In todays news...

[Potter]

I do it provocatively sometimes, but c'est la vie.

That's the problem though isn't it... You do it in a particular way, so do a few others, then the rest of us are sitting here being made to feel like arseholes with no more knowledge other than "you should know how to do it better" and "i've done great, i've got loads of money"....Meanwhile 99% of us have pensions which are dropping/dropped currently without any other real knowledge of how to do anything about it. So it ends up in the usual situation where the wealthy ones tell us they're better than the rest and the rest sit thinking "wankers"

Mate, we’ve been at this particular junction many times and many times I’ve given you examples of things that you could do. You’ve chosen each time not to do them and then later expressed disappointment that nothing has changed for you and you feel powerless.

I sometimes point this out at the risk of appearing like a smug arsehole because I did exactly the things I was espousing and it worked.

The circular nature of this is less amusing to me than you probably think it is.

[weeksy]

later expressed disappointment that nothing has changed for you

Not sure about that...

[Count Steer]

Part of my reasons for posting is to have a whinge. But also to try encourage others, that's younger others, to take an interest (pun intended) on where their money is and what's likely to happen with it.

I was, perhaps, naive and shouldn't have trusted the experts so much. Others have options.

I thought your experience (and mine to a lesser extent) was the equivalent of a 'check your spare tyre' reminder to anyone with a non-final salary pension. ie don't find out that something is kaput exactly at the point you need it. Also, be aware that things that shouldn't happen, sometimes do, so try and plan accordingly or, at least, have a plan B.
There's always something people can do. All some of us can do is share what we've learned - sometimes the hard way, sometimes by putting the time and effort in to learn.

One things for sure, putting your fingers in your ears, closing your eyes and singing 'lalala, not listening' isn't a very good plan B.

[weeksy]

Part of my reasons for posting is to have a whinge. But also to try encourage others, that's younger others, to take an interest (pun intended) on where their money is and what's likely to happen with it.

I was, perhaps, naive and shouldn't have trusted the experts so much. Others have options.

I thought your experience (and mine to a lesser extent) was the equivalent of a 'check your spare tyre' reminder to anyone with a non-final salary pension. ie don't find out that something is kaput exactly at the point you need it. Also, be aware that things that shouldn't happen, sometimes do, so try and plan accordingly or, at least, have a plan B.
There's always something people can do. All some of us can do is share what we've learned - sometimes the hard way, sometimes by putting the time and effort in to learn.

One things for sure, putting your fingers in your ears, closing your eyes and singing 'lalala, not listening' isn't a very good plan B.

But you say that... however not the 'how'. My pension is work based and 'invested' in different portfolios as i suspect many are... However, none are doing great currently, but again, i suspect we're not alone there. The problem is... what to do, how to do it and the potential risk associated. I can't take mine out and move it (well, maybe i could but i suspect there'd be penalties) and even if i could, where would i move it to... As a customer/consumer/client, you make the assumption that whichever provider you're with are doing their best to make you money, because of course the more you make, the more they make... so makes sense.

But the 'guidance' here is often exceptionally vague... why, because, well, no-one really knows the answers.

[Horse]

But also to try encourage others, that's younger others, to take an interest (pun intended) on where their money is and what's likely to happen with it.

I was, perhaps, naive and shouldn't have trusted the experts so much.

I thought your experience (and mine to a lesser extent) was the equivalent of a 'check your spare tyre' reminder to anyone with a non-final salary pension. ie don't find out that something is kaput exactly at the point you need it.

I thought that, with three different 'savings' pots, I wouldn't have all my eggs in one basket.

Turns out that all the baskets were on the same farm truck and there was a temporary driver

[Horse]

But you say that... however not the 'how'. My pension is work based and 'invested' in different portfolios as i suspect many are...

The problem is... what to do, how to do it and the potential risk associated. I can't take mine out and move it (well, maybe i could but i suspect there'd be penalties) and even if i could, where would i move it to... As a customer/consumer/client, you make the assumption that whichever provider you're with are doing their best to make you money, because of course the more you make, the more they make... so makes sense.

But the 'guidance' here is often exceptionally vague... why, because, well, no-one really knows the answers.

Yes, I made that assumption too. Based on how ever many years of their history.

Caveat on what follows: I am, by no means, a financial whizz. Total amateur.

My 'wealth' (and I'm not in anything like the earnings, savings, spending leagues of many here) is spread around. Mortgage paid off (by overpaying), no debts, some savings, meagre pension pots, smaller final salary pension.

The lesson from last year is, as the financial companies always say, 'previous performance etc ... ' The last few years have shown how random the world can be when it puts its silly head on.

Potter and others have been fairly vociferous that 'poorer' financial times are ahead. In simple terms, prices of everything up, interest rates up. Worst case recession, depression.

