Find a balance with other savings

Saving into your pension means your money is locked away until you retire. A balanced way to save might include saving into an ISA (or other types of investment), which gives you immediate access to your money if you need it. This will give you a good mix of saving for the long term, and having access to money at moments that matter.

Retirement goals

It is worth thinking about the lifestyle you want in retirement. Will your current savings get you there? If you need to save more, and you can afford to do this, topping up your pension will help.

Start early with little and often

The sooner you start, the more time your pension has to grow. Saving little and often each month can be more affordable than saving larger amounts closer to retirement.

Regular contributions help you build your pension steadily over time. Smaller, frequent amounts may be easier to fit into your budget.

Add a one off lump sum

If you have money set aside and would like to add this to your pension, check you can afford to make a big lump sum contribution without impacting your financial stability.

A balanced approach might work best. If you can make both regular small contributions and occasional larger ones, you might be able to maximise the benefits of both strategies.