Ways to fund your retirement

There are lots of different ways to save for your retirement, but which one works best for you? We look at the main options and explain how they work and compare them on four different features. We’ve given 5 stars to the most effective options and 1 to the least:

• Tax – what are the tax features of this particular investment? Is there tax on the way in or on the way out?
• Flexibility - can you save when it suits you? How much flexibility is there in changing your payments, taking a break or putting more in depending on what’s going on in your life? Also, when it comes to taking your income, how can you make it work for you?
• Access - how much access do you have to your money while you’re saving for retirement?
• Risk & return - how much can you diversify to suit a specific risk profile and how risky an option is it?

Laws and tax rules may change in the future. The information here is based on our understanding in November 2012. Your personal circumstances also have an impact on tax treatment.