A cryptocurrency company made an ad making fun of the mess Britain finds itself. The ad was banned by the ASA
Promoting a financial investment without highlighting the risks?
That would be illegal that would
Is it not just promoting the platform ?
No different to how investment platforms advertise ?
But investment platforms have the text at the end “investments can go up and down and you may not get all your money back, etc etc”
I have managed to accumulate a few hundred thousands in pensions. I am thinking about retiring in maybe 4 years once I get the old age pension. I am increasingly anxious about where to put this money over the next few years. Our economy is a mess and getting poorer by the day. It is hard to see much growth that is not generated (short term) by debt. Very few opportunities for growth.
The western economy as a whole is not in a good place. That moron is in the White House with his ridiculous tariffs, his attack on the statistics, his appalling Big Beautiful Bill which threatens even the US's stability and financial strength, the damage he is doing is incalculable. China is wildly overexposed to a debt bubble and in danger of a collapse. Safe havens are hard to find.
If my pension funds are worth more than they are today in 4 years time I will be pleasantly surprised. If the environment for pensions is as favourable then as it is today with a major tax free lump sum and generous contributions to my pension fund on payments I would be astonished. The numbers simply do not add up.
So how do I protect myself from the chaos and crisis that is coming? It keeps me awake at night.
I am a doctor, not a pensions advisor, so take my advice with a shovel full of salt.
I think it likely that bond yields will remain high, and interest rates positive, though if you are particularly risk adverse then consider index linked bonds, the UK government ones being RPI linked. A return to real positive interest rates bodes well for annuity, which are now a better buy than they have been for years when you do cash in.
In short, the government paying out a lot of interest is good news for savers like you, if not for the taxpayer.
I think the possibility of a financial crash in the next few years is significant. While in the short term US stocks are on a sugar rush, underlying economic news is not good there, the indicators are being manipulated by Trump. The Crypto-bubble is an obvious Ponzi scheme that will pop at some point, and bubbles typically expand fastest just before they do.
AI may well be the future, though I am not the only one who is sceptical about it being over-hyped, but even if it is, that doesn't mean current companies will benefit. With many transformative technologies there was a bubble with many losing their shirt before the transformation happened. Think dot-com and the Victorian railway boom.
I have money in equities that are moderately risky, but that is part of wider savings, property and of course my NHS pension, so an acceptable level of risk. Depending on your own assets elsewhere this may well not suit you.
Two hours later - during which time I've sunbathed, eaten a custard tart, done an hour's hard writing, emailed several friends, and checked the refurb of my flat - and basically all you've done is talk about me
As a narcissist, this pleases me
As an observer of human nature, I say FFS get a life you losers and stop wanking on about someone you've never even met. You're pitifully obsessed, especially @IanB2, @kjh and @occasionalranter
There is literally something wrong with you, and I mean that in a kind way
I don't think you get how every one of your posts is so ironic.
I haven't posted for 1 hr and 25 min, during which time I have been busy with a chain saw. Prior to that it was 40 min during which I was using a hedge cutter, prior to that another 30 min gap. Over the last 10 years I averaged 3 posts a day.
I am not here most of the time. I have a very busy and active life. Somehow that does not seem true for you who is practically glued to the keyboard and PB and seems to sit around all day posting to the internet in one country or another. And sunbathing, eating a custard tart and watching paint dry is hardly what I call tripping the light fantastic.
My new mega millionaire friend just sent me this tweet - not by him - to illustrate his thesis that Britain is fiscally fucked and a crash is coming soon
“The UK spent £16.4bn in debt interest (not repayment) in June
That’s £438.50 for each taxpayer- for one month. £5,260 per taxpayer per year
The UK avg salary is £37,000. On that they’ll pay £4,884 of income tax
This is top tier “I’m 13 and this is deep” material.
No, I think it’s just called “maths”
Perhaps you struggle with it
I thought his post was quite accurate. You often come out with statements that are reminiscent of what we used to think when we were teenagers (eg we are all in some game).
Does it not cross your mind that the Economics and Maths is just a smidgen more complicated than what you described. That was maths for 10 year olds (I wouldn't insult a 13 year old).
You just didn’t understand it. As is often the case
I have a degree in Mathematics and some professional qualifications covering Economics.
Would you like to tell us your qualifications in the matter just to gauge who is more likely to understand your oh so simplistic mathematical and economic grasp of what you stated?
The fact you barely understand anything is, for me, a fairly reliable indicator as to the relative utility of your comments
Perhaps you could write an article on it ?
A properly researched piece on UK debt might actually be interesting to your readers. You could hook them in with the factoid you quoted, and then explain the rest.
