 years of national insurance contributions, you’ll also benefit from the state pension. This could be worth up to £8,546 per year, and you’ll receive it from your state pension age.

Another factor in achieving an early retirement is to consolidate your pensions into one. You’ll likely have several employers in your career, and inevitably you could end up enrolled into different workplace pensions. This could mean your ultimate pension pot value is watered down by poorer performing funds or higher charges. Instead, look to consolidate your pensions into one. With just one low cost, and a fund that performs well, you are giving yourself a better chance of retiring at 55.

What about risk?

If you are starting to invest from a younger age, you can potentially take more risk in an aggressive portfolio, as you’ll have more time on your side to ride out volatility. This could potentially mean higher returns in the long run, helping you achieve the dream of retirement at 55.

As you get nearer to retirement, you can amend your portfolio to be more defensive. You’ll also likely be in a position where you can contribute more money. Our online risk assessment can help you to determine where you should be on the defensive to aggressive investment scale.

Enjoy your retirement

If you do amass a pension pot big enough to retire on at 55 you’ll have a few options. You could convert a pension fund into an annuity that pays a guaranteed income, you could withdraw all the money in one go (25% of it as a tax-free lump sum, the rest taxed), or draw down income as and when you require to minimise the amount of tax you pay.

It all starts by setting a goal and contributing regularly.

Take action today, review your current contributions against your retirement goals.

Past performance is not a guide to future performance. Tax rules can change at any time. This should not be construed as investment advice.

With investing, your capital is at risk. Investments can fluctuate in value and you may get back less than you invest. Past performance is not a guide to future performance. Tax rules can change at any time. This blog is not personal financial advice.

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