As an individual who has worked in Financial Services for over 20 years, I breathed a huge sigh of relief when the concept of pension’s Auto-enrolment was first introduced. Funding for retirement (using Pension schemes) has, for far too long, been something ‘to be done later’, with some serious consequences for an ever-aging population.
Since October 2012 employers have been required to offer a Qualifying Workplace Pension Scheme, and the greatest concern I have is for those individuals who make the choice to ‘opt out’.
Auto-enrolment provides a chance for people in the UK to start saving and receive a monthly contribution from their employer. Rather than something to be scorned or even afraid of, employees need to embrace the opportunity to save and accept the extra money going into their pension pot.
I believe that giving people the chance to opt out should be stopped. As a family man I fully appreciate the need to think about today, but actually who is going to pay for my tomorrow if I don’t? Our country continues to recover from a financial crisis and part of its recovery is by making cuts.
In embracing Auto-enrolment and investing a (relatively) small amount of money every month, the retirement life stage of a person could be significantly improved. To opt out when you are younger would be a false economy and one which can never be reversed.
As I made reference to earlier, life expectancy continues to rise and as a result our money must last longer. Those who do not plan their finances will discover this is an unwelcome surprise further down the line.
Pensions are just one of the many factors that need to be considered when planning for retirement. Pension’s Auto-enrolment brings the chance to put some money aside and have your employer be obliged to help make your fund greater. Retirement should be an enjoyable and relaxing time, without financial stress and worry.
Auto-enrolment opt out - an option?
