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Employee Retirement Planning Checklist

Employee Retirement Planning Checklist

Employee Retirement Planning Checklist (UK)

A practical guide to retirement planning for employees — and how employers can better support long-term financial wellbeing

Employee retirement planning is becoming an increasingly important part of workplace financial wellbeing. With longer working lives, rising living costs and growing uncertainty around retirement income, UK employees are more aware than ever of the need for clear, structured retirement planning — yet many still feel unsure where to start.

This guide sets out a practical employee retirement planning checklist, broken down by age group, helping employees understand what they should be thinking about at each stage of their career. It also outlines what employers can do to support effective retirement planning in the workplace.

Why Employee Retirement Planning Matters

Retirement planning is no longer something employees can leave until the final years of work. Many UK workers hold multiple pension pots, have limited visibility of their future retirement income, or rely heavily on the State Pension without fully understanding whether it will be sufficient.

Employee retirement planning plays a critical role in:

  • Reducing financial stress and uncertainty
  • Improving employee engagement and productivity
  • Supporting retention and long-term workforce planning
  • Helping employees transition confidently into retirement

 

For employers, offering structured retirement planning support is increasingly seen as a core element of a strong financial wellbeing strategy.

Employee Retirement Planning Checklist — By Age Group

Employees Aged 18–30 – Early Career Retirement Planning

At this stage, retirement planning is about building strong foundations.

Employees should be:

  • Enrolled in their workplace pension and understand auto-enrolment
  • Aware of how much they and their employer are contributing
  • Reviewing pension statements annually
  • Avoiding opting out unless absolutely necessary
  • Increasing pension contributions gradually as earnings grow
  • Learning the basics of retirement planning, including compound growth
  • The difference between workplace pensions, personal pensions and SIPPs
  • Keeping track of pensions when changing jobs to avoid losing small pots

 

Employers should be:

  • Explaining workplace pensions in clear, accessible language
  • Offering early-career financial education sessions
  • Encouraging contribution increases following pay rises or promotions
  • Making pension information easy to access and understand

 

Early employee retirement planning can have a disproportionate impact on long-term outcomes due to the power of time and compounding.

retirement planning for employees

Employees Aged 31–40 – Mid-Career Retirement Planning

This is often when retirement planning becomes more meaningful as earnings increase and long-term goals become clearer.

Employees should be:

  • Reviewing pension contribution levels regularly
  • Increasing contributions where affordable
  • Checking pension fund choices and risk levels
  • Consolidating old pension pots where appropriate
  • Considering additional retirement planning tools such as:
    • SIPPs
    • ISAs to complement pension savings
  • Understanding how career breaks or reduced hours affect retirement outcomes


Employers should be:

  • Encouraging mid-career pension and retirement planning reviews
  • Providing education on pension consolidation and long-term investing
  • Supporting employees returning from parental or caring leave
  • Reinforcing pensions as part of the overall employee reward package

Effective employee retirement planning at this stage helps prevent later shortfalls.

Employees Aged 41–50 – Focused Retirement Planning

This is a critical period for employee retirement planning, where gaps between expectations and reality often become clearer.

Employees should be:

  • Reviewing retirement goals and likely retirement age
  • Assessing whether current savings are on track
  • Increasing pension contributions where possible
  • Understanding pension tax allowances and limits
  • Reviewing all assets contributing to retirement, including ISAs and property
  • Considering tax efficiency as part of long-term retirement planning


Employers should be:

  • Offering structured retirement planning education
  • Helping employees understand the consequences of under-saving
  • Providing non-sales-led financial education sessions
  • Supporting employees as priorities and responsibilities evolve


Clear employee retirement planning at this stage can significantly reduce anxiety later on.

Retirement planning checklist

Employees Aged 51–60 – Pre-Retirement Planning

As retirement approaches, employee retirement planning becomes more detailed and outcome-focused.

