There is so much information and advice on how to save for retirement. The advice is endless and the list of what you need to do goes on and on.

We asked one of our trusted experts to give us his top five principles for successful retirement. If you can live by these five simple rules you are 90% of the way to ensuring a great retirement for yourself.

Here they are:

1. Start investing as soon as possible. If you are employed or even partly employed you must can start investing. Time is the most powerful of all of the investment levers.
2. Find out how much of your salary needs be invested for you to have enough capital at retirement – between 12% and 25% for most people.
3. Never cash out or withdraw any part of your pension fund before retirement – most people will never be able to replace any withdrawn capital.
4. Try living with a sensible budget. if you can control your lifestyle today, your chances of successfully funding for retirement will improve.
5. Unless you are rich, plan to retire later. nowadays on average people will live well into their 80’s, that is a long time to have to live off a pension. Working a few extra years can make all the difference.