Assuming you retire at 65 you can realistically expect to live for a further 20 years or more. Making the most of these retirement years requires careful financial planning. You will have saved for a long time to arrive at this point so the selection of the right post-retirement options is a very important decision for you. At TDC Financial we are experienced in advising in this transition. Your options include the following.
Tax-Free Cash
Depending on your employment and pension status you probably have access to a portion of your accumulated pension fund as a tax-free cash payment. This can be as much as 25% of the fund capped at 200,000 EUR.
Approved Retirement Funds (ARF)
An ARF is an investment fund that can hold some, or all, of your matured retirement fund. You own and control the ARF and you can decide where to invest and how much, and when, you wish to withdraw. The ARF is subject to a mandatory withdrawal. The ARF forms part of your estate.
Approved Minimum Retirement Fund (AMRF)
An AMRF is similar to an ARF but it has some compulsory requirements that are intended to safeguard a portion of your retirement fund. These requirements are removed on your 75th birthday when your AMRF becomes an ARF.
Annuities
Before the introduction of ARFs and AMRFs the traditional option on retirement was to take a tax-free lump sum from your retirement fund and purchase an Annuity with the balance. The Annuity guaranteed you a pension income for life. You also had the option of providing a Spouses Annuity. Annuities are still there and they still have their place. However, current annuity rates are low, reflective of the historic interest rate environment in which we live.