PAUL Morter, the director of Moore Stephens Retirement Solutions Limited, writes about retirement:

"The Chinese certainly had a knack for telling it like it is.

And while we certainly don't know exactly what the future holds, we do know that we are all living longer and as a result can look forward to many more years in retirement than previous generations.

That's both good news and bad news and it's certainly not great news if you haven't prepared.

So what should you be doing?

The first step is to start thinking about retirement and your later years so that you'll be as comfortable as possible when the time comes. To do that you need to begin planning your financial future.

But when is a good time to start planning for retirement?

To be honest the perception that most of us have is that retirement planning is only for those in their forties or fifties and even then, if we never get around to it, somehow the State will always support us - won't they?

In fact the harsh reality that many are discovering is that the 'State' will not be able to maintain our lifestyle in retirement and governments are actually encouraging us all to make our own independent arrangements.

So the answer is to start planning NOW!

The sooner we can start saving, the longer we have to build up a retirement fund.

So, what prevents us from starting to save in our early years for what is an inevitable event even if it is some way off into the future?

Often it's affordability or because we have other aspirations or things to do with the money. It may even be because in the past we've had 'our fingers burnt' and now we simply do not trust the financial services industry in general.

Unfortunately the retirement industry hasn't helped - everyone seems to have a story about a pension sales consultant overly keen to sell a product.

Not surprising then that we're often suspicious that the only reason a salesman talks to us is to make a commission.

And if you accept that there's a commission you can be forgiven for wondering 'what proportion of the payments I make is actually being invested on my behalf?'

To add to all this, lately we seem to hear continually about stock market volatility, countries defaulting on debt repayments and retirement ages being increased - all gloomy pictures of something almost too painful to think about.

But as serious as these things are you cannot allow anything to become an excuse to avoid planning for your retirement.

The situation is even more difficult for people working internationally - there are even more considerations and options when choosing a pension plan.

It's a fact that as the global economy expands more people than ever are working away from their home territories and when they do they very often leave domestic retirement programs behind.

Over the years the offshore financial services industry has developed a range of solutions designed to meet the retirement planning needs of internationally mobile employees.

But this often requires special planning guidance and sadly the vast majority are oblivious or simply do not know where to find help.

The good news is that help is at hand.

Today, internationally, mobile employees have access to solutions with transparent charging structures, which are flexible, linked to offshore investment funds and are available in a number of currencies including US Dollar, Euro and British Pound Sterling.

Furthermore modern solutions can also offer 24/7 access to interactive websites helping you to manage your account from wherever you are located.

In conclusion retirement planning is more important today than it has ever been but letting past prejudices or fears cloud your judgement could prove very foolish.

Don't miss the boat by waiting until it's too late. Finding a good international solution that best fits your current circumstances will put you on course towards a financially secure future."

To learn more about Moore Stephens' international retirement planning solutions contact Paul on 01624 662020, Skype "paul.morter.msiom" or e-mail paul.morter@moorestephens.co.im.   

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