No pension savings at 60? I think it’s still possible to retire wealthy with these tips

Rupert Hargreaves looks at some of the options available to potential retirees with limited savings who still want to retire wealthy.

The content of this article was relevant at the time of publishing. Circumstances change continuously and caution should therefore be exercised when relying upon any content contained within this article.

You’re reading a free article with opinions that may differ from The Motley Fool’s Premium Investing Services. Become a Motley Fool member today to get instant access to our top analyst recommendations, in-depth research, investing resources, and more. Learn More.

For those who’ve reached 60 years of age with no pension savings, there’s no need to worry. I think it’s still possible to retire wealthy by making a few simple lifestyle changes. 

Retire wealthy

The best way to improve retirement prospects at any stage of life is to increase savings. Even if it’s just an extra few £100 a month, it’s impossible to improve retirement prospects in a relatively short space of time by increasing savings. 

Another strategy worth following is to pay off any outstanding debt. This is always a sensible financial strategy. It might be even more sensible ahead of retirement. Doing so would allow one to gain a better picture of their financial situation and remove any regular costs, which could impact income in retirement. It would also improve savings. As mentioned, to retire wealthy it’s imperative to save more. 

Investing in the stock market could be an excellent way to deploy any extra funds. Most stocks and shares now offer a higher level of income than that offered by savings accounts. These investments could help grow a nest egg at a faster rate. 

For example, GlaxoSmithKline and AstraZeneca, two of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world, support dividend yields of between 2% and 5%. Buying some of these stocks alongside a pension could help improve long-term returns. 

Set up a budget 

Budgeting and planning can help improve any financial situation. This is another essential tip on the path to retire wealthy. Budgeting lets one know how much money they’ve saved, and how much to spend. This might seem like an arduous task, but the extra effort is almost certainly worth the reward. In my opinion, setting up a budget is one of the easiest strategies to follow to improve financial situations. 

Extra work 

Unfortunately, reaching 60 years of age with no pension savings doesn’t allow much time to build a sizeable financial nest-egg before retirement. In this case, it may be beneficial to work a few more years to build up an acceptable level of savings to reach that ‘retire wealthy’ goal.

This doesn’t necessarily mean staying in the workplace. The rise of the gig economy means that it’s never been easier to take on a part-time job. Many of these can be done from home in spare time. 

Taking on a few hours a week of extra work would provide additional cash, reducing the impact of day-to-day spending on a retirement pot. To put it another way, it could make pension savings last a lot longer. 

A plan to retire wealthy 

All in all, it’s still possible to retire wealthy with no pension savings at 60. However, it does require a little extra work and effort. Still, I think this is a trade-off worth accepting, especially considering the potential rewards on offer. 

If one’s willing to take on a bit more risk, buying high-quality growth shares could accelerate wealth creation. This may allow an investor to dramatically improve their retirement prospects and retire wealthy in a relatively compressed amount of time. 

Rupert Hargreaves owns no share mentioned. The Motley Fool UK has recommended GlaxoSmithKline. Views expressed on the companies mentioned in this article are those of the writer and therefore may differ from the official recommendations we make in our subscription services such as Share Advisor, Hidden Winners and Pro. Here at The Motley Fool we believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors.

More on Investing Articles

Santa Clara offices of NVIDIA
Investing Articles

£5,000 invested in Nvidia stock 6 months ago is now worth…

Nvidia stock's taking a breather at the moment. But it could be getting ready for its next move higher, says…

Read more »

British coins and bank notes scattered on a surface
Investing Articles

I hold Lloyds. Is it madness to buy Barclays shares too?

Harvey Jones is keen to buy Barclays shares but wonders whether he's simply doubling down, given that he already holds…

Read more »

Asian man looking concerned while studying paperwork at his desk in an office
Investing Articles

It’s time we all took a long, cold look at the Lloyds share price

The Lloyds share price has been good to Harvey Jones, making him a huge fan of the FTSE 100 bank.…

Read more »

Warren Buffett at a Berkshire Hathaway AGM
Investing Articles

Warren Buffett didn’t retire early. But could his investing wisdom help you do so?

Warren Buffett's wisdom from decades of stock market investing is actionable even for a modest investor who simply aims to…

Read more »

Young female hand showing five fingers.
Investing Articles

5 compelling investment ideas for a Stocks and Shares ISA in 2026

Edward Sheldon discusses some ideas to consider for a Stocks and Shares ISA and highlights a UK stock that could…

Read more »

Man writing 'now' having crossed out 'later', 'tomorrow' and 'next week'
Investing Articles

Is this the best time to buy shares in a long time?

Earlier this week, Bill Ackman stated on X that this is the best time to buy shares in a long…

Read more »

A senior man and his wife holding hands walking up a hill on a footpath looking away from the camera at the view. The fishing village of Polperro is behind them.
Investing Articles

£1,000 buys 35 shares in an incredibly reliable FTSE 100 dividend stock

Despite falling 72% from their highs, shares in this FTSE 100 company have been an incredibly reliable source of dividend…

Read more »

Warren Buffett at a Berkshire Hathaway AGM
Investing Articles

This is what Warren Buffett has to say about passive income — and I’m listening!

While searching for new ways to earn passive income, our writer takes to heart sage advice from the Oracle of…

Read more »