How to retire at 55?

As you stand stuck on a crowded commute, your mind may wander to early retirement at 55. The prospect of being able to retire early is what keeps many going through the daily grind, and it doesn’t need to be a luxury kept for a fortunate few.

Whether you dream of an around-the-world cruise, writing a best-selling novel or starting a new hobby, careful financial planning about what is a good pension pot at 55 will take you closer to making your dreams a reality.

By prioritising your earnings, savings and investments, you too can retire before the UK retirement age of 66 – although it will take some sacrifice along the way. Working with experienced advisors to better understand where to invest your money for the future is a good start. Take a look at Moneyfarm’s personal investment plans to start planning for early retirement.

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What is the average pension pot?

According to the FCA, the average pension pot in the UK is £61,897, which is very little once you start taking an income from it. For example, if you draw 4%, which is £2,475 a year, and add the maximum new state pension of £9,339, your annual retirement income will come to £11,814. 

If you want to retire at 55, you need more than £61,897 as you will have more years in retirement. Therefore, a good pension pot at 55 should be at least triple the amount. To achieve this, you need to save as hard as you can while working. Also, the more you save, the more robust your retirement will be.

What is a good pension pot at 55?

If you want to retire at 55, you need to ask yourself lots of questions including “what is a good pension pot at 55?”. A good pension pot for that retirement age will depend on individual circumstances and what type of lifestyle you want in retirement. However, the good news is that most people overestimate how much they’ll need in retirement. To retire at 55 and maintain your chosen lifestyle, you’ll need between half and two-thirds of your annual salary as retirement income when you hang up your work boots.

After all, you’ll probably have paid off the mortgage, won’t have to fork out for your commute, and the kids will – hopefully – be independent.

How much do I need to retire at 55 in the UK?

For a comfortable retirement, you’ll need around £26,000 a year – that’s about £2,200 a month, according to Which. With that, you’ll be able to pay for the essentials and a few luxuries – a couple of European getaways a year and eating out, for example.

If you want to swap your city breaks with long-haul flights and get a new car every five years, you’ll need £33,600. Your priorities will probably change as you get older, and you might replace your regular holidays with high insurance bills.

State pension

Setting aside the question of “what is a good pension pot at 55?” for the moment, you’ll get a helping hand from the government in the form of the state pension – as long as you’ve contributed to national insurance for between 10 – 35 years. You’ll get just over £8,500 a year from the government unless you reach the pension age before 6 April 2016, which means you’ll get the old state pension of just over £6,000.

If you’re not sure how many qualifying years you have built up, you can find out through the Department for Work and Pensions.

Whilst you can typically access a workplace or personal pension at the age of 55, you won’t be able to get your state pension until pension age – which the government wants to rise to 68. If you want, you also have the chance to defer it.

Unfortunately, you won’t be able to rely solely on the state pension to retire early or achieve a comfortable retirement. Instead, look to supplement your income with a private pension.

Retire at 55 with £500k

If you want to have a gross retirement income of £25,000 a year, and assuming you will have no state pension income, you will need a pension pot worth a minimum of £500,000.

The logic behind a 500K pension pot is that it’s reasonable to expect an average annualised return of around 5% from a balanced and diversified portfolio over the long term. So assuming this is your return, if you withdraw up to the same 5% each year, you’ll never deplete the nominal value of your pension over time.

If you want a retirement income of £39,000 a year, you’ll need at least £780,000 when you retire if you want to withdraw 5%. However, if you’re a bit more conservative over your expected returns and want to withdraw 4% a year, you’ll need a pension pot worth at least £973,500.

While you might aim to retire early, you might need to work longer or slowly reduce your working hours to ease yourself into retirement whilst sustaining an income.

Tax incentives

There are generous tax incentives available to savers to encourage them to save more for retirement. For example, you can claim tax relief relative to how much tax you pay.

If you want to contribute £10,000 to your pension, you’ll need to pay in £8,000. However, you’ll receive basic rate tax relief at source of £2,000, taking your total contribution to £10,000.

