Pay and benefits guides: salary, deductions and pensions
Understand your payslip and make the most of what you earn: take-home pay after tax and deductions, pension and social security contributions, asking for a pay rise and what to do with your first salary. Our pay and benefits guides pair with free salary calculators for several countries.
Work it out: Salary by country · Kenya PAYE
Your first job money checklist: what to do with your first salary
Your first salary sets habits for life. Eight steps covering your payslip, budget, emergency fund, debt, pension and family support.
How to ask for a pay rise, and what to say
A well-prepared request is one of the fastest ways to earn more. How to research, prepare and ask for a pay rise with confidence.
Medical aid and gap cover in South Africa: how they fit together
Medical aid pays most private healthcare costs, but not always all of them. Plan types, prescribed minimum benefits, gap cover and how to choose.
NHIS in Ghana: how national health insurance works
The National Health Insurance Scheme covers basic healthcare for millions of Ghanaians. Who pays, who is exempt, what is covered and how to register and renew.
Your pension in Nigeria: the Contributory Pension Scheme and RSAs
Most Nigerian employees save for retirement in a Retirement Savings Account. How contributions work, how to check them and when you can access the money.
China's social insurance explained: the "five insurances and one fund"
Pension, medical, unemployment, work injury and maternity insurance, plus the housing fund: what each does, who pays and what it means for your payslip.
Workplace pensions and auto-enrolment explained
Most UK employees are automatically enrolled into a workplace pension, with their employer paying in too. How it works, the minimum contributions and why opting out is costly.
How to read your payslip in Tanzania
Gross pay, NSSF, PAYE, loan deductions: what every line on your Tanzanian payslip means, and how to check that your employer has got it right.
CPF in 2026: the S$8,000 wage ceiling and higher rates for older workers
CPF now applies to the first S$8,000 of monthly pay, and older workers pay higher rates. What changed in 2026, an example, and the 2027 increases.
State pension 2026/27: how much you get and who qualifies
The full new state pension pays £241.30 a week in 2026/27. How many qualifying years you need, what the old basic pension pays and the rise due in 2027.
Social Security COLA 2027: benefits rise 3.6%
Social Security and SSI payments rise 3.6% for 2027. When the higher payments start, what the average retiree gets and how to check your notice.
NSSF contributions 2026: what changed in February and what you pay
In February 2026, NSSF moved to Year 4 of its phased rates. The upper earnings limit jumped from KES 72,000 to KES 108,000, so many workers now contribute more. Here is what changed.