Employees should be:

  • Reviewing all pensions and retirement savings together
  • Understanding retirement income options, including:
    • Pension drawdown
    • Annuities
    • Lump sums
  • Checking State Pension forecasts and National Insurance records
  • Planning how and when to access pensions tax efficiently
  • Considering phased retirement or reduced working hours
  • Reviewing protection and estate planning arrangements

 

Employers should be:

  • Offering targeted pre-retirement planning sessions
  • Supporting flexible or phased retirement options
  • Helping employees understand retirement risks and decisions
  • Reducing uncertainty through clear education and guidance

 

Employees Aged 60+ – Retirement Transition Planning

At this stage, retirement planning focuses on transitioning out of work with confidence and clarity.

Employees should be:

  • Finalising retirement income plans
  • Understanding the tax implications of pension withdrawals
  • Planning how long retirement income needs to last
  • Reviewing beneficiaries, wills and estate planning
  • Preparing practically and emotionally for retirement

 

Employers should be:

  • Supporting structured retirement transitions
  • Offering retirement lifestyle and planning sessions
  • Encouraging mentoring and knowledge transfer
  • Treating retirement as a phased process rather than a single event

 

Download the Employee Retirement Planning Checklist (PDF)

To support ongoing employee retirement planning, organisations can offer a free downloadable Employee Retirement Planning Checklist PDF, including:

  • Age-based retirement planning actions
  • Clear tick-box steps for employees
  • Space for notes and personal planning

 

This checklist can be shared via HR portals, internal communications or wellbeing programmes.

Free Retirement Planning Checklist

Ensure your employees – no matter their age or career stage – are planning for retirement. 

Supporting Employee Retirement Planning Through Education

Full-Day Employee Retirement Planning Workshop Delivered by Planned Future

Planned Future’s full-day Employee Retirement Planning Workshop is designed to support employees at every stage of their retirement planning journey.

The workshop covers:

  • How UK retirement planning works in practice
  • Workplace pensions, personal pensions and SIPPs
  • Retirement income options and common pitfalls
  • Tax awareness and planning considerations
  • Practical steps employees can take immediately

 

For employers, the workshop supports:

  • Improved employee confidence around retirement planning
  • Reduced financial stress
  • Better engagement, retention and workforce planning
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2026 Employee Financial Wellbeing Strategy

Planned Future are workplace wellbeing experts and our 2026 Employee Wellbeing Guide is designed to help you improve outcomes, increase awareness and unlock better performance across your workplace. What’s included:

  • 12-month roadmap with examples
  • How to provide on-demand information, guidance & signposting
  • Measurable data – what to track
  • Employee feedback opportunities
  • Plus much more
 
Complete the form for instant access to your 2026 Employee Financial Wellbeing Guide

Money Guide Service Terms and Conditions

Please read and accept the Terms & Conditions by completing the form at the end of the document. 

  1. INTRODUCTION

This agreement sets out the terms under which our Services are to be provided.

Planned Future Wellbeing Ltd is a leading provider of financial guidance and education. We aim to improve financial literacy for individuals whatever their financial circumstances or status and empower people to make informed, intelligent financial decisions. We offer you an initial 30-minute consultation at a fixed fee which is notified to you at the time of booking. Following our initial discussion, should you decide to book further appointments, the cost for our services is set out in the applicable Email Confirmation.

  1. DEFINITIONS

“Ad Hoc Support” means Services that are provided to you on an individual engagement basis.

“Email Confirmation” means an email exchange between you and us to confirm the Services to be provided by us to you.

“Initial Period” has the meaning given to it in clause 4.

“Ongoing Support” means Services that are provided to you on a subscription period basis.

“Planned Future”, “we”, “our” or “us” means Planned Future Wellbeing Ltd (company number 09367736).

“Privacy Policy” means Planned Future’s privacy policy which is set out on our website here: https://plannedfuture.co.uk/privacy-policy/.

“Renewal Period” has the meaning given to it in clause 4.

“Services” means the “Money Guide” financial guidance and education services as set out in clause 3 and as more particularly described in the Email Confirmation.

“You” and “your” means a client user of the Services.

  1. OUR SERVICE

We will provide financial guidance and education services to you. Financial guidance and education is the process of providing information, signposting, guidance and considering your options on a wide range of financial issues. Our service is impartial. We will not provide any personal recommendations and any investment and/or financial decision made by you will be yours. Where relevant, we will explain the different options available and outline the pros and cons of each. We can provide signposting information to you and provide help with using products and services that are available direct to consumers, but we do so without recommending such products or services. Where appropriate, we can at your request refer you to regulated financial advisers or legal or tax advisers . Every element of our Services is designed to empower you to make your own informed financial decisions, for example understanding your pension scheme options and considering whether you are on track to achieve your financial goals. Following your initial 30-minute consultation, we offer both Ad Hoc Support and Ongoing Support services.