If you’re a higher or additional rate taxpayer, you can claim further tax relief from HMRC via your tax return – to the tune of 40% and 45%, respectively.

You can also take 25% of your pension pot tax-free once you hit 55. After that, you’ll need to pay income tax on your pension income, but as you’re likely to be earning less in retirement, you might pay less tax. For example, if you received 40% tax relief on your contributions, you might only pay 20% tax on your withdrawals.

You can use Moneyfarm’s Pension Calculator to help you work out how much you need to be saving a month to get the income you want in retirement or start one of Moneyfarm’s regular investment plans.

Six tips to help retire at 55

1. Start early

Once you’ve paid off expensive debt and saved up three months of your outgoing in a rainy-day cash fund, it’s time to make your money work harder for you. The earlier you start, the better. Not only do you put more money aside, but you also benefit from compounding – one of the most powerful forces of investing. 

2. Set a target and invest as much as possible

Take the time to set a budget, taking into account when you want to retire and how much you’re going to need. Then it’s time to put as much as you can aside each month into your pension to enjoy maximum tax relief. Of course, you won’t be able to get this money back in an emergency, so make sure you can afford it. Alternatively, invest in a Stocks & Shares ISA or General investment account to enjoy more flexibility in terms of withdrawals. 

3. Keep more of your money

Don’t let expensive management fees eat into your retirement savings. There are low-cost opportunities for investors wanting to protect their money and grow it for their future.

4. Don’t sacrifice your pension savings

As you go through life, you’re going to come up against competing priorities, whether it’s getting on the housing ladder, spending on your children, or house renovations. Try not to sacrifice the amount you put into your pension – it may be challenging at times, but it will be worth it in the long run.

5. Ease yourself into retirement

You might want to slowly reduce your working hours before giving up work for good. That way, you can enjoy some more free time but still benefit from regular income. You won’t be using your pension pot as quickly as if you gave up work straight away.

6. Decide what to do with your pension pot carefully

What you decide to do with your pension savings can make a difference in your retirement financial security. You can swap your savings for an annuity if you want regular income, although the annuity rates are often low. If you want more flexibility in retirement, you can keep your money invested in the market and withdraw as you like. Take a look at the Moneyfarm Pension Drawdown Service, which offers just this. It is important to plan well, though; once your savings are gone, they’re gone.

Making sure you plan for retirement in the best way for you and your family can be difficult. If you need any help, talk to an independent financial adviser and be sure to read our pension guide.

Can I afford to retire at 55?

The answer to this regularly asked question is yes, provided you make the right decisions as early as possible. The miracle of compound interest means that anyone who makes smart decisions with their money early on can see their wealth grow significantly over time. Unless you’re very wealthy or are willing to make sacrifices to retire early, these kinds of decisions can make all the difference in the long run.

Ultimately, you want to know that you have your pension in the best possible place to grow successfully, and you have several options to do so. Therefore, shopping around is important – a lot of people will accept their workplace pension right off the bat without doing much research into what is a good pension pot at 55. Comparison websites, digital wealth managers, free pension transfers – the industry has never favoured the investor, something anyone and everyone should take advantage of to maximise their wealth.

We all want a comfortable, fulfilling retirement, free from financial stress and the means to make our goals a reality. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to make this a reality. Get started early, invest as much as you can, set clear goals, and you too could retire at 55 with enough money saved to enjoy your best years.

FAQ

How much do I need to retire at 55?

The desired retirement income per year will help determine how much you need to retire at 55. What is a good pension pot at 55 with a withdrawal rate of 5% pa? With a withdrawal rate of 5% pa, £25,000 per annum income will require a £500,000 pension pot, while a £33,600 will require a £780,000 pension pot.

How much do you need to retire comfortably in the UK?

For a comfortable retirement in the UK, you should have at least £26,000 per year in savings, which is slightly above £2,000 per month.

What is the average UK retirement income?

The average UK pension pot is £61,897.