Know what financial independence will take, and how to get there
Retirement and financial independence planning
Retirement planning is working out how much you will need to stop or reduce work, where that money will come from and how long it must last. It is for professionals, executives and business owners in the Gulf, including expatriates whose end-of-service benefits, pensions and savings sit in several countries.
Retirement may be decades away or close at hand. Either way, the questions are similar: how much will you need, where will it come from, and how long must it last?
We help you answer those questions with realistic assumptions, so you can make today's choices with your future lifestyle in mind.
Retirement planning in the Gulf has its own features. Pension arrangements for expatriate residents often differ from those for nationals, end-of-service gratuities are often paid as a lump sum, and living costs in the place you plan to retire may be very different from today's. We build these factors into the plan, state every assumption in writing and revisit the figures as retirement approaches.
The plan also covers the years after retirement begins. Turning savings and a lump sum into reliable income involves decisions about how much to draw each year, how much to keep readily available and how the rest is invested. We explain these choices and the risks of each, including the risk of outliving your resources.
Challenges we address
- No clear figure for how much is needed to retire comfortably.
- Uncertainty about where to live in retirement and what it will cost.
- End-of-service benefits, pensions and savings spread across employers and countries.
- Balancing today's lifestyle against saving for later.
- Turning a lump sum into reliable income that lasts.
Our approach
- Assess readiness
- We review your current savings, entitlements and expected benefits.
- Project spending
- We estimate future spending in retirement, including where you plan to live.
- Plan income
- We consider how savings, investments and any pensions can provide income.
- Test sustainability
- We examine how long your resources may last under a range of assumptions, including inflation and longer life spans.
- Adjust over time
- We revisit the plan as retirement approaches and circumstances change.
Who it may suit
- Senior executives and professionals planning their next ten to twenty years.
- Expatriate residents planning to retire in the Gulf or elsewhere.
- Business owners whose retirement depends on a future exit.
- Recent retirees deciding how to draw on their assets.
The process
Readiness review
We gather details of savings, benefits and plans.
Projection
We model future spending and income needs.
Strategy
We recommend savings, investment and income approaches.
Presentation
We explain the plan, its assumptions and its risks.
Review
We update the plan at agreed intervals.
What you may receive
- A retirement readiness assessment.
- Retirement spending and income projections, with stated assumptions.
- A recommended savings and investment approach.
- A plan for drawing income in retirement.
Questions
When should I start planning for retirement?
The earlier the better, because time gives you more options. It is still worth planning at any stage, including after retirement has begun.
Can you account for end-of-service benefits?
Yes. We include end-of-service gratuities, pensions and other entitlements in your plan based on the information you provide.
How do you estimate how much I will need?
We start from the lifestyle you expect and where you plan to live, estimate spending in today's money, and test it against assumptions for inflation, returns and life expectancy. Every assumption is stated in writing, and the projections are illustrations, not guarantees.
I plan to retire outside the Gulf. Can you still help?
We can take your intended country of retirement into account when projecting spending and income. Where your plans raise legal or tax questions in another country, we coordinate with advisers qualified there. Our own advice can only be provided in countries where we are authorized to do so, or where the law allows that advice without a local licence.
What should I prepare before a first conversation?
Your expected retirement age and where you might live, a rough idea of your savings, pensions and end-of-service entitlements, and the lifestyle you hope to keep. Please do not send account statements or identity documents before we have agreed to work together.
This page describes a service in general terms. Whether it is suitable for you depends on your circumstances, and it is offered only in jurisdictions where Aurelius Capital is authorized to provide it. Investments can fall as well as rise in value, and you may get back less than you invest. Nothing on this page is a promise of any financial outcome.
Related reading
Retirement planning for expatriate professionals in the Gulf
End-of-service benefits, where to retire and currency all shape retirement plans for professionals who have built careers in the region.
6 min read
Ready to talk about your plans? Schedule a consultation.
Tell us what you are planning for. An adviser will arrange an initial conversation in English or Arabic at a time that suits you.
Requesting a consultation does not create an advisory relationship. Any formal engagement is agreed separately in writing.