Ignoring the need to save for retirement or not accepting we are all living longer is not an option. It may work if you are an ostrich however burying your head in the sand is not a solution for building a decent pension.

You might be forgiven for switching off at the mere mention of pensions or retirement planning. After all rarely a day goes by without some doom or gloom pension scribe or of one scare story or another predicting uncertainty and a pension funding mountain to climb.

If there is anything worth listening to it is that you will have to accept responsibility for your own personal wellbeing in retirement. Regardless of how old you are, can you seriously believe that the current generation or the one to follow can afford to pay for YOUR pension when you reach retirement age?

And clearly you do know what you need to do, to take responsibility for your
own retirement.

• Start saving NOW as the earliest contributions will benefit from being invested for the longest.
• You could choose to pay in to pension or ISA, or both. With pension your savings are tied up until age 55 and so you cannot fritter the pot away until it is really needed when you retire. With ISA you can tap in to this pot if the going gets tough and you need access to your savings.
• Always accept your employer’s invitation to join the company approved pension scheme. DO NOT OPT OUT!
• Keep track of all you pensions including old employer schemes or protected rights plans.
• Invest in noble gold investments to ensure you obtain best value from your savings.
• If in doubt take financial advice that will see you in good stead for the long term.