Tips for Saving for your Retirement

Saving for retirement is among the most important things you could do in your life, these savings determine how much freedom you have after you stop working. It’s important to make wise investment decisions as they could pay dividends in the future. Everyone wants a relaxing, carefree retirement and with these great ideas implemented, you could achieve that dream. 

First off, be considerate of your spending. If you see something you really want at retail price, do not buy it. Full retail pricing is the death of all savings strategies, not every shop will have the same price for the item, so shop around and compare prices online. Chances are there is someplace cheaper and whether it’s $1 or $100 cheaper, it doesn’t matter because the savings from that purchase goes right into your retirement pot and brings you one step closer to your dream retirement. PriceSpy.co.uk and Kelkoo.co.uk are highly recommended as product price comparison sites and search engines for online shopping. Remember, coupons are your friends, so don’t forget to check sites like Raise (https://www.raise.com/coupons/macys) regularly to see what is on offer at some of the top retailers, including Macy’s. Of course, make sure you are only buying what you need – don’t spend for the sake of spending, otherwise that great deal won’t actually be helping you save. 

Second up is using Individual Savings Accounts, these are accounts which are designed for saving as per the name. ISAs are special and valuable because they don’t charge tax on the interest you accumulate. You can transfer money freely and never have to worry about losing your tax-free status. In 2017 and 2018, it’s possible to gain up to £20,000 from tax in Individual Savings Accounts in the form of cash or stocks. That’s a huge upfront amount right in your pocket.

Thirdly, pensions are a common subject when it comes to saving for retirement. A private pension offers well-needed tax relief on your payments and returns, these come in two forms mainly – a personal and work pension. 

A workplace pension is on your employer to contribute savings to your account and recently, this pension has seen a positive boost in terms of availability because of new rules. Any and all employees aged between 22 and 60 earning a salary equal or higher than £10,000 must be offered a workplace pension. The most hailed benefit of this pension is that you in combination with your employer contribute to the fund, most companies pay from 3% to 10% of your salary into the pension fund.

Now a personal pension is a little different, these can be changed by hand throughout your career while the provider will commonly give entry to a large range of investment funds. This gives you greater freedom in which scheme you want to apply, unlike the workplace pension, which is restricted to your company’s choosing. 

A self-invested pension has the longest list of investment options but whatever pension and provider you choose in the end, make sure it’s the right one for you and you understand the details perfectly. It cannot be stressed enough how important it is for you to shop around and compare plans, doing so will give you much insight into charges and overall investment performance. Another important thing to note is that you can claim tax relief on the first £40,000 you earn.