As it is the time now that children are starting and returning back to college a lot of families are met again with the financial strain caused by the cost of educating their children. Further to this some families have resorted to taking out a loan to help pay these fees.
 
For students in college who are living away from home during their time in college the average annual cost ranges from €12,109 - €14,553, with the current average amount in savings being €7,049*.
 
A regular Savings Plan helps in ensuring that you can provide for your children’s education right through to third level. By planning ahead and putting an amount aside every month you will be in a much better position when comes the time to send your children to school/college.
 
We have attached below a calculator which gives you an estimate of the amount to set aside each month and to even start with a smaller amount than suggested will be of great benefit to you.
 
Saving with us will give you a wide range of options and fund choices and will assess your financial situation to ensure you are invested in a plan best suited to your needs.
 
For further information on our savings and investment products just give us a ring or call in to our office.
 
 
*Zurich Life Cost of Education Survey 2021 

It’s that time of year again when the tax deadline looms. 31st October is the deadline for paper-based returns and 17th November for online returns to be made for self-assessed income tax for the 2020 tax year. Pension contributions are a big feature of these returns for many people, and this is one reason to review your pension today.

The tax benefits of pensions are extremely valuable
Pension contributions are one of the few remaining means of gaining marginal rate tax relief today. If you are in a position to make additional pension contributions, do this before the tax deadline and you can gain tax relief against your 2020 income. This would be one good use of the increased savings you put away during the pandemic! Give us a call and we can guide you as to any contribution limits that would apply to you.

Relying on the state won’t get you far in retirement
In Ireland, the state provides an old age pension to qualifying people. The maximum level of this pension is €248.30 per week for a single person – this is hardly going to deliver a lifestyle of luxury. Even at this, the state pension scheme is under extreme pressure. The ratio of people working compared to retired people will reduce from 5 to 1 today, to 2 working to 1 retired by 2050. There will be fewer people paying in and more seeking payment from the system*.
The plan was to address this by pushing out the state retirement age, but this was not implemented after becoming an election issue. With the challenges facing the state pension scheme, there is really only one likely outcome – the level of state benefits are very unlikely to increase. We all need to take control of our own pension planning, and the time to do so is right now.

Now is the time to take control
The longer you pay into your pension scheme, the more you can hope to receive when you retire, as you let increased contributions, time and compound interest get to work. We’re often asked how much you should pay in to your pension scheme. If possible, you should look to maximise the tax relief opportunities, but otherwise a very rough rule of thumb is that you should aim to save “half your age”. So for example if you are 40 years old, you should aim to save 20% of your income each year from now until retirement to build up a decent fund. If you wait until you are aged 50 to start, you should then aim to save 25% of your income each year. But this is only a very rough calculation. A full review of your pension circumstances will enable us to develop a far more tailored picture for you, taking account of any existing benefits that you have already built up.

Life expectancy is increasing
Savings in retirement will need to last on average for at least 20 years in retirement for female clients who are aged 66, and 17 years for males when they retire. Because of medical science and better diets etc., these periods are expected to increase. Indeed it is reckoned that the first person to live to be 150 years of age has already been born! While that is unlikely to be you, more and more people will now be retired for 30 - 35 years. What size of pension fund would you need to maintain your lifestyle for that period? This is another reason for a pension review now

Right now is the time to review your pension. Give us a call, we’ll be delighted to help.

*Sources: Irish Life, revenue.ie, gov.ie - National Risk Assessment 2019 & Health in Ireland Key Trends 2019 (JMS LIFE)

Brokers Ireland have recently carried out research on the value of professional financial advice and it has been found that getting such advice has benefited consumers in regards to having sufficient financial protection, higher returns in savings/investments and improved pension provision. 

A brief summary of their findings showed:

• For those who sought financial advice the average pension pot is valued at €128,933 as compared to an average fund of €62,600 for those who do not avail of financial advice. 
• The majority of people included in the research stated that they wish they had been more prepared for retirement and started their pension earlier to allow them retire sooner. This was even for those who do get financial advice. 
• 55% of people who use financial advice own a life assurance policy and feel financially protected should they become ill or die prematurely. 
• Over half of the respondents who have used financial advice feel more in control of their finances. 
• Using financial advice when making savings and investments saw a 53% higher value with €81,890 as opposed to €53,200 for those not using a financial advisor. 

Seeking financial advice gives you a better opportunity of being fully protected in the event of life's changes, being informed of all products and there benefits to you. 

​If you would wish to discuss your financial needs please do not hesitate to contact us.