Some planning for that is fairly obvious: reduce debt, increase reserves. If you invest or save, then diversify.

When I had the opportunity, I paid the maximum into the company scheme. I *might* have been better putting that into something else.

I had an AVC running independent of any company scheme - but it was on the farm truck.

As to 'what' or 'where' you invest, I have no idea! I'm certainly not the type of person to buy watches. I know one who, on a whim, bought £10k of bitcoin. He's now semi-retired with a £0.5M nest egg. There was a guy who ran a US safety forum who was saying 'buy them, now!' I didn't. Partly because (like watches), I've not really had chunks like that to risk, but also - this might surprise you - I'm fairly risk averse

Get views, thoughts, ideas, options
Talk to an IFA or two, tell them what and why
Take some control in a way that suits you

Most important: decide NOW what you and MrsW want in the future.

And a sad, upsetting, honest, fact: I saw the state-funded home my father went into for the final months of his life. Filly and I want to avoid that if the time comes.

There's an old line that "growing old is mandatory, but growing up isn't". In this instance, it is.

[Count Steer]

Part of my reasons for posting is to have a whinge. But also to try encourage others, that's younger others, to take an interest (pun intended) on where their money is and what's likely to happen with it.

I was, perhaps, naive and shouldn't have trusted the experts so much. Others have options.

I thought your experience (and mine to a lesser extent) was the equivalent of a 'check your spare tyre' reminder to anyone with a non-final salary pension. ie don't find out that something is kaput exactly at the point you need it. Also, be aware that things that shouldn't happen, sometimes do, so try and plan accordingly or, at least, have a plan B.
There's always something people can do. All some of us can do is share what we've learned - sometimes the hard way, sometimes by putting the time and effort in to learn.

One things for sure, putting your fingers in your ears, closing your eyes and singing 'lalala, not listening' isn't a very good plan B.

But you say that... however not the 'how'. My pension is work based and 'invested' in different portfolios as i suspect many are... However, none are doing great currently, but again, i suspect we're not alone there. The problem is... what to do, how to do it and the potential risk associated. I can't take mine out and move it (well, maybe i could but i suspect there'd be penalties) and even if i could, where would i move it to... As a customer/consumer/client, you make the assumption that whichever provider you're with are doing their best to make you money, because of course the more you make, the more they make... so makes sense.

But the 'guidance' here is often exceptionally vague... why, because, well, no-one really knows the answers.

Probably should be on the pension thread but the key thing isn't that your funds go up and down, 'they all do that sir'. It's when do you plan to retire and what you do between now and then to end up with what you want when you do. It could even be ' put more money in now, prices are low' is a good tactic.

Main thing me and Hoss have been on about is try and make sure it doesn't shrink just as you need it. That might even involve retiring early when things look good or having a later, back-stop, retirement date.

[Ant]

Forget Martin Lewis, we have Potter.

[Mussels]

Maybe, but it’s reported as doctors suspecting she was murdering babies, so they went to the management about it, not the Police.

Yes, then the management did what?

Bad things.

If you thought someone was killing people, who would you tell? Middle management? HR?

Presumably hospitals have processes set up for this, I doubt the doctors expect the police to do anything other than report them to the trust as trouble makers.

[Horse]

That might even involve retiring early when things look good or having a later, back-stop, retirement date.

I've done both

Final salary was always planned for a set date, so I took it.

3x 'savings' were not, so they're on hold until they increase ... decision some time in the future. Informal advice I had was basically 'set a level that you will be content', then cash in.

And I'm probably going back to work part time.

So all three of both

[Potter]

One things for sure, putting your fingers in your ears, closing your eyes and singing 'lalala, not listening' isn't a very good plan B.

Indeed.

The component parts of doing "something" are many and varied, but financial stability in the absence of a winning lottery ticket (at least for me) involved some sort of effort, movement and objectivity on my part.

I've given many examples of what could be done to change one's situation and in the absence of supernatural support then I'm sure that if you do none of them then nothing will change for you.

[Hoonercat]

There's other wars in less developed countries, but they don't make the news. Do they somehow mean less? Mmmmm.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of ... _conflicts

They do make the news, just not the news that you read (at least, not headline news). And yes, they do mean less. The other major conflicts listed on your link are internal civil wars that don't involve the world's largest holder of nuclear weapons or 2 of the largest grain exporters on the planet.

[Potter]

There's other wars in less developed countries, but they don't make the news. Do they somehow mean less? Mmmmm.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of ... _conflicts

They do make the news, just not the news that you read (at least, not headline news). And yes, they do mean less. The other major conflicts listed on your link are internal civil wars that don't involve the world's largest holder of nuclear weapons or 2 of the largest grain exporters on the planet.

