Retirement is one of life’s biggest transitions. After decades of working, saving, and building towards this milestone, many people focus on the financial aspects - pensions, tax efficiency, and investment strategy. While these are essential, true retirement planning goes beyond money. It’s about preparing for how you’ll live, not just how you’ll fund it.

For many people in Ireland, the 31st of October looms each year as the critical self-assessment tax deadline. Whether you’re a PAYE worker with additional income or self-employed, it’s the date by which you must file your tax return and pay any balance owed. But while most associate this date purely with taxes, it’s also very relevant for pensions, and understanding why can make a real difference to both your retirement savings and your tax bill.

It is probably fair to say that we know instinctively that consumers achieve better outcomes when they get financial advice. But maybe it’s also fair to say that sometimes we can be remiss in placing hard numbers on this.

We were asked recently by a client about how best to introduce financial planning to their adult children in their 20’s, as they didn’t really “get” what it was all about. So here are our thoughts…