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Share your thoughts on saving for retirement with Scottish Widows - chance to win £300 voucher!

(165 Posts)
EmmaGransnet (GNHQ) Tue 06-Nov-18 14:11:48

NOW CLOSED

We all know that it’s important to be organised when it comes to saving for our retirement. Some of us are pension savvy and have been making regular payment since starting work. Others find it all a bit confusing and scary so bury our heads in the sand. Scottish Widows are interested in finding out how you feel when it comes to saving for your retirement and whether you think women face more challenges when it comes to saving for their retirement?

Here’s what Scottish Widows has to say: “For many, sorting out their pension is at the bottom of the to do list with lots of other day to day priorities to consider. We understand life is different for everyone and a lot depends on what age and stage you’re at in life. Each stage comes with its own set of financial challenges to think about – job hunting, paying rent and student loans, mortgages, marriage, and careers. So when does retirement make the list?

Our latest research shows that many women aren’t planning their pension early enough with women in their 20s far less likely than men of the same age to be saving enough, or anything, for their future. This is worrying given that women statistically live longer than men and earn less.

We want to empower women to take control of their pension whatever their age. We’d love to hear your thoughts as we examine these issues in more depth, so that we can continue to ensure more women take ownership of their financial futures and look forward to retirement.”

So how do you feel when it comes to saving for retirement? Do you feel organised or unprepared? If you’re already retired do you have any tips to share about your experience? What challenges, if any, do you think women face in particular when it comes to saving for retirement? Do you think that parental leave has a big effect on stalling pension payments for women?

Whatever your thoughts are when it comes to saving for retirement please share them below to be entered into a prize draw to win a £300 voucher of your choice (from a list).

Thanks and good luck

GNHQ

Terms and conditions apply

s861421 Sat 10-Nov-18 18:03:03

I am working at the moment but I know that my pension will be no where near enough to live on and it does worry me a little

FlexibleFriend Sat 10-Nov-18 18:11:45

I don't get my state pension yet, I took early retirement at 50 due to ill health with my Husband supporting me. He was unable to cope with my illness constantly saying I'd ruined his life until I said fine well I've had enough listening to your constant complaining so I'm divorcing you. I have two private pensions and my pip and I'm doing quite well thanks. I will be happy when the state pension kicks in even though I'll have to pay tax on it. I'd be better off if the idiot judge didn't see fit to award the ex 25% of my house resulting in me having to remortgage to pay him off. I took equity release in order to raise enough to pay him off but I'm paying the interest on it so the amount never increases as long as I can afford to pay it. No one would give me a mortgage so was left with no option if I wanted to stay put. Both my Sons have pensions and my Dil does too, they are very aware how expensive old age could be and can't rely on inheriting anything no matter how much my house is worth. I do also have savings, have my youngest Son on them as joint account and have also sorted out POA. I also save small amounts that would otherwise not be saved by joining chip which saves a variable amount each month by monitoring mg current account spending and saving if I spend less. I don't even notice it but have saved £600 since June. That's on top of 3 other regular saving amounts each month. One of £400, two of £250. These pay my yearly interest on my equity release and at least pay some interest.

MissAdventure Sat 10-Nov-18 18:20:52

I dare not even think about the state of my finances by the time I retire.
Work has been poorly paid and very patchy for the last little (quite big) while.

holey Sat 10-Nov-18 18:42:31

Everything was well organised until I started having children! After that, it never got back on track as there was always something in the here and now that needed paying for. I'm hoping that two small rental properties that we own will raise what I consider to be the shortfall. The mortgage is only a few years off being paid up on them both. Luckily our house is also only a few years off being fully paid for too so at least we're not going to have to find money for mortgage or rent in our retirement years. We were very careful to make sure that no loans/mortgages etc would still be outstanding beyond our very early 60s.

Laddie Sat 10-Nov-18 18:49:48

I have two pensions - one with Kingfisher and the other pension with Scottish Widows.
The best pension is with Scottish Widows and it is the best thing I have done and saved for - but the pension age keeps go up and up and will you ever receive the Government state pension.
B&Q GAVE me a pension but you do not know the holding fund of the pension and you can not take the pension out of the KF pension - but you might be able to put into the Scottish Widows pension - but it is a Final salary pension and you do not know or understand how much you will receive for the KF pension, as the statement are not very helpful - as the Scottish Widows statements.
IF you take over 25% out of your pension - as I had to give my job up in B&Q - due to bullying and harassment and then went to work in TEXAS Homecare - were they di not give you help towards a pension.
Also you now keep getting people phoning you up all the time and wanting to look into your pension pot - but can you trust them, as you have about 6 or 7 years to go to receive the pensions and the state pension and the age limit might go up again, which is not are fault and the Government keeps blaming the old age people and you then get the Governments raiding pension pots of the UK

Laddie Sat 10-Nov-18 18:53:15

THE Woman or Lady's should get the same pension of the MEN in the UK.

maciv234 Sat 10-Nov-18 19:27:16

very difficult to save today unless you are on well above average wage , what you seem to get in is taken off you in some way

cheekychicken24 Sat 10-Nov-18 19:51:47

People should prioritise pensions over holidays, and fancy technology. Would you rather have a fancy 60" tv now, which will soon be out of date anyway, or would you rather have enough to love on for the last 20 years of your life?

If people had to spend a week living on the basic state pension, their priorities would soon change.