  1. COMMENCEMENT aND TERM

This agreement shall commence on the date that you indicate agreement by email to an Email Confirmation and shall remain in force until terminated in accordance with the Cancellation section below.

Where you have subscribed to Ongoing Support, on the expiry of the initial subscription period (the “Initial Period”) for such Service, this agreement renews automatically for successive periods of such subscription period (each a “Renewal Period”) unless:

  • either party gives the other party not less than 30 days’ notice to terminate prior to the end of the Initial Period or Renewal Period (as applicable), in which case this agreement ends on the expiry of the Initial Period or the then-current Renewal Period (as applicable); or
  • unless terminated earlier in accordance with accordance with Cancellation Section
  1. FEES

Following your initial consultation, should you decide to book further appointments, the fees for our Services are set out in the Email Confirmation.

You must pay the fees for the Services to Planned Future within the period specified in the Email Confirmation or, if no such period is specified, within 7 days following the issue of an invoice by Planned Future.

You must pay the fees by bank transfer or by such other form of payment as agreed by the Planned Future (using such payment details as are notified by Planned Future to you from time to time).

If you do not pay any amount properly due to Planned Future under this agreement and/or an Email Confirmation, Planned Future may charge you interest on the overdue amount at the rate of 3% per annum above the Bank of England base rate from time to time (which interest will accrue daily until the date of actual payment and be compounded at the end of each calendar month).

Changes to fees

 

We may increase the fees for our Services from time to time by providing written notice to you. If you are an Ongoing Support client, where we do make changes to the fees, those changes will not affect you until your subscription is next due for renewal.

  1. ACCURACY OF INFORMATION

 

Any guidance and education provided by us will be based on the information that you give to us, so it is vital that you provide us with accurate information about your circumstances and objectives. If you provide inaccurate information to us, it could affect the suitability of the guidance and education given. You agree that we shall have no liability to you in the event that any information you provide to us is inaccurate or misleading.

  1. CANCELLATION

 

Ad Hoc Support

Where you are a user of Ad Hoc Support services, we may terminate this agreement by giving you at least 10 business days’ written notice. Where you are a user of Ad Hoc Support services, you may terminate this agreement at any time, without penalty. Notice of this termination must be given in writing and will take effect from the date of receipt. Termination is without prejudice to any Services already provided to you. You will be liable to pay for any Services provided to you prior to termination and any fees outstanding, if applicable.

 

Ongoing Support

Where you are a user of Ongoing Support services, you may terminate this agreement at any time by simply informing us in writing. However we reserve the right to charge you for any unused credits in relation to the remainder of the Initial Period or Renewal Period, whichever is applicable. Termination is without prejudice to any Services already provided to you. You will be liable to pay for any Services provided to you prior to termination and any fees outstanding, if applicable.

  1. DISCLAIMER OF LIABILITY

Financial guidance is not an activity that is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, and neither we nor our directors, officers, employees or agents are regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Planned Future will not offer any advice that is regulated or conduct any other regulated activity, including without limitation holistic advice, simplified advice, advising on which funds to invest in, which mortgage or insurance products to purchase or whether or not to transfer a pension. This means that it is your responsibility to ensure that the actions you take as a result of our financial guidance are right for you. You will not be covered by the government’s Financial Services Compensation Scheme with respect to our Services or by Planned Future if something goes wrong.

If you require regulated services, we may at your request notify a third party of your requirements and refer you to such third party individual or organisation that offers or provides regulated financial advice. If you have more complex needs such that the Services are not suitable, then we may help you find a suitable third party adviser for such needs.

We are not responsible for any guidance, advice or recommendations given to you by a third party adviser, including any third party financial advisers you are referred to by us. If you choose to speak to a third party adviser, you will have to agree to their terms and conditions which are independent of and separate to the terms of this agreement you have with us.

