the time you intend to stop working. Debt can be very hard to pay off once you have retired. While being debt-free including owning a mortgage-free home in retirement is an essential part of retirement savings, you'll want to save extra unless you're happy to live on NZ Super alone. (For a couple where both qualify, NZ Super pays around $523 a week.) Consider joining a retirement savings scheme such as KiwiSaver. With KiwiSaver, your money grows because your employer has to contribute (a minimum of 2%) and the government contributes 50 cents for every dollar you pay up to $1,042. There's also the $1,000 kick-start which the government pays when you join. At 64, it's still worth joining KiwiSaver because of the extra contributions you receive. Review your retirement plan whenever your circumstances change so that you can continue to reach your savings goal. Planning ahead now will provide stability and peace of mind during retirement. Make a retirement plan and start building a nest egg so your retirement can be one you look forward to. David Kneebone is a Sorted spokesperson. Sorted is New Zealand's free independent online money guide, run by the Commission for Financial Literacy and Retirement Income.