When you say they mean less, do you mean to you?

My view is that all wars (or no wars) are equal in whether they matter, until they affect you personally.
I would expect that I would be equally as upset about being shot on a Saudi border, or in Ukraine, or lying on a beach waiting for an inevitable death in a Neville Shute novel.

I'm not affected greatly by my fuel or my grain being a bit more expensive, so I'm immune from using that as my yardstick of which lives matter.

[Hoonercat]

There's other wars in less developed countries, but they don't make the news. Do they somehow mean less? Mmmmm.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of ... _conflicts

They do make the news, just not the news that you read (at least, not headline news). And yes, they do mean less. The other major conflicts listed on your link are internal civil wars that don't involve the world's largest holder of nuclear weapons or 2 of the largest grain exporters on the planet.

When you say they mean less, do you mean to you?

My view is that all wars (or no wars) are equal in whether they matter, until they affect you personally.
I would expect that I would be equally as upset about being shot on a Saudi border, or in Ukraine, or lying on a beach waiting for an inevitable death in a Neville Shute novel.

I'm not affected greatly by my fuel or my grain being a bit more expensive, so I'm immune from using that as my yardstick of which lives matter.

No, I mean their 'news worthiness' and the impact the war has had around the globe, in comparison to the other major conflicts listed which are all internal wars. An example being Bangladesh's inability to afford LNG imports last year due to the high prices European nations were willing to pay, and the effect it had on its industrial and export markets due to load-shedding.

[Potter]

For anyone not familar with some of the history behind Russia and Ukraine, the first lecture (in the link) by Adam Tooze is interesting.
His book is good too.

https://adamtooze.com/the-deluge/#uael- ... -1c5a908-1

[Ant]

I seem to recall people claiming that Ukraine had Nazis which we're attacking Russian of origin citizens. This was branded as misinformation, but then in 2016 the BBC reported exactly that, which was circulated after the BBC tried to hide it for some reason.

[ZRX61]

Burisma Biden impressing the people of Maui by comparing 1000+ people being incinerated into dust to a minor fire his home had from a lightning strike that put his kitchen out of use for a week... Judging by some of the footage of his visit, it's a wonder he made it off the island without getting his breathing permit revoked.

[Horse]

This Mason Greenwood thing upsets me. All charges were dropped. The club then did a 6 months investigation to find more info
They concluded that he did nothing wrong, but made a few unwise decisions

Then loads of female groups decided he was a scumbag and the club had to give in.

Poor fucker. I know there's no smoke without fire, but his life has been wrecked by the allegations, then by his club sacking him.

If the claims were false, the complainant(s) should be prosecuted..

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/66554874

Any idea what this:
a Manchester United statement claimed Greenwood "did not commit the offences in respect of which he was originally charged", adding: "Based on the evidence available to us, we have concluded that the material posted online did not provide a full picture."
Refers to?

[Bigjawa]

This Mason Greenwood thing upsets me. All charges were dropped. The club then did a 6 months investigation to find more info
They concluded that he did nothing wrong, but made a few unwise decisions

Then loads of female groups decided he was a scumbag and the club had to give in.

Poor fucker. I know there's no smoke without fire, but his life has been wrecked by the allegations, then by his club sacking him.

If the claims were false, the complainant(s) should be prosecuted..

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/66554874

Any idea what this:
a Manchester United statement claimed Greenwood "did not commit the offences in respect of which he was originally charged", adding: "Based on the evidence available to us, we have concluded that the material posted online did not provide a full picture."
Refers to?

There was a pretty damning recording of some rather rapey behaviour. The whole charges suddenly withdrawn thing stinks to high heaven, he's also been on full pay the whole time, he'll just get signed for that Saudi league and pocket the cash.

[Mussels]

This Mason Greenwood thing upsets me. All charges were dropped. The club then did a 6 months investigation to find more info
They concluded that he did nothing wrong, but made a few unwise decisions

Then loads of female groups decided he was a scumbag and the club had to give in.

Poor fucker. I know there's no smoke without fire, but his life has been wrecked by the allegations, then by his club sacking him.

If the claims were false, the complainant(s) should be prosecuted..

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/66554874

Any idea what this:
a Manchester United statement claimed Greenwood "did not commit the offences in respect of which he was originally charged", adding: "Based on the evidence available to us, we have concluded that the material posted online did not provide a full picture."
Refers to?

There was a pretty damning recording of some rather rapey behaviour. The whole charges suddenly withdrawn thing stinks to high heaven, he's also been on full pay the whole time, he'll just get signed for that Saudi league and pocket the cash.

Charges suddenly being withdrawn tells me that the charges stank to high heaven in the first place with the police and CPS trying to win political brownie points.