How to plan your retirement

If you have a defined contribution pension scheme – whether private or through your employer – your retirement savings have probably been hit quite hard by the COVID-19 pandemic over the past 12 months.

That’s because pension funds invest in the stock market and recent turbulence, which has caused big rises and falls, has had a significant impact on how much is in your pot.

The average pension lost around 15% when the coronavirus first hit the stock market back in March 2020, before recovering 13% of the lost ground by the end of August 2020.

Obviously, savers who are in their 30s or 40s have time on their side to potentially ride out market volatility and get their pension
savings back on track.

The same can’t be said for people nearing retirement. According to a report from the People’s Pension, 74% of people either approaching retirement or aiming to retire in the near future are
on course to run out of money in their early to mid-80s.

In addition, only one in ten respondents are making detailed money plans for the future, suggesting that the vast majority have their heads in the sand.

Whatever stage of your life you are at, planning for your retirement has arguably never been more important than it is now after last year’s events.

Download our full how to plan your retirement business guide here.