You will need to think about when the best time to retire is (your personal circumstances will in most cases dictate this). We can help you to put in place plans to help you meet your desired retirement date.

The first thing to consider is the earliest age that you can retire from. The Scheme currently allows early retirement from the age of 55.

Additionally, you can find out when you are able to access your State Pension by clicking here.

There are a number of other things to think about, generally, when planning your retirement date;

• What savings, investments or other sources of income you already have in place to fund your retirement,
• The kind of lifestyle you would like when you retire,
• When you would like to retire,
• What support you will receive from the government and when.
• Understand what level of income you will need. You can use our handy budgeting planner which can be found here.
• The value of your personal pension account when you retire will depend on how much you have contributed and how your money has been invested, so choosing the right fund is very important. Which fund or funds are right for you will depend on a number of factors, particularly when you want to retire and how you wish to take your savings at retirement and potentially during your retirement.

You might also want to look at a projection of what your pension savings might provide at different retirement ages – you can get a personal indication of this information by logging on to your pension account.

You can also access a whole range of free and impartial services to find out more. Details of the services available can be found on the Useful links and info page.