Enjoy Retirement Without Financial Worries: Start Planning Today
The best time to start a pension is right now. The earlier you begin, the more time your savings have to grow, helping you build a comfortable and secure future.
Thanks to compound interest, even small contributions today can make a big difference by the time you retire. And wherever you are in life, just starting out, midway through your career, or approaching retirement, we're here to help. We're a financial advisory firm based in Ireland, regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland, and our advisors make retirement planning simple and stress-free.
When Should You Start a Pension?
The simple answer is right now.
The sooner you start saving, the more time your money has to grow through compound interest, giving you a larger pension fund when you need it most. Delaying even a few years can mean missing out on valuable growth, so taking action today is one of the smartest financial moves you can make.
What's The Right Pension Strategies for My Stage of Life?
Your pension strategy should evolve with you, because the right move in your twenties is different from the right move in your fifties. Planning can feel overwhelming with so many options, so we break it down by life stage:
Early career: getting started with your first pension contributions and building the habit.
Mid-career: reviewing and adjusting your pension for maximum growth.
Pre-retirement: making sure your savings are optimised, tax-efficient, and ready to support you.
Each stage brings its own challenges and opportunities, which is exactly why expert guidance helps. Our advisors will build a pension plan around your goals, so you stay on track for a comfortable, stress-free retirement.
What is a PRSA (Personal Retirement Savings Account)?
A Personal Retirement Savings Account (PRSA) is a simple, flexible way to build up retirement savings, with a range of investment options that let your money grow over time.
There's an important legal point worth knowing: if your employer doesn't offer a pension scheme, they are legally required to give you access to a standard PRSA, which is regulated in Ireland. Want to get the most from your PRSA? Speak with us for guidance on maximising your retirement savings.
Can you help me find an old pension?
Yes. We specialise in pension tracing and consolidation, so none of your hard-earned retirement savings goes to waste. If you're not sure where an old pension is, or whether you should transfer it, we can help.
Book a 30-minute consultation and we'll help you track down old pensions and explore your options, including transferring them into a Personal Retirement Bond that puts you back in control.
How We Can Help
At Financial Planning Matters, we specialise in pension tracing and consolidation, ensuring that no hard-earned retirement savings go to waste. If you’re unsure where your old pension is or whether you should transfer it, we can help.
Don’t leave your retirement savings behind. Book a 30-minute consultation today, and we’ll help you track down your old pension and explore your options for transferring it into a Personal Retirement Bond that puts you back in control.
What is a Personal Retirement Bond (PRB)?
A Personal Retirement Bond (PRB), also known as a Buy-Out Bond, lets you transfer funds from a previous employer's pension scheme into a plan in your own name, giving you far greater control over your retirement savings.
If you've ever changed jobs, there's a good chance you left a pension behind in a company scheme. Over time, these are easy to lose track of, especially if the provider has changed, the scheme has wound up, or you've moved jobs more than once. What many people don't realise is that old pensions often sit in underperforming funds, carry high fees, or offer little investment flexibility.
The good news is you can take control. By transferring an old pension into a PRB, you:
Gain full control: the funds are now in your name, with no reliance on an old employer or scheme trustees.
Access better investment options: choose a strategy that fits your retirement goals.
Reduce costs: many workplace schemes carry higher charges that eat into your savings.
Keep your pension working for you: your PRB continues to grow tax-free until retirement.
How Do Directors' Pensions Work, and Why are They Tax-Efficient?
As a company director, you have a unique opportunity to turn business profits into long-term personal wealth through strategic pension funding. Thanks to the tax advantages available, it's one of the most efficient ways to extract value from your company while securing your future.
Unlike employees, directors control how they take profits from the business. Salary and dividends are the common routes, but both attract high levels of tax. Pension contributions offer significant advantages instead, letting you build a retirement fund while reducing both corporate and personal tax bills.