Why do you keep advising me what to write? It’s odd
You're welcome.
It's tedious and irritating, and you're already quite often tedious and irritating, so stop it
Frankly, FU.
It was a bit of intentional snark, which pales against your regular stream invective.
If you're irritated, and can't deal with that, then that's on you.
Really, all these petty ad hom. Comments ruin the site. Get a life!
Why are you having a pop at the normally restrained Nigel?
Remember it has been Pimms O'Clock in Portugal for several hours now.
My new mega millionaire friend just sent me this tweet - not by him - to illustrate his thesis that Britain is fiscally fucked and a crash is coming soon
“The UK spent £16.4bn in debt interest (not repayment) in June
That’s £438.50 for each taxpayer- for one month. £5,260 per taxpayer per year
The UK avg salary is £37,000. On that they’ll pay £4,884 of income tax
This is top tier “I’m 13 and this is deep” material.
No, I think it’s just called “maths”
Perhaps you struggle with it
I thought his post was quite accurate. You often come out with statements that are reminiscent of what we used to think when we were teenagers (eg we are all in some game).
Does it not cross your mind that the Economics and Maths is just a smidgen more complicated than what you described. That was maths for 10 year olds (I wouldn't insult a 13 year old).
You just didn’t understand it. As is often the case
I have a degree in Mathematics and some professional qualifications covering Economics.
Would you like to tell us your qualifications in the matter just to gauge who is more likely to understand your oh so simplistic mathematical and economic grasp of what you stated?
The fact you barely understand anything is, for me, a fairly reliable indicator as to the relative utility of your comments
Perhaps you could write an article on it ?
A properly researched piece on UK debt might actually be interesting to your readers. You could hook them in with the factoid you quoted, and then explain the rest.
Why do you keep advising me what to write? It’s odd
You're welcome.
It's tedious and irritating, and you're already quite often tedious and irritating, so stop it
Frankly, FU.
It was a bit of intentional snark, which pales against your regular stream invective.
If you're irritated, and can't deal with that, then that's on you.
Really, all these petty ad hom. Comments ruin the site. Get a life!
Why are you having a pop at the normally restrained Nigel?
Remember it has been Pimms O'Clock in Portugal for several hours now.
A cryptocurrency company made an ad making fun of the mess Britain finds itself. The ad was banned by the ASA
Promoting a financial investment without highlighting the risks?
That would be illegal that would
Is it not just promoting the platform ?
No different to how investment platforms advertise ?
But investment platforms have the text at the end “investments can go up and down and you may not get all your money back, etc etc”
I have managed to accumulate a few hundred thousands in pensions. I am thinking about retiring in maybe 4 years once I get the old age pension. I am increasingly anxious about where to put this money over the next few years. Our economy is a mess and getting poorer by the day. It is hard to see much growth that is not generated (short term) by debt. Very few opportunities for growth.
The western economy as a whole is not in a good place. That moron is in the White House with his ridiculous tariffs, his attack on the statistics, his appalling Big Beautiful Bill which threatens even the US's stability and financial strength, the damage he is doing is incalculable. China is wildly overexposed to a debt bubble and in danger of a collapse. Safe havens are hard to find.
If my pension funds are worth more than they are today in 4 years time I will be pleasantly surprised. If the environment for pensions is as favourable then as it is today with a major tax free lump sum and generous contributions to my pension fund on payments I would be astonished. The numbers simply do not add up.
So how do I protect myself from the chaos and crisis that is coming? It keeps me awake at night.
4 years out? Potential growth not worth any level of appreciable risk imo, get it all into as safe haven as possible and accept whatever it will currently generate on retirement day as a done deal. But that's just me. You do you!
A cryptocurrency company made an ad making fun of the mess Britain finds itself. The ad was banned by the ASA
Promoting a financial investment without highlighting the risks?
That would be illegal that would
Is it not just promoting the platform ?
No different to how investment platforms advertise ?
But investment platforms have the text at the end “investments can go up and down and you may not get all your money back, etc etc”
I have managed to accumulate a few hundred thousands in pensions. I am thinking about retiring in maybe 4 years once I get the old age pension. I am increasingly anxious about where to put this money over the next few years. Our economy is a mess and getting poorer by the day. It is hard to see much growth that is not generated (short term) by debt. Very few opportunities for growth.
The western economy as a whole is not in a good place. That moron is in the White House with his ridiculous tariffs, his attack on the statistics, his appalling Big Beautiful Bill which threatens even the US's stability and financial strength, the damage he is doing is incalculable. China is wildly overexposed to a debt bubble and in danger of a collapse. Safe havens are hard to find.
If my pension funds are worth more than they are today in 4 years time I will be pleasantly surprised. If the environment for pensions is as favourable then as it is today with a major tax free lump sum and generous contributions to my pension fund on payments I would be astonished. The numbers simply do not add up.
So how do I protect myself from the chaos and crisis that is coming? It keeps me awake at night.
I am a doctor, not a pensions advisor, so take my advice with a shovel full of salt.
I think it likely that bond yields will remain high, and interest rates positive, though if you are particularly risk adverse then consider index linked bonds, the UK government ones being RPI linked. A return to real positive interest rates bodes well for annuity, which are now a better buy than they have been for years when you do cash in.
In short, the government paying out a lot of interest is good news for savers like you, if not for the taxpayer.
I think the possibility of a financial crash in the next few years is significant. While in the short term US stocks are on a sugar rush, underlying economic news is not good there, the indicators are being manipulated by Trump. The Crypto-bubble is an obvious Ponzi scheme that will pop at some point, and bubbles typically expand fastest just before they do.
AI may well be the future, though I am not the only one who is sceptical about it being over-hyped, but even if it is, that doesn't mean current companies will benefit. With many transformative technologies there was a bubble with many losing their shirt before the transformation happened. Think dot-com and the Victorian railway boom.
I have money in equities that are moderately risky, but that is part of wider savings, property and of course my NHS pension, so an acceptable level of risk. Depending on your own assets elsewhere this may well not suit you.
Sleep well!
"I am not the only one skeptical about it being over-hyped" is doing a of confusing there
It sounds like you think it DESERVES to be hyped, but that is surely not what you meant to say. Is it?
Two hours later - during which time I've sunbathed, eaten a custard tart, done an hour's hard writing, emailed several friends, and checked the refurb of my flat - and basically all you've done is talk about me
As a narcissist, this pleases me
As an observer of human nature, I say FFS get a life you losers and stop wanking on about someone you've never even met. You're pitifully obsessed, especially @IanB2, @kjh and @occasionalranter
There is literally something wrong with you, and I mean that in a kind way
I don't think you get how every one of your posts is so ironic.
I haven't posted for 1 hr and 25 min, during which time I have been busy with a chain saw.
That seems a slight over-reaction to being annoyed with Leon.
A cryptocurrency company made an ad making fun of the mess Britain finds itself. The ad was banned by the ASA
Promoting a financial investment without highlighting the risks?
That would be illegal that would
Is it not just promoting the platform ?
No different to how investment platforms advertise ?
But investment platforms have the text at the end “investments can go up and down and you may not get all your money back, etc etc”
I have managed to accumulate a few hundred thousands in pensions. I am thinking about retiring in maybe 4 years once I get the old age pension. I am increasingly anxious about where to put this money over the next few years. Our economy is a mess and getting poorer by the day. It is hard to see much growth that is not generated (short term) by debt. Very few opportunities for growth.
The western economy as a whole is not in a good place. That moron is in the White House with his ridiculous tariffs, his attack on the statistics, his appalling Big Beautiful Bill which threatens even the US's stability and financial strength, the damage he is doing is incalculable. China is wildly overexposed to a debt bubble and in danger of a collapse. Safe havens are hard to find.
If my pension funds are worth more than they are today in 4 years time I will be pleasantly surprised. If the environment for pensions is as favourable then as it is today with a major tax free lump sum and generous contributions to my pension fund on payments I would be astonished. The numbers simply do not add up.
So how do I protect myself from the chaos and crisis that is coming? It keeps me awake at night.
I am a doctor, not a pensions advisor, so take my advice with a shovel full of salt.
I think it likely that bond yields will remain high, and interest rates positive, though if you are particularly risk adverse then consider index linked bonds, the UK government ones being RPI linked. A return to real positive interest rates bodes well for annuity, which are now a better buy than they have been for years when you do cash in.
In short, the government paying out a lot of interest is good news for savers like you, if not for the taxpayer.
I think the possibility of a financial crash in the next few years is significant. While in the short term US stocks are on a sugar rush, underlying economic news is not good there, the indicators are being manipulated by Trump. The Crypto-bubble is an obvious Ponzi scheme that will pop at some point, and bubbles typically expand fastest just before they do.
AI may well be the future, though I am not the only one who is sceptical about it being over-hyped, but even if it is, that doesn't mean current companies will benefit. With many transformative technologies there was a bubble with many losing their shirt before the transformation happened. Think dot-com and the Victorian railway boom.
I have money in equities that are moderately risky, but that is part of wider savings, property and of course my NHS pension, so an acceptable level of risk. Depending on your own assets elsewhere this may well not suit you.
