You may want to consider other options than full retirement when you give up your current job. This could include anything from setting up your own business to volunteering at home or overseas. This page contains articles and links to help you explore the options open to you as a trained accountant, whose professional skills and experience will continue to be in demand.
Expert help for your enquiries and research.
The good retirement guide
Jonquil Lowe (37th ed. Kogan Page, 2023)
Provides information, suggestions and advice on a broad range of subjects to help you enjoy your retirement to the full. Chapters include health, property, investment, leisure, paid work, voluntary work, pensions and tax.
You will need to be logged-in to the website to read this eBook.
How to 'consultify' your retirement
Provides tips on how to turn a lifetime of experience into a part-time role by becoming a consultant after retirement.
You will need to be logged in to the website to gain full access to the range of articles available online.
The Library provides access to leading business, finance and management journals. These journals are available to logged-in ICAEW members, ACA students and other entitled users subject to suppliers' terms of use.
In 2015, Andy McLean, now principal of his own content marketing consultancy, had a day job with Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CA ANZ). He describes how he piloted his business idea outside work hours, before approaching his employer with his business plans and agreeing a way to trial his business idea by moving to a part-time arrangement.
Article offering guidance for professional employees on how to establish a side hustle.
Advice for accountants considering independent consulting as the next stage in their career.
Discusses how older workers can be 'flexibly retired' by staying on in a more flexible work arrangement and phasing their retirement over time. Includes practical advice on how to be successful in the flexible work market.
Article on the role of the non-executive director and how it can form part of a portfolio life. Provides advice for those looking to become a non-executive director including how to gain suitable experience.
ICAEW Volunteers
Search the ICAEW volunteering website for current volunteering opportunities.
CABA: Retirement
Tips and advice from the Chartered Accountants' Benevolent Association on preparing for and managing your retirement.
Deferring your State Pension
Information from Gov.uk with guidance on the options available and how to defer.
Looking for work
This section on the Age UK website brings together useful advice on finding work and volunteering opportunities as well as starting your own business and CV writing for over 50s.
Accounting for International Development (AfID)
Voluntary organisation which offers qualified accountants the opportunity to use their professional skills during voluntary international placements. Assignments of between 2 weeks and 12 months form part of an ongoing strategy to build the financial management capacity and long-term sustainability of non-profit organisations around the world.
Reach
Reach is a skilled volunteering charity which matches qualified professionals with suitable voluntary opportunities that will utilise their career skills. You need to register to see a list of volunteer opportunities available. The charity also runs TrusteeWorks which helps skilled professionals to find challenging and rewarding trustee opportunities.
VSO volunteer
The Voluntary Services Organisation website provides information on how to volunteer and lists opportunities available for qualified professionals. Volunteer placements are available for jobs overseas.
Volunteering in retirement
A 2005 report by Justin Davis Smith and Pat Gray of the Institute for Volunteering Research, published by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation. The report examines the role of retired volunteers in our aging society.
Exploring the rise of the portfolio career
Article published in Economia on 03 November 2016 on the rise of the portfolio career and the challenges it presents for professionals.
Portfolio careers
Article from career coach Denise Taylor which answers common questions asked by those considering a portfolio career.
To find out how you can borrow books from the Library please see our guide to book loans.
You can obtain copies of articles or extracts of books and reports by post or email through our document supply service.
If you're having trouble finding the information you need, ask the Library & Information Service. Contact us by telephone on +44 (0)20 7920 8620, by web chat or by email at library@icaew.com.
ICAEW accepts no responsibility for the content on any site to which a hypertext link from this site exists. The links are provided ‘as is’ with no warranty, express or implied, for the information provided within them. Please see the full copyright and disclaimer notice.