The key benefits for company directors:
Corporation Tax relief: employer pension contributions reduce the company's taxable profit, lowering its Corporation Tax bill.
No Benefit-in-Kind (BIK): unlike salary or bonuses, employer pension contributions aren't subject to BIK.
Tax-free growth: investments within the pension grow free from Capital Gains Tax and Income Tax.
Efficient profit extraction: pensions let you move company profits into your personal name tax-efficiently.
Access at retirement: from age 50 in certain cases, directors can access part of their pension tax-free and take further withdrawals in a structured way.
Key Benefits of Pension Funding for Company Directors
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Corporation Tax Relief
Employer pension contributions reduce the company’s taxable profit, lowering your Corporation Tax bill.
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No Benefit-in-Kind (BIK)
Unlike salary or bonuses, employer pension contributions aren't subject to BIK.
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Tax-Free Growth
Investments within the pension grow free from Capital Gains Tax (CGT) and Income Tax.
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Extracting Profits Efficiently
Pensions allow you to move company profits into your personal name in a tax-efficient way.
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Access at Retirement
From age 50 (in certain cases), directors can access a portion of their pension tax-free and take further withdrawals in a structured way.
What Pension Options are Available to Company Directors?
Small Self-Administered Pension Scheme (SSAPS)
A SSAPS offers more flexibility and control over investments, including direct property, private equity, and other alternative assets. It's ideal for directors who want to invest pension funds in specific assets, offers the same tax benefits as other pension structures, and requires ongoing management and compliance with pension rules.
PRSA for Company Directors
A company can now fund a PRSA for directors without salary-based restrictions, making it a strong option for flexible contributions. Contributions qualify for full tax relief for the company, there are no funding limits based on salary, and it's portable and easy to manage if you move between businesses.
Master Trusts and Group Pension Schemes
Some directors benefit from joining a Master Trust, a professionally managed group scheme. It provides professional governance and investment management, employer contributions still receive tax relief, and it carries less administrative burden than a SSAPS.
How Do I Plan For Life After Retirement
A worry-free retirement starts with smart planning, and that means making sure a few key things are in place:
Enough savings to comfortably cover your daily expenses.
A clear plan for healthcare and unexpected costs.
A sustainable drawdown strategy for accessing your pension.
Understanding how to access your pension efficiently is central to managing your finances after you stop working. With the right strategy, you'll have financial security and genuine peace of mind, so you can focus on what matters most. Retirement should be about enjoying life, not worrying about money, and we'll build a plan that lets you retire with confidence.
Why choose Financial Planning Matters for retirement planning?
Your finances should work for you, not the other way around. Our advisors take a personalised approach, acting as your dedicated financial partner to help you plan, grow, and protect your wealth.
With transparent, independent advice, we make sure your retirement strategy lines up with your goals, so you can focus on living life on your terms.
Frequently asked questions
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As early as possible. The more time your money has to grow through compound interest, the larger your pension fund will be at retirement. Even small contributions started early can make a substantial difference.
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DescriptA personal pension is a flexible plan you contribute to directly, ideal if you're self-employed. A PRSA is a flexible savings account your employer must give you access to if they offer no scheme. A Personal Retirement Bond holds funds transferred out of a former employer's pension, putting them in your own name. ion text goes here
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Yes. We offer pension tracing and consolidation, helping you locate old pensions and, where it makes sense, transfer them into a Personal Retirement Bond with lower fees and more investment choice.
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Employer pension contributions reduce the company's Corporation Tax bill, aren't subject to Benefit-in-Kind, and grow free of Capital Gains and Income Tax. This makes pension funding one of the most efficient ways for a director to extract value from a business.
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It depends on your circumstances and pension type. In certain cases directors can access a portion from age 50. We'll explain exactly what applies to your situation.
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Yes. Financial Planning Matters is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland.
Trusted Partnerships
We work with some of the top Insurance and Financial Investment companies in Ireland:
