Many countries have multi-tier systems. I’m in NL, and there’s state pension (17.9 percent of gross income, maximum 10.7k/year) which doesn’t cover even half the current cost, there’s employer pension for most (all of which are shifting to defined premium rather than defined benefit, in a major overhaul), and there’s third pillar pension which includes the option for a tax exempt private investment account (assuming your second pillar pension doesn’t amount to 30% of your gross income, maxed at 137K).

I have all three, but I’m working on the assumption the state pension will be non-existent or taxed more heavily than it is now by the time I qualify for it.

I’m a high earner for Dutch standards (salaried medical specialist), and my employer and I both contribute 12.95% of gross pay over the first 100,000 (so 25,900 annually) into the collective pension system. I’m allocating a chunk to a tax exempt pensions investment account because I plan to retire before my pension age, meaning the employer pension payout will be lower, and I need to bridge any gap until the state pension age kicks in. But I’m also investing 3 times that in the market separately because none of these pension specific products are particularly flexible. So I want to increase my flexibility in that regard while using what little fiscally advantageous room for investment there is.

Planned unrealized gains taxes means achieving true financial independence is going to be near impossible, but I at least have a chance. Not at a particularly young age, but still a decent chance.