Sleep well!
"I am not the only one skeptical about it being over-hyped" is doing a of confusing there
It sounds like you think it DESERVES to be hyped, but that is surely not what you meant to say. Is it?
I think it is being over-hyped as an investment, but perhaps not as a technology.
Sorry if I wasn't very clear, just having a cuppa as a break from cutting my lawn for only the second time in 2 months. The drought seems over in Leics with more rain tomorrow and Monday.
Surely that 120 must be for a tie, it looks like it's going to rain for at least half of tomorrow. England can bat out another hour today and 4h tomorrow to get a draw.
A cryptocurrency company made an ad making fun of the mess Britain finds itself. The ad was banned by the ASA
Promoting a financial investment without highlighting the risks?
That would be illegal that would
Is it not just promoting the platform ?
No different to how investment platforms advertise ?
But investment platforms have the text at the end “investments can go up and down and you may not get all your money back, etc etc”
I have managed to accumulate a few hundred thousands in pensions. I am thinking about retiring in maybe 4 years once I get the old age pension. I am increasingly anxious about where to put this money over the next few years. Our economy is a mess and getting poorer by the day. It is hard to see much growth that is not generated (short term) by debt. Very few opportunities for growth.
The western economy as a whole is not in a good place. That moron is in the White House with his ridiculous tariffs, his attack on the statistics, his appalling Big Beautiful Bill which threatens even the US's stability and financial strength, the damage he is doing is incalculable. China is wildly overexposed to a debt bubble and in danger of a collapse. Safe havens are hard to find.
If my pension funds are worth more than they are today in 4 years time I will be pleasantly surprised. If the environment for pensions is as favourable then as it is today with a major tax free lump sum and generous contributions to my pension fund on payments I would be astonished. The numbers simply do not add up.
So how do I protect myself from the chaos and crisis that is coming? It keeps me awake at night.
I am a doctor, not a pensions advisor, so take my advice with a shovel full of salt.
I think it likely that bond yields will remain high, and interest rates positive, though if you are particularly risk adverse then consider index linked bonds, the UK government ones being RPI linked. A return to real positive interest rates bodes well for annuity, which are now a better buy than they have been for years when you do cash in.
In short, the government paying out a lot of interest is good news for savers like you, if not for the taxpayer.
I think the possibility of a financial crash in the next few years is significant. While in the short term US stocks are on a sugar rush, underlying economic news is not good there, the indicators are being manipulated by Trump. The Crypto-bubble is an obvious Ponzi scheme that will pop at some point, and bubbles typically expand fastest just before they do.
AI may well be the future, though I am not the only one who is sceptical about it being over-hyped, but even if it is, that doesn't mean current companies will benefit. With many transformative technologies there was a bubble with many losing their shirt before the transformation happened. Think dot-com and the Victorian railway boom.
I have money in equities that are moderately risky, but that is part of wider savings, property and of course my NHS pension, so an acceptable level of risk. Depending on your own assets elsewhere this may well not suit you.
Sleep well!
"I am not the only one skeptical about it being over-hyped" is doing a of confusing there
It sounds like you think it DESERVES to be hyped, but that is surely not what you meant to say. Is it?
I think it is being over-hyped as an investment, but perhaps not as a technology.
Sorry if I wasn't very clear, just having a cuppa as a break from cutting my lawn for only the second time in 2 months. The drought seems over in Leics with more rain tomorrow and Monday.
I suspect the money in AI will be made by those providing the services to it.
A little like the apocryphal tale that more money was made in the Gold rush selling shovels than actually from the gold.
Two hours later - during which time I've sunbathed, eaten a custard tart, done an hour's hard writing, emailed several friends, and checked the refurb of my flat - and basically all you've done is talk about me
As a narcissist, this pleases me
As an observer of human nature, I say FFS get a life you losers and stop wanking on about someone you've never even met. You're pitifully obsessed, especially @IanB2, @kjh and @occasionalranter
There is literally something wrong with you, and I mean that in a kind way
I don't think you get how every one of your posts is so ironic.
I haven't posted for 1 hr and 25 min, during which time I have been busy with a chain saw.
That seems a slight over-reaction to being annoyed with Leon.
Is KJH auditioning to be the British Javier Millei !!
A cryptocurrency company made an ad making fun of the mess Britain finds itself. The ad was banned by the ASA
Promoting a financial investment without highlighting the risks?
That would be illegal that would
Is it not just promoting the platform ?
No different to how investment platforms advertise ?
