Female freelancers have been urged to consider how they intend to save for their retirement, despite the financial pressures facing them in the current climate.

SavvyWoman.co.uk editor Sarah Pennells believes that questions concerning pension savings should be answered early on, because they will have a bearing on whether people are required to work during their retirement or not.

She noted: "The best thing to do is to work out how much you might need when you retire at least ten years before you stop work.

"If there's a big gap between what you have and what you'll need, you'll have to look at ways of cutting back."

Her comments follow research by AXA Wealth, which indicated that over 40 per cent of people aged between 16 and 34 years old that currently invest in a pension would like the option of accessing it early.

Less than 30 per cent of those aged between 45 and 54 would do the same.