Preparing for retirement is primarily about understanding a mechanism of delay: the pension paid by mandatory schemes does not replicate the last salary. At the end of 2023, the average direct pension was 1,666 euros gross per month for retirees residing in France, according to DREES. The gap between this amount and a net salary requires action well before the retirement date.
Employment-retirement accumulation: rules changing from 2027
The employment-retirement accumulation allows one to receive a pension while continuing a paid activity. This system will undergo significant tightening for pensions effective from January 1, 2027.
The new rules will rely more on the retiree’s age. Before the legal retirement age, work income may reduce the pension. Between the legal age and 67 years, an income ceiling is expected to apply. Full accumulation (without limitation) will only be accessible from 67 years old. The exact amount of the intermediate threshold is yet to be set by decree.
This change alters the situation for anyone considering supplementing their pension with part-time work, including self-employed individuals. A detailed analysis of these mechanisms is available on the retirement section of A Vos Finances, which covers both the calculation of rights and income supplement strategies.
Career statement and correction: a vigilance issue
The career statement lists all validated quarters and declared salaries throughout a professional life. An uncorrected error (missing quarter, incorrectly reported salary) can permanently reduce the pension by several tens of euros per month.
This reality makes the preservation of supporting documents particularly strategic. Pay slips, Pôle emploi certificates, contribution statements: these documents should be kept and ideally digitized well before the last years of one’s career. Waiting until one is in their fifties to check their statement risks discovering a difficult-to-correct anomaly.
Progressive retirement from 60: an underused lever
Progressive retirement allows one to reduce their working hours while receiving a portion of their pension. Since September 2025, this system is open to all categories of workers who have reached 60 years of age, provided they have accumulated 150 quarters.
This mechanism is not just a simple administrative formality. It represents a real financial trade-off to compare with complete retirement:
- The portion of the pension received depends on the remaining working time, allowing for an adjustment between work income and partial pension
- Contributions paid during the reduced working period continue to build rights, which can improve the final pension amount
- Transitioning to progressive retirement does not freeze the date of final retirement, leaving room for maneuver if financial or personal situations change
For an employee whose position allows it, progressive retirement is a more flexible transition tool than a complete departure. The calculation deserves to be made precisely, as miscalibrating the working portion can reduce the expected gain.
Quarters related to children: a recent rule to know
Since September 2026, for certain pensions, up to two quarters related to children can be included in the contributed insurance duration required for early retirement. This evolution changes the calculation for parents considering retirement before the legal age.
The distinction between “contributed” quarters and “validated” quarters is technical but crucial. Only contributed quarters qualify for certain early retirement schemes (particularly long careers). This reclassification warrants personalized verification with one’s pension fund to assess its real impact on their retirement date.
Retirement savings plan and investment strategy: choose according to your horizon
The PER (retirement savings plan) remains the envelope dedicated to financial preparation for retirement. Its main advantage lies in the deductibility of contributions from taxable income, making it particularly relevant for high marginal tax brackets.
The PER is not the only vehicle to consider. Life insurance offers superior liquidity and favorable taxation after eight years of holding. The PEA, focused on European stocks, can generate tax-free capital upon exit after five years. Finally, rental real estate produces regular income but requires active management and carries a risk of vacancy.
The issue is not to multiply the supports but to articulate them according to the investment horizon:
- More than fifteen years from retirement, significant exposure to stocks (via PEA or unit-linked PER) allows capturing long-term growth
- Between five and fifteen years, a gradual rebalancing towards bond supports or secure euro funds secures the gains made
- Less than five years, the priority shifts to liquidity and predictability of income, with a dominant share in euro funds or already amortized real estate
This logic of gradual desensitization to risk is more effective than a single choice maintained until retirement.
Preparing for retirement relies on technical decisions made early: checking one’s career statement while corrections are still possible, balancing between progressive retirement and complete departure, adapting investments to the real horizon rather than a fixed risk profile. Rules evolve regularly, as shown by the changes expected in employment-retirement accumulation in 2027. Each additional year of anticipation reduces the risk of experiencing these changes instead of integrating them into one’s strategy.