But investment platforms have the text at the end “investments can go up and down and you may not get all your money back, etc etc”
I have managed to accumulate a few hundred thousands in pensions. I am thinking about retiring in maybe 4 years once I get the old age pension. I am increasingly anxious about where to put this money over the next few years. Our economy is a mess and getting poorer by the day. It is hard to see much growth that is not generated (short term) by debt. Very few opportunities for growth.
The western economy as a whole is not in a good place. That moron is in the White House with his ridiculous tariffs, his attack on the statistics, his appalling Big Beautiful Bill which threatens even the US's stability and financial strength, the damage he is doing is incalculable. China is wildly overexposed to a debt bubble and in danger of a collapse. Safe havens are hard to find.
If my pension funds are worth more than they are today in 4 years time I will be pleasantly surprised. If the environment for pensions is as favourable then as it is today with a major tax free lump sum and generous contributions to my pension fund on payments I would be astonished. The numbers simply do not add up.
So how do I protect myself from the chaos and crisis that is coming? It keeps me awake at night.
I am a doctor, not a pensions advisor, so take my advice with a shovel full of salt.
I think it likely that bond yields will remain high, and interest rates positive, though if you are particularly risk adverse then consider index linked bonds, the UK government ones being RPI linked. A return to real positive interest rates bodes well for annuity, which are now a better buy than they have been for years when you do cash in.
In short, the government paying out a lot of interest is good news for savers like you, if not for the taxpayer.
I think the possibility of a financial crash in the next few years is significant. While in the short term US stocks are on a sugar rush, underlying economic news is not good there, the indicators are being manipulated by Trump. The Crypto-bubble is an obvious Ponzi scheme that will pop at some point, and bubbles typically expand fastest just before they do.
AI may well be the future, though I am not the only one who is sceptical about it being over-hyped, but even if it is, that doesn't mean current companies will benefit. With many transformative technologies there was a bubble with many losing their shirt before the transformation happened. Think dot-com and the Victorian railway boom.
I have money in equities that are moderately risky, but that is part of wider savings, property and of course my NHS pension, so an acceptable level of risk. Depending on your own assets elsewhere this may well not suit you.
Sleep well!
"I am not the only one skeptical about it being over-hyped" is doing a of confusing there
It sounds like you think it DESERVES to be hyped, but that is surely not what you meant to say. Is it?
I think it is being over-hyped as an investment, but perhaps not as a technology.
Sorry if I wasn't very clear, just having a cuppa as a break from cutting my lawn for only the second time in 2 months. The drought seems over in Leics with more rain tomorrow and Monday.
Fair enough. And that's probably a politer response than I deserve after being quite feisty. I blame the lack of booze, I have discovered that being more sober actually makes me MORE combative - alcohol mellows me
I agree that it is a risky investment. I've looked at the early years of electricity, and power companies rose and fell with dramatic speed in the first decades. It was not obvious who would survive
Like electrcity, however (only more so) the technological revolution is real and will change all our lives
Two hours later - during which time I've sunbathed, eaten a custard tart, done an hour's hard writing, emailed several friends, and checked the refurb of my flat - and basically all you've done is talk about me
As a narcissist, this pleases me
As an observer of human nature, I say FFS get a life you losers and stop wanking on about someone you've never even met. You're pitifully obsessed, especially @IanB2, @kjh and @occasionalranter
There is literally something wrong with you, and I mean that in a kind way
I don't think you get how every one of your posts is so ironic.
I haven't posted for 1 hr and 25 min, during which time I have been busy with a chain saw.
That seems a slight over-reaction to being annoyed with Leon.
Is KJH auditioning to be the British Javier Millei !!
A cryptocurrency company made an ad making fun of the mess Britain finds itself. The ad was banned by the ASA
Promoting a financial investment without highlighting the risks?
That would be illegal that would
Is it not just promoting the platform ?
No different to how investment platforms advertise ?
But investment platforms have the text at the end “investments can go up and down and you may not get all your money back, etc etc”
I have managed to accumulate a few hundred thousands in pensions. I am thinking about retiring in maybe 4 years once I get the old age pension. I am increasingly anxious about where to put this money over the next few years. Our economy is a mess and getting poorer by the day. It is hard to see much growth that is not generated (short term) by debt. Very few opportunities for growth.
The western economy as a whole is not in a good place. That moron is in the White House with his ridiculous tariffs, his attack on the statistics, his appalling Big Beautiful Bill which threatens even the US's stability and financial strength, the damage he is doing is incalculable. China is wildly overexposed to a debt bubble and in danger of a collapse. Safe havens are hard to find.
If my pension funds are worth more than they are today in 4 years time I will be pleasantly surprised. If the environment for pensions is as favourable then as it is today with a major tax free lump sum and generous contributions to my pension fund on payments I would be astonished. The numbers simply do not add up.
