Monday, September 8, 2008
Pension Industry - on borrowed time
The pension industry is done-for. I had a personal pension (actually I still do, but only because I can't get at the money in it and then close it) I stopped paying into it a few years ago. I'm no financial advisor but here is my reasoning. Life expectancy is increasing. At some point (and if you believe Aubrey De Grey... some time soon) the rate of increase of life expectancy is going to exceed 1 year per year. At that point people are going to start living forever and therefore buying an annuity will be pointless. God knows what will happen to the state pension. My policy is to try to keep my money out of pensions (personal and state) for maximum current and future flexibility. Obviously I'm obliged to pay NI but I opt out of SERPS (or SSP or whatever) and get that money into my own pension... at least I have some control over what happens with that. I subscribe to Tim Ferris's mentality (in a less extreme sense) for lifestyle. I enjoy life now (rather than looking forward to retirement). I'll probably work until I die, and why not if you really enjoy what you do?
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