Besides saving early, it’s also important to spend time identifying and investing in the right pensions and savings plans for your future.

We all hope to enjoy our retirement – and reap the rewards we’ve worked so hard all our lives to earn. Indeed, many of us can already imagine exactly how we’d like to spend these years: travelling the world, spending more time with friends and family, furthering a hobby or skill, and so on. Whatever we choose to do, we want to make the most of the time we’ll have.

However, to benefit from these experiences later, you need to plan properly for them now. With life expectancy rising along with the cost of living, you must ensure you’re financially stable to achieve your retirement aspirations. As well as starting to save early, it’s also important to spend time identifying and investing in the right pensions and savings plans for your future.

With so many options out there, this process can prove stressful. So, discuss your ideas with financial experts and take their advice. Ultimately, you need to succeed in balancing a realistic level of return on your investments while maintaining your desired standard of living, throughout your life.

So, how do you start?

A QUESTION OF TIME

First, carefully consider your own personal retirement goals and how long you have to meet them.

When would you like to retire? What do you want to do, once you have? Will you need to support anyone else along the way? How much medical cover do you want in place? How much protection do you want against other unpredictable events? And so on.

Once you have the answers, you can start laying the foundations for your plan.

The question of time is especially critical. Your age now, compared with your desired retirement age, will determine the level of risk and long-term strategy you take with your investments.

A DELICATE BALANCE

Decide on a balance of investment and risk that you are comfortable with,so you can live as you want to now, while being confident you’ll have enough saved to achieve your retirement lifestyle later.

Estate planning is a major factor in this planning process. Having your estate affairs in order and knowing everything is safe and secure before you retire will mean you can relax and benefit during your final years. Which doesn’t just help you, but also your loved ones and dependants.

If you don’t already have one, invest in a personal pension too. It’s a tax-efficient way of saving – but the later you leave it to open one, the more money you will need to pay in to create a suitably large pot to retire with. It’s also important to diversify your investments over several asset classes to reduce the overall risk.

Whatever decisions and choices you make, the golden rule for retirement remains the same: the earlier you start planning, the happier you’ll be when the time comes. Without doubt, it’s an effort well worth making.

Bluestar Asset Management Group (AMG) can help. We have years of experience organising and managing successful financial planning for expats, with specialist advice regarding retirement to ensure you enjoy the lifestyle you deserve in your later years.