Except for any liability arising from (a) death or personal injury caused by negligence; or (b) fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation; or (c) any other matter for which it would be illegal or void at law for a party to limit or exclude its liability, we exclude and do not accept any liability to you in connection with any loss or damage caused, or alleged to have been caused, directly or indirectly, by the guidance, information, signposting  or options contained, considered or referenced in the Services.

You acknowledge that you take full responsibility for your finances and well-being, as well as the finances and well-being of your family and all financial decisions now or in the future. We are not responsible for any financial decisions or funding decisions that you make, or which you fail to make. You hereby waive any and all claims against us, our directors, officers, employees and agents in relation to the Services or the consequences that may occur as a result of following the guidance, information, signposting or options given under this agreement.

 

Complaints

If you are dissatisfied with the Services we have provided, you are entitled to make a complaint. We have a complaints procedure that is available on request. If you wish to register a complaint, please contact us:

 

In writing:                 John Chadwick

Planned Future Wellbeing Ltd

Suite 3, 3rd Floor, Refuge House

Watergate Row South

Chester, England, CH1 2LE

By phone:                 +44 (0) 344 9672567

By email:                   john@plannedfuture.com

Please be assured we treat all complaints seriously and we will endeavour to respond to a complaint within thirty (30) days of receipt of the complaint.  

  1. DATA PROTECTION

To provide the Services properly, we will need to collect information about your personal and financial circumstances. We will only use your personal information to deliver the Services. Full details of what information is collected by us and how it is used can be found in our Privacy Policy. By using the Services and/or agreeing to this agreement, you accept our practices regarding personal data and how it will be treated.

We will never share your data or information with any other third party except when it is directly required to provide the Services you have requested or where you have given us explicit permission in advance.

We shall use appropriate safeguards to maintain the privacy and security of your personal data, as further outlined in our Privacy Policy.

Under data protection laws, you have the following rights:

  • You can ask us for a copy of the personal information we hold about you. We will provide this free of charge, unless your request is repetitive or excessive, in which case we reserve the right to charge you a reasonable fee.
  • You can inform us of any changes to your personal information, or of any corrections you would like them to make to any of the personal information we hold about you.
  • In certain situations, you can ask us to erase the personal information we hold about you, or object to particular ways in which we are using your personal information. Please note that we may need to retain certain information for recordkeeping purposes, to complete any Services that have begun prior to your request, or for other purposes as required or permitted by applicable law.
  • Where we are using your personal information on the basis of your consent, you are entitled to withdraw that consent at any time.
  • Where we process your personal information based on legitimate interest or the public interest, you have the right to object at any time to that use of your personal information.

You may exercise any of the rights set out in the paragraph above by writing to us (by email or by post).  For security reasons we may ask for proof of your identity before disclosing information about you, or to you, via email or over the telephone.

  1. GENERAL

 

Amendments

 

From time to time it may be necessary to amend the terms set out in this agreement. If this is the case we will write to you with details of the changes at least thirty (30) days before the amended terms take effect. Your continued use of the Services shall be deemed to constitute its acceptance of any such revised terms.

 

Communicating with you

We may communicate with you by telephone, post, email or in person. All our communications with you will be in English.

 

Miscellaneous

If any provision or part-provision of this agreement is or becomes invalid, illegal or unenforceable, it will be deemed modified to the minimum extent necessary to make it valid, legal and enforceable. If that modification is not possible, the relevant provision or part-provision will be deemed deleted. Any modification or deletion under this clause does not affect the validity or enforceability of the rest of this agreement.

 

Jurisdiction

This agreement is governed by and should be interpreted in accordance with English law and you agree to submit to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the English Courts.

 

Legal and accounting advice

Neither we nor our directors, officers, employees or agents are qualified to render legal or accounting advice or to prepare any legal or accounting documents. It is hereby understood and agreed that the onus is on you, the client, to refer to a solicitor or accountant any point of law or accountancy that may arise during the course of discussions with us.

  1. YOUR CONSENT

 

These are our standard client terms and conditions upon which we intend to rely. For your own benefit and protection, you should read these terms carefully before indicating your agreement to an Email Confirmation. If you do not understand any point, please ask for further information.

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