Pension Neophyte advice please!

Mommabearof3

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Hi Folks I am 54 and DH is 53 we are starting to panic a bit about our pension situation. I have a combination occupational pension of a Mercer deferred DB pension of €8.5K annually which I believe is not index linked and a current Invesco DC value of 202K. The Invesco DC is in 66% Growth Fund and 33% Equity fund. I am completely lacking in any fundamental knowledge about investments just declaring that from the outset. I have done my best to self educate here and as a result of that I am guessing I am totally misinvested . All roads appear to lead to equities and any observations of what I could be doing in that regard would be greatly received.

The goal is to try and retirement plan and in terms of risk I am looking to maximise any returns without off the wall risk. I did have hope of a voluntary severance scheme but did not get an opportunity to avail of that and realistically I probably did not have sufficient pension to afford it anyway (thats what I tell myself to feel better about it). I am maxed out in terms of contributions my salary is 73k I currently put average €829 and my employer pays €545 monthly into the Invesco scheme.

Current Strategy is 70% Growth Fund and 30% Equity Fund which I now realise is bonkers my only other options in term of change here are Anuity/Cash and and Cautious Growth Funds. Any thought again gratefully appreciated.

I have an AVC PRSA with Zurich current value 203K which I put €1000 euro a month into and that is split 46.5% balanced and 53.5% performance I am aware I am a little over what I should be putting in tax wise but earned enough to max the €110 limit last year so I could probably carry some unused allowance towards this years pension contributions or maybe even put in a lump sum if that was a good option?

My husband has only joined an occupational Aviva pension when he moved employer 5 years ago after a difficult working life during the last recession. His salary is €52K and he is 53. The Aviva DC pot has €27K currently and he puts €620` with his employer adding €260 into that. This is invested in an Aviva MA ESG Passive 4 Ser 1 fund which I know zero about so any observations again gratefully appreciated.

Lastly he has a Zurich PRSA and that has a pot of €190k and is currently in Balanced 17.8% Performance 52.8% Dynamic 29. 3 he puts €800 a month into that.

In case it is pertinent we are mortgage free house approx value 1/1.1 million. Savings €90k Raisin product €30K in various places an post/banks/ no interest but thats a somewhat emergency expense type fund. Currently saving €500 a month and will buy another Raisin product maybe? I had opened a degiro account with a view to doing EFT’s but I had an epiphany that I dont have enough knowledge to undertake this. We have had a difficult enough path in a financial sense I would have liked to have not been working full time as a Mum at this stage of my life as shift work takes a definite toll but thats a different conversation. My husband really found it difficult in the recession his role effectively disappeared but he is now settled and although he works hard he is content to see his time out in his current role.

I realise I have digressed and perhaps this would have been better in a money makeover but it is only really in terms of the funds/pension options that I think needs addressing. Again am open to anything. We have 1 child who has ASD and is still in secondary school but we do have a €50k fund for him that is separate to everything for college/education as needed.

Appreciate your time on this.
 
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Hi Folks I am 54 and DH is 53 we are starting to panic a bit about our pension situation.
Your post is a bit hard to read and I can't really offer any advice ... but you've (1) a million euro mortgage free house, (2) maybe half a million more scattered around various accounts and (3) you're saving on a monthly basis.

While you might need to simplify things and there is absolutely no reason to panic.
 
Current Strategy is 70% Growth Fund and 30% Equity Fund which I now realise is bonkers
Why do you think that this is bonkers? You have maybe a decade to retirement and even after that may well be rolling 75% of the pension into an ARF ongoing investment to pay retirement income for a few decades. Sticking with up to 100% equities in such circumstances is not bonkers. Some would argue that it's a "lifestyling" approach of shifting gradually into low risk/return assets that is bonkers. Unless the plan is to buy an annuity rather than an ARF at retirement.

Maybe you should do a Money Makeover post in case looking at the pensions in isolation might overlook something relevant?
 
Just when I read here a lot of weight seems to be towards 100% equity. Good to know that I have not effed it up or mismanaged things. I suppose I just wanted to know that we were on point with things. When I read the money makeovers so many folks are earning so much more and have juicy pots to buy decent ARFS. It felt like we are so behind but when I consider it as a decade away it makes me feel better even if that is a placebo effect.
 
