According to the Office for National Statistics, around 800,000 people turned 65 last year, up nearly 170,000 from 2011, highlighting the importance of a pension for an aging nation that is living longer than before past retirement.

Julian Webb, head of Retirement Savings at Fidelity Worldwide Investment, says one of your New Year’s resolutions should be to give yourself a pension health check.

He outlines the top five questions that new and existing pension savers should ask themselves:

1. Should I embrace auto-enrolment? For most people, yes – If you are not already part of your workplace pension scheme then it’s highly likely you will be soon and for most people staying enrolled is the best option.

You should also consider joining your company’s pension scheme voluntarily, rather than waiting to be auto-enrolled, as you could benefit from £10,000 more in employer pension contributions over a decade*.

2. How many pension pots do I have? If you don’t know the answer to this question then we urge you to find out. You should make sure that you don’t forget about your pension pots, no matter how small. Consolidating your pension pots could help you keep track of your pension savings and give you more control over them.

Track down your lost pension at: https://www.gov.uk/find-lost-pension

3. Should I review how much I am contributing to my workplace pension? Did you know that many employers will match the contributions that you put in? For example, if you put in £100 a month, then it’s possible that your employer will too.

Fidelity has calculated that a 25 year-old man on average earnings who contributes 5% of his salary into a company pension and whose employer also contributes 5% could receive an annual retirement income of £21,000 at today’s annuity rates. If you can afford to increase your monthly contributions, then it’s well worth doing so.

4. How much do I need to save on top of my state pension if I want a comfortable retirement? It is generally acknowledged that a comfortable retirement income is two thirds of the final salary in employment.

You might want to consider working longer to improve your retirement income, for example, someone retiring at age 65 is likely to secure a better income if they keep working for an extra five years, not least because they have the chance to save more and can allow their pension pot more time to grow, but because annuity rates improve the older people get.

In addition, the level of State pension you will get increases if you don’t start drawing a pension until later in life. The £140 a week universal state pension, if implemented by the Government, will make retirement planning much easier as people will be able to work out exactly how much they need on top of the state pension to achieve a comfortable retirement.

5. Are there other ways I can save for my retirement apart from via a company pension? Yes – ISAs offer an alternative way to save for your retirement alongside your pension. ISAs are also tax efficient with the added benefit of your money being accessible whenever you want it. You can either invest in one independently or through the workplace (Workplace ISAs).