How to make a lump sum contribution to top up your pension

Everything you need to know to make a last-minute pension contribution ahead of the 2024 income tax deadline Making a lump sum pension contribution is a great way to rapidly increase your pension provision and secure your financial future. And now is a great time to top up your pension – sometimes called an Additional … Continued

When can you retire if you were born in 1980?

Are you are a 1980s child remembering carefree summers listening to your mixtapes? On the face of it, the answer to when can you retire is some way off. In order to receive the State pension in Ireland, you’ll be waiting until at least 2046. But by making some changes now and taking charge of … Continued

Handle target-date funds with care as you approach retirement

When it comes to investing for retirement, target-date funds (also called lifestyle funds) promise a neat, no-fuss solution. You simply pick a fund aligned with your intended retirement year – say 2035 or 2045 – and the fund takes care of the rest, automatically adjusting its mix of stocks, bonds and whatever else over time. … Continued

Accessing your pension early: the costs and risks

Pensions are built for the long haul, to provide a decent income when you stop working. So accessing your pension early needs to be approached with care. In recent years, there is international evidence that more people are considering dipping into their retirement savings early. In the US, Vanguard found one in 20 pension savers … Continued

Moneycube’s midyear market review 2025

Investing your money in the first half of 2025 was a lesson in the basics.  If you chose to spread your money among different geographies, asset classes and industries, and stuck to your plan, you’ll have done all right. If you made major changes, things could have gone either way. On any given day, things … Continued

What’s your financial Plan B?

In Ireland, we’re no strangers to economic ups and downs. From the property boom — and bust — and the recent inflation surge, we’ve seen how financial plans can go off track. Even the best-laid financial plans can hit a bump in the road. Hot investment ideas can cool off. Pay rises may not keep … Continued

What Warren Buffett got right – and what that means for Irish investors

Warren Buffett, often regarded as the greatest investor ever, announced his retirement earlier this month. His strategies at Berkshire Hathaway, the company he took control of in 1965, have consistently outperformed the market. According the company’s 2024 annual report [pdf], the overall gain for shareholders since that time is 5,502,284%! For Irish investors aiming to … Continued