Appreciate it, just looking over my post fundamentally I have a DC occupational pension, a DB deferred occupational pension and a PRSA AVC. Not high value 400k but thats excluding the deferred one which I may get a transfer value nearer retirement. At 54 I thought I would be better positioned primarily hoping my DB would be what I would retire with but thats life. Husband has about half the value of my pot but what I will say is that his has really good health and I wonder if he will ever retire. Albeit I know how that can change in a heart beat, I just find the area of pensions so complex and didn’t want to mess anything up. At least it appears I am not doing anything glaringly out of kilter.
 
Hi Folks I am 54 and DH is 53

I am maxed out in terms of contributions my salary is 73k I currently put average €829 and my employer pays €545 monthly into the Invesco scheme.
At age 54 you can get full tax relief on up to 30% of your pension contributions.
If you turn 55 this year then that increases to 35% for the whole of this year.
That's €21,900 or €25,550.
Are you sure that you're maximising your pension contributions?
I can't really tell because of the complicated way that you have described the different pension and contributions.

I have an AVC PRSA with Zurich current value 203K which I put €1000 euro a month into
You mean that this is in addition to the pension above?
Ditto here - he can get full tax relief on up to €15,600. Is he actually going over this as he seems to be contributing 12 x (€620 + €800) = €17,040.
 
I really don’t know what you are panicking about.

You are still in your early 50s with a paid off house worth ~€1m and combined retirement/life savings of ~€850k.

Assuming you both qualify for full State contributory pensions, I would have thought that you could look forward to very comfortable retirements.

Your fund picks look fine to me for your age and stage of life.

Just keep going!
 
Assuming you both qualify for full State contributory pensions, I would have thought that you could look forward to very comfortable retirements.
Yes on track as in working full time since finishing college so will have 40 years contributions in 7/8 years, husband working full time since before that. He got unemployment benefit for 9 months a few years ago but when I checked our records are on the way to get full contributory state pensions.
 
You mean that this is in addition to the pension above?
Yes the occupational pension has monthly contributions of approx 1000 euro, it can vary with overtime and then another 1000 into Zurich PRSA AVC. I know its a bit higher than fully allowing tax relief but I just worried the pot was too small. I have been doing this for the last 3 years.
 
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He almost certainly received PRSI credits during that 9 months that count towards the state contributory pension. His PRSI contribution record should clarify and can be obtained via myWelfare.
 
Fair enough. But as @Sarenco says above, you seem to be worrying unnecessarily given your overall situation. The only tweak that I would suggest is avoiding any low risk/reward assets (e.g. the "balanced" fund that you mention perhaps) and sticking with up to 100% equity investments given your likely pre and post retirement investment timeframe.
 
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Not 55 until next year.

You can also contribute to your pension funds in excess of the tax relief limits and claim the tax back in future years, also. You seem to have a lot of cash on the sidelines and are planning to max your contributions in future years anyway, so it may be worthwhile considering.
 
The only tweak that I would suggest is avoiding any low risk/reward assets (e.g. the "balanced" fund that you mention perhaps) and sticking with up to 100% equity investments given your likely pre and post retirement investment timeframe.
Got you, I felt that myself just need the affirmation from somebody else to tweak it. Thanks for the feedback.
 
Do I have to be earning more for this? As in how do I go about claiming extra relief is it offset against something else?
 
Got you, I felt that myself just need the affirmation from somebody else to tweak it. Thanks for the feedback.
You already have a significant over-weighting to equities across your pension portfolios.

Personally, I would leave well enough alone.

You are already on track for a comfortable retirement - why increase risk at this stage?

Also, I don’t think it makes sense to make contributions to your pensions without the benefit of tax relief in your circumstances.

It can make sense for an individual with a variable, “lumpy” income but you’re not in that position.
 
Sorry, wrong link.
But isn't the concept of exceeding the age related tax relief in one year but claiming tax relief on the excess in a subsequent year the same here?