Retirement Planning
Every contribution you make attracts tax relief. Whether you plan to stop at 50 or at 66, we help people build a fund that pays for the retirement they actually want.
Tax relief on every euro
Retirement funding carries some of the most generous tax breaks available in Ireland.
Time does the heavy lifting
Starting earlier means compounding works for you rather than against you.
A plan built around you
We start with one question: what does your ideal retirement actually look like?
What is a pension plan?
Hopefully we will all retire healthy at 66, or sooner. But can you imagine living to 90 on the State pension? That would be 24 years of very simple living. Starting a retirement fund sooner rather than later is how you avoid that trap.
There are substantial tax breaks attached to retirement funding, which means you claim tax relief on every contribution you make. Whether you plan to retire at 50 or at 66, we can help you fund accordingly.
A retirement fund is there to support you once you stop working. It covers living costs, medical bills, travel, hobbies and everything else that makes up a life after work.
An illustration, not a quotation. The figure your own plan reaches depends on contributions, fund performance and the tax relief you qualify for. We will run it properly for your circumstances.
Extra contributions, extra relief
Pensions and Additional Voluntary Contributions are among the most effective ways to build long term financial security in Ireland. AVCs let you put more into your pension while benefiting from valuable tax relief and long term investment growth.
Whether you are employed, self employed, a company director or close to retirement, increasing your contributions can improve your future income and give you far more flexibility later on.
We give clear, practical advice tailored to your own circumstances so you can weigh up the options and decide with confidence.
Time is the part you cannot buy back
Compounding rewards the years you give it. Delay and the fund is smaller, the contributions have to be larger, and the options narrow.
Starting now lets long term savings grow and lets compounding interest do the work that contributions alone cannot.
Putting it off means a smaller fund at the end and far less financial security when you need it most.
We give you assistance and guidance built around your own needs and goals rather than a standard template.
We suggest a plan that sits closely with your financial situation and your retirement goals, then build it out properly.
It is imperative that you seek professional guidance here. Over the long term a small amount of money makes a big difference, before you even count the tax breaks. Thousands of euro are paid out in tax every year by individuals and companies who simply do not know what reliefs are attached to retirement funding.
It starts with one question
What is your ideal scenario in retirement? Our approach gives you control over your financial future while you draw on the expertise and support of a professional service.
When you stop earning there is no going back to work, so a healthy retirement fund matters enormously. That is a very personal thought process, and we help you tailor a plan that suits your circumstances rather than someone else’s.
See what your pension could be worth
Two tools we use with clients. Both open on the provider’s own site, and neither replaces a conversation about your own circumstances.
Pension calculator
Zurich’s calculator shows what a monthly contribution could build up to by the time you retire.
Inheritance tax calculator
Estimate what your estate would owe as it stands, before any planning is put in place.
How much of your estate are you leaving to Revenue?
We aim to make sure your assets pass on in a tax efficient way. This area needs time and attention, and we have the resources to guide you through it. Professional inheritance planning is a must and the peace of mind is considerable.
Without a plan, your family may face the difficult decision of selling a business or the family home for less than it is really worth. It is a tax that can be avoided when it is planned for properly.
Video provided by Zurich Life Pensions
Five simple steps that reduce the bill
None of these are complicated. Most people simply never get around to them.
List your assets
Property, pensions, policies, savings and business interests. You cannot plan around what you have not written down.
Make a will
Without one the law decides, and rarely in the way the family expected.
Put a plan in place
Know what the liability would be today and what it is likely to be later.
Use life cover for the bill
A policy can provide the funds so the family is not forced to sell anything.
Talk to your family
Surprises at the worst possible moment are what cause the conflict.
Life assurance relief
Where a life assurance plan is put in place solely to pay inheritance tax, Revenue will not tax the proceeds of that policy if the money is used to pay the inheritance tax arising on the death of the policyholder.
- The plan must be made expressly under the provisions of Section 72, and is normally endorsed to that effect when issued.
- The person covered under the plan must also pay the premium.
- A joint life plan can only be taken out by a married couple or registered civil partners.
- The policy must be a flexible or whole of life plan to be acceptable to the insurer.
- A policy put in trust for the beneficiaries to pay the actual inheritance tax bill is acceptable to Revenue.
Poor estate planning can lead to
- The break up of family or company assets
- Assets having to be sold to cover the tax liability
- Your family having to borrow to pay the tax bill
- Excessive or unnecessary tax bills
- Potential family conflict
This tax becomes a real burden where your finances are tied up in a business or in property and cash cannot easily be accessed. We can help you plan around your own family and business circumstances.
Pension Advice Wherever You Are
We advise on pensions for clients right across Ireland. Some people prefer to sit down in person, others would rather do the whole thing by video call and email, and both work equally well. The advice does not change with the postcode.
Bring whatever paperwork you have. Old scheme booklets, a PRSA statement from a previous job, a letter from a trustee you never quite got around to reading. A lot of the value in a first pension meeting is simply finding out what you already have and what it is likely to be worth. That meeting is free.
Start the fund that pays for the life you want
Fifteen minutes on the phone is usually enough to see where you stand and what the tax relief is worth to you. No charge, no obligation.
