Retiring in the next five years?
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At Retirement Guide explains the decisions people face in the five years before and after they stop work. Explore pensions, tax and retirement income in plain English, with official sources and worked examples.
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Your next chapter,
one decision at a time.
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How much do I need to retire?
Start with spending, then compare it with the income you expect.
Explore 02Can I retire at 60?
Understand the gap between stopping work and State Pension starting.
Explore 03Taking your tax-free cash
Understand the limits and the choices between upfront and phased cash.
ExploreRetirement calculators
Retirement income gap
Explore the gap before and after your State Pension starts.
Explore 02Tax on pension withdrawals
Compare two illustrations using 2026/27 tax bands.
Explore 03State Pension age lookup
Look up the transition from age 66 to 67.
ExploreResults are illustrative, not advice. Your entries stay in your browser.
Guides by topic
Can I afford to stop?
Taking your pension
Tax in retirement
State Pension
Pensions and your family
Choosing and paying for help
Your retirement checklist
Twelve things to organise as retirement approaches and after it begins. Open the free printable checklist.
Sources you can check for yourself.
Each guide links to its sources and shows when they were checked. Calculators explain their assumptions and limits. Read our editorial policy and find out who publishes this site.
Content checked 7 October 2026. Rules can change; check the linked official sources before acting.