Financial Literacy and Retirement Readiness:A Case Study of the Namibian Police Services

Abstract

Retirement preparedness is a priceless process during one’s tenure of employment because no individual can continue working during his or her lifetime. However, the low levels of financial literacy among retired Namibian police officers compromises sound retirement planning. Financial stress upon retirement is particularly problematic for police officers in Namibia, and this study examined the nexus between financial literacy and retirement planning. The research was qualitative, allowing for an in-depth exploration of the personal experiences and challenges faced by retirees. There were interviews with 26 participants, purposively selected from retired Namibian police officers. In addition, five key informants in the human resources department of the Namibian Police services then corroborated information collected. Purposive-sampling enabled the research to target individuals with direct experience of retirement from the Namibian Police Service. Thematic analysis indicated that upon retirement, police officers found themselves in dire poverty, with no sustainable income sources. The process of determining pension amounts was opaque resulting in the police officers failing to determine the income gap they would face after retirement. There were no financial literacy training programmes for the police officers resulting in their failure to make sound investments during employment period. Therefore, the study recommended that the Namibian Police Services should implement financial literacy programmes, encourage officers to make sound investment decisions, and ensure that retirement becomes an attractive part of one’s lifetime