It’s something nobody likes to think about but everybody has to plan for: saving into your pension for retirement.
But what you might not realise is how much of a difference you can make to your workplace pension with only a small change.
The state pension is currently set at £221.20 per week which won’t go that far if you have nothing else to fall back on in retirement.
That’s why everyone is automatically opted in to a workplace pension and why you should pay in as much as you can into one. Not only do you avoid paying tax or National Insurance on what you put in, but your employer matches your contributions up to a certain amount, effectively giving you free money.
But one thing most people overlook is the pension pot charge. Every pension provider, whether it’s Zurich, Scottish Widows, Aviva or one of the myriad pension companies on the market, will charge an annual fee for providing the pension investments.
These can vary widely, from 0.5 percent for some pensions up to as much as 2.5 percent.
If you had £100,000 in your pension pot with a 1.5 percent charge, and switched it to a pot which only charges 0.75 percent, you’d be £11,000 better off in just 10 years thanks to the savings on the charges.
Pensions firm Legal & General warns how to check your fees now. They said: “The average person has 11 jobs in their lifetime. So most people end up with a few different pots with different providers. 15% of working-age people have four or more pensions, while the average Millennial will probably end up with five pensions.
“Each pension provider will take different fees in different ways. Different types of pension will also have their own fee structures. Some fees might only appear in the small print, so unless you read every detail, you won’t know how they work or how much you’re paying.
If you want to find out what fees and charges you’re paying, you can:
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Check your annual pension statement. It should give you a full breakdown of every fee or charge you’re paying.
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If you manage your pension online, visit your pension portal. Again, full details of whatever you’re paying should be easily available.
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Just call or email your provider. They’ll share full details of any charges or fees, and be on hand to answer any questions you have.”
