It's time to plan for retirement

My top tips to get the best pension pot you can

- with WARREN SHUTE

If you're like me, you won't like surprises. When you expect one thing, and another happens, I get disappointed.

So how do you feel when you think about pensions?

I know they're not the most exciting thing in the world, they are one of life's "needs" not "wants", people don't wake up in the morning and say "hey I can't wait to invest in a pension today!"

They don't want a pension, but they want what a pension will give them, the ability to retire with more lifestyle certainty. So how can we reduce the surprises and increase our probability of a secure retirement?

I'll often use the analogy of the dentist when I talk to my clients about retirement.

I tell them that when they leave the dentist's chair, they hope their teeth are in good shape and for the most part, they will be.

But if they don't visit the dentist for another 25 years, the condition of their teeth, if they have any left, can't be the dentist's responsibility, they have to take ownership of this.