Help & support
Who can invest?
To start a Zurich Retirement account, you must be 18 or over, have been a UK resident for tax purposes for the past six months and have relevant UK earnings.
Why a Zurich Retirement account?
In recent years, retirement has become more about the opportunity to enjoy your life after work. Your finances are a huge part of achieving that. With the maximum state pension currently just over £8,000 a year, you’ll need to decide if this is going to be enough for you to live on when you retire.
Good to know...
When thinking about starting to save for retirement, you need to be able to accept the element of risk. It's possible that the value of your retirement savings may go down, reducing the amount of money you can get in the future.
Currently you won't be able to get hold of your retirement savings before the age of 55 (unless you are forced to retire early through ill health).
It might be right for you if...
You haven’t got access to a pension with your employer.
You’re prepared to invest for the long term (more than five years).
You want flexibility on how and when you take your retirement benefits.
You want to leave benefits to your beneficiaries when you die.
It might not be right for you if...
You don’t want to take any risk with your money – the value of your retirement savings depend on its performance, so you could get back less than you originally invested.
You're already paying into or have access to a workplace pension.
Making the most of your pension
You’ll get basic rate tax-relief on payments you make into your pension, so it pays to save for your retirement. Higher and additional rate taxpayers may be able to claim back more through their tax return. Tax relief is dependent on your individual circumstances and may change in the future.
Your fund grows largely tax-free and you can normally take up to 25% of your savings as a tax free sum when you reach the age of 55.
The basics
You could enjoy tax relief on your payments and get a choice of how to take your retirement benefits.
A range of investments are available through the Retirement account. Your Retirement account is held in the Zurich Portfolio.
Your Retirement account
Start a Zurich Retirement account
You can apply for a Zurich Retirement account through your independent financial adviser if you already have one.
If you don’t have an adviser, you can find one in your area by visiting www.unbiased.co.uk and reading reviews of financial advisers by visiting www.vouchedfor.co.uk. Zurich is not responsible for the content of external websites.
Bear in mind, you might be charged for any financial advice you receive.
I'm ready to retire
There may be more flexibility with your retirement savings than you think. Currently from the age 55, you have the opportunity to take up to 25% of your retirement savings as a tax-free sum, with different options regarding the rest.
Have a look at the ways you can access your retirement savings and the options available to you.