Retirement planning is important

Margaret Middleton has been a FireSuper member for almost 20 years now.

My day begins with a parade at the station, followed by appliance and equipment checks and some PT. After lunch, I do drills and risk assessments and finish off with self-directed study or installation of smoke alarms in high-risk houses. Outside of work, I enjoy catching up with whānau over food and music in my backyard. I also love being around the ocean and indulging in surfing, diving, and fishing.

For me, planning for retirement is very critical, I save 10% of my wages every pay, which helped me secure a deposit for my home. I am 45 years old now and sometimes think about standing down from the trucks and night shifts as the physicality of it does take a toll on me. Having a healthy sum in my FireSuper apart from the government-funded NZ Superannuation will give me additional security and the freedom to take decisions in my post-retirement life. I would hands-down recommend the FireSuper scheme to new members, as it would eventually reward them.

I do like to keep a track of my investments but generally, trust the investment managers with their expertise. I have changed my investment options a couple of times in the last 6 years after getting some advice and assessing the market. Currently, I have my money spread across three options, which minimizes risk for me. I make these changes very easily by just logging into my online account and accessing the member page.

Post-retirement, I look forward to spending more time doing things that I love and plan to minimize my footprint by acquiring a sustainable lifestyle where I can grow and catch my own food.