So how do I protect myself from the chaos and crisis that is coming? It keeps me awake at night.
I am a doctor, not a pensions advisor, so take my advice with a shovel full of salt.
I think it likely that bond yields will remain high, and interest rates positive, though if you are particularly risk adverse then consider index linked bonds, the UK government ones being RPI linked. A return to real positive interest rates bodes well for annuity, which are now a better buy than they have been for years when you do cash in.
In short, the government paying out a lot of interest is good news for savers like you, if not for the taxpayer.
I think the possibility of a financial crash in the next few years is significant. While in the short term US stocks are on a sugar rush, underlying economic news is not good there, the indicators are being manipulated by Trump. The Crypto-bubble is an obvious Ponzi scheme that will pop at some point, and bubbles typically expand fastest just before they do.
AI may well be the future, though I am not the only one who is sceptical about it being over-hyped, but even if it is, that doesn't mean current companies will benefit. With many transformative technologies there was a bubble with many losing their shirt before the transformation happened. Think dot-com and the Victorian railway boom.
I have money in equities that are moderately risky, but that is part of wider savings, property and of course my NHS pension, so an acceptable level of risk. Depending on your own assets elsewhere this may well not suit you.
Sleep well!
"I am not the only one skeptical about it being over-hyped" is doing a of confusing there
It sounds like you think it DESERVES to be hyped, but that is surely not what you meant to say. Is it?
I think it is being over-hyped as an investment, but perhaps not as a technology.
Sorry if I wasn't very clear, just having a cuppa as a break from cutting my lawn for only the second time in 2 months. The drought seems over in Leics with more rain tomorrow and Monday.
I suspect the money in AI will be made by those providing the services to it.
A little like the apocryphal tale that more money was made in the Gold rush selling shovels than actually from the gold.
Some of my ancestors made their money in the Australian and NZ gold rushes. They were Presbyterian Ministers, and unpaid, and ran a bank. Many of the miners were Scottish, Welsh and Cornish, so my ancestors having a reputation and social position was a major plus for miners looking for a safe place to deposit their nuggets.
Two hours later - during which time I've sunbathed, eaten a custard tart, done an hour's hard writing, emailed several friends, and checked the refurb of my flat - and basically all you've done is talk about me
As a narcissist, this pleases me
As an observer of human nature, I say FFS get a life you losers and stop wanking on about someone you've never even met. You're pitifully obsessed, especially @IanB2, @kjh and @occasionalranter
There is literally something wrong with you, and I mean that in a kind way
I don't think you get how every one of your posts is so ironic.
I haven't posted for 1 hr and 25 min, during which time I have been busy with a chain saw.
That seems a slight over-reaction to being annoyed with Leon.
Is KJH auditioning to be the British Javier Millei !!
It gets worse. I spend a considerable amount of my time chopping wood (we have 3 stoves). It keeps you fit and boy does it get rid of any frustrations. When you have a trunk that branches into two thick trunks you really shouldn't bother with it. I've never had one beaten me yet though, but it was never worth it.
Two hours later - during which time I've sunbathed, eaten a custard tart, done an hour's hard writing, emailed several friends, and checked the refurb of my flat - and basically all you've done is talk about me
As a narcissist, this pleases me
As an observer of human nature, I say FFS get a life you losers and stop wanking on about someone you've never even met. You're pitifully obsessed, especially @IanB2, @kjh and @occasionalranter
There is literally something wrong with you, and I mean that in a kind way
I don't think you get how every one of your posts is so ironic.
I haven't posted for 1 hr and 25 min, during which time I have been busy with a chain saw.
That seems a slight over-reaction to being annoyed with Leon.
I picture his face as I slice through each trunk. No actually I don't. PB doesn't even cross my mind.
Surely that 120 must be for a tie, it looks like it's going to rain for at least half of tomorrow. England can bat out another hour today and 4h tomorrow to get a draw.
This is a 5 day match that began on Thursday, so there is Monday, as well
Surely that 120 must be for a tie, it looks like it's going to rain for at least half of tomorrow. England can bat out another hour today and 4h tomorrow to get a draw.
Two hours later - during which time I've sunbathed, eaten a custard tart, done an hour's hard writing, emailed several friends, and checked the refurb of my flat - and basically all you've done is talk about me
As a narcissist, this pleases me
As an observer of human nature, I say FFS get a life you losers and stop wanking on about someone you've never even met. You're pitifully obsessed, especially @IanB2, @kjh and @occasionalranter
There is literally something wrong with you, and I mean that in a kind way
I don't think you get how every one of your posts is so ironic.
