'Significant cuts' for retirement

UK workers are having to make "significant cuts" to their living standards to prepare for retirement. With savings usually lasting around seven years, the average retirement is expected to carry out for 19 years.

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Pensions expert: You must have your own pension plan

"Significant cuts" are being made to the living standards of UK workers to prepare for their own retirement.

Research has found many people place too much reliance on the state to help them in later years.

Pensions expert, Dr Ros Altmann told Daybreak that it is vital people have their own pension plans.

She added: "It is so important to not have a fixed age where you think I won't do any work at all."

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One in three saving nothing for retirement

On average, men in the UK have just under £73,000 in retirement savings, while women had around £20,000 less.

The UK has just over a third of the average retirement covered by savings.

  • One in three of more than 1,000 people surveyed in the UK said that they are saving nothing at all for their retirement
  • Two-thirds fear financial hardship, compared to just over half of people globally
  • Of those not saving for retirement in the UK, three-fifths said that high living costs are holding them back
  • Those aged 35-44 say they felt particularly squeezed

HSBC: People are 'putting off the inevitable'

The UK's 12-year retirement savings shortfall is the biggest out of 15 countries.

The average retirement savings gap for the UK is eight years, two thirds more than other countries.

The UK's 12-year retirement savings shortfall was the biggest chasm in the study, which covered 15 countries. The average retirement savings gap found across the research was two-thirds of that in the UK, at eight years.

People are living longer, through tougher economic times, but their expectations about their standard of living in retirement remain unchanged.

They are putting off the inevitable, which is the reality of significant cuts to their living standards in their twilight years, after their savings run out.

– Christine Foyster, head of wealth development at HSBC

UK workers amongst worst prepared for retirement

UK workers are having to make "significant cuts" to their living standards to prepare for retirement.

With savings usually lasting around seven years, the average retirement is expected to carry out for 19 years.

UK workers amongst the worst prepared in saving for retirement Credit: John Stillwell/PA Wire

According to research from HSBC, UK workers are the worst-prepared, facing 12 years of living standard cuts.

Research also found that people are placing too much reliance on the state to help them in their later years.

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