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I was in the civil service for 19 years then left to care for my son who had additional needs. I had to work so became self employed which enabled me to be at home with the kids, but during this time my marriage broke up. Being a one income family left nothing to save for my retirement. I've just turned 50 and have taken out a private pension, planning on saving and working for another 10 years. It wont be much, but with my CS pension and possibly downsizing my home when the kids leave I will hopefully cope.

I used to think that retirement was so far off that it would never come around. Luckily I was in a job with a great pension scheme and I am taking early retirement next month. I'm very happy that I had no choice but to pay in to my pension scheme otherwise I might not have bothered, needing the money for raising a family. I now know how important it is to have a good pension and will be reaping the benefits soon.

I’m not saving anything at the moment, but I do want this to change. I’m not working so there is nothing to save from!

I am saving with a pension through my work, but found out belatedly that once I reach pensionable age, the value of the state pension will be deducted from my private pension. My advice is to save as much as you can as early as you can and look after number one without relying on anyone else.

I have't even thought about it so will be relying on the state pension and earnings from letting my flat.

I'm a WASPI - I expected my meagre pension to be added to my state pension at 60, but I won't get that til I'm 66. I doubt my savings will last that long

Honestly I don't have enough to pay the bills now so can't afford more expense but I suspect retirement if they haven't upped the age to 100 will be pretty miserable, so same old same old...

When I worked full time I always paid into the workplace pension schemes. Even though I would rather have had a bit of extra disposable income each month, I always reasoned that I couldn't afford NOT to pay into my pension.
Skip forward to now, I'm working a part time, temporary position on scarcely more than minimum wage, not eligible for workplace pension and my employment may be terminated at any time with one weeks notice. It's just impossible to prioritise saving for a far-flung retirement when I may be unemployed next week.

definitely worth checking your national insurance record

Start as young as you can.

I feel unprepared. Cost of living has risen so much in recent years that retirement saving has been low priority. As I age I start to worry more and more about it.

My advice to women (and indeed men!) would be never to rest on your laurels and imagine the future will look after itself.

Things happen. Like many women, having children meant I had a career break and then children who were sick so I could not return to work for a while - until they were school age. My income and pension were well and truly messed up too. I was lucky enough to have a local government role so the pension scheme was good, but it did involve quite a lot of my earnings going in to it.

Life throws us many curve balls. I didn't expect parenthood to be so difficult, to be unable to return to work when I planned, nor did I expect my marriage to end when the children were young. That wasn't part of my life plan - but I'd say to everyone working - please, save for a nest egg and a pension if you possibly can. Life gets in the way of all the plans we set out when we are young, imagining ourselves walking into a glorious sunset with a decent pension at the end of our working days.

I hobbled into the sunset at a youngish age, as a single parent to teenagers, not willingly but because ill health struck me. Out of the blue.

The pension lump-sum vanished as the years went by, just paying the mortgage and keeping a roof over our heads. The children eventually grew up and moved on, leaving behind a single, working mother not in the best of health and living on a pittance.

Mine may be a worst case scenario but I hope it might be a lesson for younger women. A life without luxuries and having to constantly budget isn't how I'd imagined it to be. Now of course, women have to work longer for their pension. Born in the 1950s, I have the double whammy of not get getting my state pension at 60. I get by on my occupational pension, just, but having worked for most of my adult life, I didn't imagine I'd have nothing to fall back on at this age.

If you can, do save, long term and don't be tempted to blow savings on material things, which age and lose their value - unless you can afford gold, or original Old Masters of course!

When you finish work, you want life to be easier. The money worries should end, but for many women they don't. Any amount you can put by for old age is a good investment. I have learnt that the hard way.

I have a pension but not much in it so its something I worry about.

I started my pension far too late so i just plod on with it really, but there is no security for me there in the future, It is a worry but have to have faith !

I have managed to save at various periods throughout my life but in ISAs rather than pension funds. I cannot afford to retire before I reach state pension age & I wouldn't have been able to wherever I had put my savings! I can however afford to work part time for the next six years to bring me to the shifted goal posts of state retirement....health permitting!

Save as much as possible as the state pension is rubbish

Oh how I always envied those women who could stay at home looking after their children. The most time I had off work was 3 years and even then managed to fit in some part time work. The reason being a husband who enjoyed going out, drinking and running up debts. Me working, however, only meant putting more money into his pocket instead of making life easier at home. Sometimes there wasn't even enough food in our cupboards (we had three children). I was a pretty stupid girl way back then. But then who could have foreseen 26 years later when he left me for another woman. The fight on my hands was great and my solicitor advised me to get rid of him asap while he was perhaps feeling some sense of guilt for the affair ( he had remortgaged our home twice in a year and cashed in an endowment policy to obtain his runaway fund). My teacher's pension and lump sum were at stake plus an avc and of course my home. My ex settled for a 20000 pay off. I was left with a huge mortgage to clear which I worked hard to do before retirement at 58. My lump sum helped to finally finish it in the end. I look back on the fool I was all those years ago to put up with such a greedy, selfish man, but I am so grateful I worked. My life is comfortable and content in a way it never was with him. My state pension has another 3 years to kick in and even without that I can still save and buy treats for my DC and GC. If my ex had stayed I am sure I would have been financially ruined.

I am afraid I have followed in my mother's footsteps and did not think about a pension until my last job and she worked until the age of 70 and unfortunately passed away at the age of 72. I am kind of worried about the future as I know it will be tight as I am still working and intend to work beyond retirement, if I have my health of course.

I have a teacher's pension.

I've either been working part time, studying at college or bringing children up, including now bringing up grandchildren. So very little in the pension pot for me when I reach retirement. My husband had a very small pension which he had been paying into for over 30 years and would have been worth an estimated £6 a week! Unfortunately as our roof was leaking and we had 2 young children to bring up we had to cash this small pension in a few years ago so will now be reliant on the state pension. Luckily the youngest grandchild will be almost 18 when my husband reaches retirement so the lack of money won't affect them.

what retirement?!?!

I've always been a live now, pay later kind of person, and I'm now in the pay period of my life. I've been lucky though, bought a flat and joined the work pension scheme when I was 40. Best thing I ever did. Had to sell the flat - debts - but kept the pension going; it was extremely generous as my employers paid in twice what the employee did. I bought an annuity when I reached 60 and went down to part time work as I was unable to retire (thanks, Gov!).
Badgered all my colleagues to join the pension scheme, even if it was the minimum 1% as the employer was still offering double. None of them did.
I've now retired, moved somewhere cheaper and am lucky enough to have a council bungalow. My private pension really comes in handy - I'd struggle without it!

During the time our children were young I worked part-time and never built up a full government pension. Consequently, as a couple our total pension is minimal. However, we live simply and manage quite well - worth it for the time 'invested' in the children.

Sheppady, there is a need for someone fair-minded to help us out if we have several small pots from long ago job moves. I've been told variously that they definitely can't be consolidated AND that they definitely can. In both cases, access will cost me a fair whack and can only be done by a specialist advisor at a price.

I'd like to repeat the plea to all who had jobs (even a few years) in the dim and distant past to check whether you have a pension pot(s) because pension firms are not proactive in seeking us out, while sitting on amounts which might not be huge by today's standards, but could certainly ease the Waspi trap somewhat.

I am finding it a challenge whether it makes more financial sense to contribute more to my pension or more to my mortgage. Which will provide the greater return. I also several smaller pension pots as a result of job moves and also unsure whether to consolidate them. To be honest it’s a minefield.