How Much to Save for a Retirement Salary of £50,000?

FUTURE PROOF: How much retirement income do you need to live comfortably? Young professionals are aiming for a pension pot that delivers a punchy £50,000 a year

Emma Wall 25 June, 2014 | 4:52PM
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How much annual income do you require to live comfortably in retirement? £15,000? £25,000? What about £50,000?

According the latest BlackRock Global Investor Pulse Survey, £50,000 is exactly the retirement aim of young professionals today. And they are probably the first generation for whom this kind of pension income is in reach. Thanks to auto-enrolment, more 25-34 year olds will begin saving for retirement than ever before, previously being a financial priority of those much later in their working life. With life expectancy increasing, this generation will also need to work longer than ever before – extending the number of years they are exposed to high risk, high growth assets.

Recent pensions regulation will also help them secure their goal. Now that it is no longer compulsory to purchase an annuity at retirement, the way that pension funds are run is expected to adapt. Currently pension funds “lifestyle” their members, meaning that as they approach retirement, savers are switched out of high risk assets into the sort of holdings found within an annuity portfolio – such as gilts, in order to smooth the transition when then use their pension pot to buy an annuity.

Now that savers do not have to buy an annuity, this means many pension funds may abandon lifestyling, leaving pension savers in higher risk, but higher return investments – such as emerging market equities, for longer.

The average pension pot in this country is worth just £40,000. Although savers are no longer required to buy an annuity when they stop working, it is still a useful calculation to ascertain the sort of income a lump sum could provide in retirement. Assuming an annual investment return of 4% and a lifespan of 25 years following retirement, Morningstar calculations show this will provide a retirement income of just £2,560.

For the ambitious goal of a retirement income of £50,000 a year, Morningstar calculates you will need a pension pot of more than £780,000. For those at the beginning of their career, time is on their side when it comes to building up such a pension pot. But the BlackRock Global Investor Pulse Survey also revealed that these retirement savers are risk averse when it comes to their pension, preferring asset classes which may fail to deliver on their goals.

Alex Hoctor-Duncan, head of EMEA Retail for BlackRock commented: “Younger generations have the benefit of longevity on their side to help grow their savings pot. 

“However with half of their pot in cash deposits, it is likely they will need to reassess their aspirations to secure an income of £54,300 in retirement.  If they intend to use only cash to fund their retirement, at these levels they will not be able to retire until they are 92.”

The information contained within is for educational and informational purposes ONLY. It is not intended nor should it be considered an invitation or inducement to buy or sell a security or securities noted within nor should it be viewed as a communication intended to persuade or incite you to buy or sell security or securities noted within. Any commentary provided is the opinion of the author and should not be considered a personalised recommendation. The information contained within should not be a person's sole basis for making an investment decision. Please contact your financial professional before making an investment decision.

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About Author

Emma Wall  is former Senior International Editor for Morningstar

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