LeeR1985 Sat 10-Nov-18 19:52:47

I was auto enrolled into a pension scheme when I started my new job 5 months ago and it pays in a lot more than what I was in my previous job but it comes out out my earnings pre-tax so I don't really notice it. I feel like my pension will be good enough when I retire but I will also save my own money in my savings account

grabba Sat 10-Nov-18 20:23:59

Lots of us planned for a state pension paying out at 60. Lo and behold no one bothered to tell most of us the goalposts had moved.
I planned my retirement age based on this payment being available and by the time it became common knowledge that the rules had changed I had no time to make this up.
On average lots of us have lost access to around£40/50k by the 6 year increase to our SPA. Who could have planned for that?

kathcake Sat 10-Nov-18 20:39:07

I save into a pension but worry I won't have enough to live on when I get to that age

sscrase Sat 10-Nov-18 20:45:20

We do have some plans and funds already but not enough by far. Focus is on clearing the mortgage first and we can then plan for later life.

ayjay Sat 10-Nov-18 21:20:07

I never really thought about pensions when I was young, but even if I had, the rules seems to change so often - especially for women. I find it hard to advise my own children, other than to try to make sure they are saving something - I know those in "traditional" employment now must be offered a pension, but if you have a series of limited contract, globally based jobs then who knows and there will be many with career gaps.
Pensions are now part of a divorce package - even if both partners are in employment and there are no children.
thought I would get a state pension at 60, current prediction is 66 - and counting! so even the best planning was thwarted.
Women generally are have lower salaries and more career breaks so their pension pots will be lower. It is very difficult to predict the future ie what the retirement age will be, what the life expectancy will be, how living costs will change, what provision there will be for social care, and if your family will be geographically available and willing to help.

cherylann2461 Sat 10-Nov-18 21:48:40

I started my pension fund late as my ex husband had a good pension and i thought we could manage. Then he left me! I now have a fund worth £16,000 and if i increase it to be worth £40,000 i would get £160 per month!

Catmadroo Sat 10-Nov-18 22:04:03

I have worked most of my life and my work pensions are worth very little, and I don't have finances to add to it as I'm probably giving up my current job to become full time carer for my son. In hindsight when I was working in London when young I should have paid AVC's too late now

billya1003 Sat 10-Nov-18 22:11:57

I had to leave employment due to ill health aged 42, I know I won't live long enough to receive my full pension benefits, however the pension that I do receive I invest half of it in shares to ensure my family will have at least some of the benefits they would have had if I was still employed

grannyqueenie Sat 10-Nov-18 22:39:20

I wouldn’t worry too much about AVCs, Cat, mine were a waste of time. I’m ok for now but heaven help me if I shoukd outlive the old boy!

freefan Sat 10-Nov-18 22:43:33

Sadly by the time I considered putting away any kind of a nest egg for retirement I was already registered disabled and just getting by month to month. So I have the Government pension to look forward to and that will be it. Looking back I'd have never had the chance to save instead raising my family and we never went without.
Hindsight is a great thing so anyone younger reading this,put a few quid away and enjoy being older.

MissAdventure Sun 11-Nov-18 03:01:39

I haven't got a fancy 60 inch tv cheeky.
I have one that I bought secondhand about 12 years ago.
I have to put it on about 15 mins before I want to watch something and wait for it to warm up!
Its rather trite to think everyone has been spending all their wages on 'living it up'.

Carndaisy Sun 11-Nov-18 07:05:28

We are in the lucky position that we could both retire at 50 with a full pension. We both paid 12% of our salary into a pension pot, it wasn’t always easy to stick to the plan, time like all 3 kids needing new school uni for , shoes, etc but we did are are now reaping the benefits...so my advice, put your spare pennies into a pension. Annually have a clear out of all the items and clothing you no longer use/wear and sell, open an account and pop that money into it...over 15 years we accumulated several thousand...Also annually review all utility bills, you certainly make savings that way. Start writing letters to magazines you get paid an average of £25/50 if they are published.

Carndaisy Sun 11-Nov-18 07:06:19

Please pop my name Into the draw, it’s a great way to boost your income by winning or earning vouchers.

50socks Sun 11-Nov-18 08:35:48

raising 3 children on my own has left little money to put aside, i supported one through to a PhD level of education. Although i have worked its not been full time and i fall into the age range of my pension age going to 65, then 66 when i would have been collecting my state pension now. As a NHS worker my pay has been stagnant for the last 8 years and due to a permanent health condition i am now stuck on part time hours.
I recently downsized, to free up some money and can now look at retiring in 2 years, i am also blissfully happy and look forward to the future

blue60 Sun 11-Nov-18 09:32:40

I retired at age 51. I contributed to a company pension scheme which was based on final salary and service for 27 years, and so did my husband.

I was given all the information I needed to make a decision whether to contribute or not. Good, well informed information, without being patronising.

Employers have passed the risk of investment to contributors with the demise of occupational pension schemes.

Now, people in the main have to make contributions to a 'pot' which will then buy a pension at some future point, but not knowing how much that would provide as a means of income.

In order to empower, you must first educate.

burwellmum Sun 11-Nov-18 12:00:20

I have spent most of the time when I could have worked raising children. I am fortunate that under the new rules I will get a full state pension when I reach retirement age but living in a drafty dilapidated house in the country so a car is essential I am not sure it will meet my needs so I will be dependent on my husband's money purchase pension. I did contribute as much as I could afford when I was working but it seems to have grown little in the intervening 25 years. I think the main problem as previous contributors have said are the breaks in women's employment due to children and then returning to work part time or in zero hours work. Things are better than when I worked but there is still a long way to go.

Blainalass Sun 11-Nov-18 12:41:53

We started a stakeholder pension for our daughter on her eighteenth birthday. We might have left it late for ourselves but we could at least get her started.