I haven't posted for 1 hr and 25 min, during which time I have been busy with a chain saw.
You are President Javier Milei, and I claim my £5.
An interesting take from Luke Tryl on the Coinbase ad
‘ More I think about this ad the more I think it reflects a rubicon moment. Not because loads of Brits are going to suddenly invest in crypto. But because a US based company felt comfortable/able to market itself to Brits themselves on the basis of things in the UK being rubbish!’
A cryptocurrency company made an ad making fun of the mess Britain finds itself. The ad was banned by the ASA
Promoting a financial investment without highlighting the risks?
That would be illegal that would
Is it not just promoting the platform ?
No different to how investment platforms advertise ?
But investment platforms have the text at the end “investments can go up and down and you may not get all your money back, etc etc”
I have managed to accumulate a few hundred thousands in pensions. I am thinking about retiring in maybe 4 years once I get the old age pension. I am increasingly anxious about where to put this money over the next few years. Our economy is a mess and getting poorer by the day. It is hard to see much growth that is not generated (short term) by debt. Very few opportunities for growth.
The western economy as a whole is not in a good place. That moron is in the White House with his ridiculous tariffs, his attack on the statistics, his appalling Big Beautiful Bill which threatens even the US's stability and financial strength, the damage he is doing is incalculable. China is wildly overexposed to a debt bubble and in danger of a collapse. Safe havens are hard to find.
If my pension funds are worth more than they are today in 4 years time I will be pleasantly surprised. If the environment for pensions is as favourable then as it is today with a major tax free lump sum and generous contributions to my pension fund on payments I would be astonished. The numbers simply do not add up.
So how do I protect myself from the chaos and crisis that is coming? It keeps me awake at night.
I am a doctor, not a pensions advisor, so take my advice with a shovel full of salt.
I think it likely that bond yields will remain high, and interest rates positive, though if you are particularly risk adverse then consider index linked bonds, the UK government ones being RPI linked. A return to real positive interest rates bodes well for annuity, which are now a better buy than they have been for years when you do cash in.
In short, the government paying out a lot of interest is good news for savers like you, if not for the taxpayer.
I think the possibility of a financial crash in the next few years is significant. While in the short term US stocks are on a sugar rush, underlying economic news is not good there, the indicators are being manipulated by Trump. The Crypto-bubble is an obvious Ponzi scheme that will pop at some point, and bubbles typically expand fastest just before they do.
AI may well be the future, though I am not the only one who is sceptical about it being over-hyped, but even if it is, that doesn't mean current companies will benefit. With many transformative technologies there was a bubble with many losing their shirt before the transformation happened. Think dot-com and the Victorian railway boom.
I have money in equities that are moderately risky, but that is part of wider savings, property and of course my NHS pension, so an acceptable level of risk. Depending on your own assets elsewhere this may well not suit you.
Sleep well!
Yes, if it's money for a core retirement income, and someone's outlook is pessimistic or risk averse, there's a strong argument for looking for an annuity (for at least a good proportion of it), rates being relatively high at the moment compared with recent decades. Indeed if you anticipate some sort of collapse, to which a return to near zero rates would be very predictable, then an annuity is almost a no-brainer, unless you wish to retain significant flexibility over how and when you take the money.
In the latter case, there are a stack of funds that don't aim for stellar returns but should offer some protection on the downside; examples include Troy Trojan, BNY Mellon real return, Ruffer, the Rothschild RIT fund, and others. Or research a mix of steady well established companies that aren't going to go under, and pay a reliable dividend, and just sit and wait. But always DYOR.
Personally, I'd avoid putting significant money in the US right now, but then that's been my stance all year, so far not a hugely profitable one except for a few short bursts of profit when Trump was at his worst.
For my cycle trip in France it looks like I am going to have to spend a night in Calais (agggh, cock up by me). I asked for bike friendly hotels in Calais. It quite specifically identified in Calais Premier Inn (no they are not there, but they are bike friendly) and a Spanish hotel.
Two hours later - during which time I've sunbathed, eaten a custard tart, done an hour's hard writing, emailed several friends, and checked the refurb of my flat - and basically all you've done is talk about me
As a narcissist, this pleases me
As an observer of human nature, I say FFS get a life you losers and stop wanking on about someone you've never even met. You're pitifully obsessed, especially @IanB2, @kjh and @occasionalranter
There is literally something wrong with you, and I mean that in a kind way
I don't think you get how every one of your posts is so ironic.
I haven't posted for 1 hr and 25 min, during which time I have been busy with a chain saw. Prior to that it was 40 min during which I was using a hedge cutter, prior to that another 30 min gap. Over the last 10 years I averaged 3 posts a day.
