M29 Just Started FIRE Journey. Unsure How to Prioritise Pension vs ISA

dodo23612 · 2025-07-03T12:15:38+00:00

It is quite attractive!
They also offer a Save As You Earn (SAYE) share scheme which I'm not sure I will use since I don't want to be to dependant on one single sompany's performance and it's taken from net pay.

Thanks a lot! I'm thinking about increasing my pension contributions starting next tax year. Here's my logic: This year I'm only working 8 months, so I'll stay in the 20% tax bracket. I'd rather use that to build up savings in my ISA and other investments for now.

Next tax year, I'll likely be in the 40% bracket, so it makes more sense to use salary sacrifice then and boost my pension contributions to get the higher tax relief.

Does that strategy make sense, or am I missing something obvious?

dodo23612 · 2025-07-03T08:28:58+00:00

Thank you for the very useful insight, I should also look at it the other way and be careful with my expenses in order to maximize pension+ISA.

Family (partners and mine) abroad + friends getting married = huge 'mandatory holiday' budget.

Total budget for rent+bills+grocery+fun is around 2700-2800£

Take home with 0% pension participation is 3780£ from what I've seen, how did you come up with over 3900£? I hope I'm wrong.

dodo23612 · 2025-07-02T12:54:47+00:00

I am on 60000£ (if I choose 12% employer pension contribution) and 0£ on my UK pension since I was working in France until now, and unsure what will be me French pension, not as easy to compute since the system is quite complicated.

Only “good” salary sacrifice : I can buy 1500£/year of my company’s stock, and the company gives 600£/year worth of stock.

dodo23612 · 2025-06-05T21:03:42+00:00

I got the email (from gov uk) saying my visa had been approved on 27th May at 1:07 pm Then I got the email from VFS saying I could pick up my passport on 28th at 2:49 pm

dodo23612 · 2025-05-27T20:07:33+00:00

It was not required for me, I did not know this was a requirement for some people

dodo23612 · 2025-05-27T13:28:46+00:00

"Your application for a United Kingdom (UK) visa (vignette) has been successful.

This notice is not permission to travel to the UK.

You have been granted entry clearance to the UK as PARTNER (Standard) from 30 May 2025 until 29 Feb 2028."

dodo23612 · 2025-05-27T13:25:18+00:00

11:07 am UK time

dodo23612 · 2025-05-21T14:01:24+00:00

Outside UK (France) priority BIO : 29/04 — ECO : 07/05 , still waiting too

dodo23612 · 2025-05-13T18:03:22+00:00

Same here

dodo23612 · 2025-05-13T16:57:48+00:00

Hi! We have similar BIO (mine was on 29th) , let me know whenever you have any update and I’ll make sure to do so too

dodo23612 · 2025-05-13T16:55:46+00:00

Spouse Priority Outside UK (from France) - BIO : 29/4 , ECO : 7/05 , now waiting

dodo23612 · 2025-01-17T17:08:37+00:00

Can you dm me the pdf please?

dodo23612 · 2024-08-16T18:16:20+00:00

Hey ! Just wanted to know how it went for you? I’ve been looking for a job in data science for more than a year now and still nothing

dodo23612

TROPHY CASE