I am not here most of the time. I have a very busy and active life. Somehow that does not seem true for you who is practically glued to the keyboard and PB and seems to sit around all day posting to the internet in one country or another. And sunbathing, eating a custard tart and watching paint dry is hardly what I call tripping the light fantastic.
You have absolutely no self awareness at all.
That last is certainly true. Leon lambasts others for almost every fault that he displays so regularly and reliably himself, almost as if his posts were some sort of weird ranting to the mirror.
If the war in Ukraine, Trump's trade wars and lockdown have shown us anything is we cannot rely on food imports alone
Those three examples show the opposite of what you think they show.
The war in Ukraine has shown us that we need a strong economy to be able to afford food if prices spike unexpectedly, which is delivered by free trade and competition, not protection and subsidies. Trump's trade tariffs have had nothing whatever to do with our food supply - if anythiing, they've again shown the value of free trade in food as in everything else. And lockdown, besides showing us the stupidity of lockdown, also showed that our food supplies are actually pretty robust even under the most extreme circumstances.
When I worked for Defra (as PPS) the long-standing rule was that Britain should be 70% self-sufficient - I assumed that this reflected a belief that the "missing" 30% could be made up by *some* imports or in the worst case we could manage to survive on 70%. I've not seen any indication that this IMO fairly reasonable figure has changed.
Having worked in Whitehall for many years in various capacities I have something of a nose for symptoms of a pointless department inventing spurious targets to justify its otherwise futile existence, and of its constituency, in this case the farmers, going along with it because it means higher prices and less competition. 70% seems completely arbitrary and nonsensical even by the standards of government goals.
We have been warned. Reform will be mini-me Trump 2.0 for the UK. DOGE, corrupting the civil service to rig the figures, crony business mates in the Cabinet etc etc.
How is the country to be administered if the "majority" of civil servants are fired?
Zia Yusuf
@ZiaYusufUK · 3h Enough talk of hiring in the civil service. The majority will be fired.
We have been warned. Reform will be mini-me Trump 2.0 for the UK. DOGE, corrupting the civil service to rig the figures, crony business mates in the Cabinet etc etc.
How is the country to be administered if the "majority" of civil servants are fired?
Zia Yusuf
@ZiaYusufUK · 3h Enough talk of hiring in the civil service. The majority will be fired.
An interesting take from Luke Tryl on the Coinbase ad
‘ More I think about this ad the more I think it reflects a rubicon moment. Not because loads of Brits are going to suddenly invest in crypto. But because a US based company felt comfortable/able to market itself to Brits themselves on the basis of things in the UK being rubbish!’
A cryptocurrency company made an ad making fun of the mess Britain finds itself. The ad was banned by the ASA
Promoting a financial investment without highlighting the risks?
That would be illegal that would
Is it not just promoting the platform ?
No different to how investment platforms advertise ?
But investment platforms have the text at the end “investments can go up and down and you may not get all your money back, etc etc”
I have managed to accumulate a few hundred thousands in pensions. I am thinking about retiring in maybe 4 years once I get the old age pension. I am increasingly anxious about where to put this money over the next few years. Our economy is a mess and getting poorer by the day. It is hard to see much growth that is not generated (short term) by debt. Very few opportunities for growth.
The western economy as a whole is not in a good place. That moron is in the White House with his ridiculous tariffs, his attack on the statistics, his appalling Big Beautiful Bill which threatens even the US's stability and financial strength, the damage he is doing is incalculable. China is wildly overexposed to a debt bubble and in danger of a collapse. Safe havens are hard to find.
If my pension funds are worth more than they are today in 4 years time I will be pleasantly surprised. If the environment for pensions is as favourable then as it is today with a major tax free lump sum and generous contributions to my pension fund on payments I would be astonished. The numbers simply do not add up.
So how do I protect myself from the chaos and crisis that is coming? It keeps me awake at night.
I am a doctor, not a pensions advisor, so take my advice with a shovel full of salt.
I think it likely that bond yields will remain high, and interest rates positive, though if you are particularly risk adverse then consider index linked bonds, the UK government ones being RPI linked. A return to real positive interest rates bodes well for annuity, which are now a better buy than they have been for years when you do cash in.
In short, the government paying out a lot of interest is good news for savers like you, if not for the taxpayer.
I think the possibility of a financial crash in the next few years is significant. While in the short term US stocks are on a sugar rush, underlying economic news is not good there, the indicators are being manipulated by Trump. The Crypto-bubble is an obvious Ponzi scheme that will pop at some point, and bubbles typically expand fastest just before they do.
AI may well be the future, though I am not the only one who is sceptical about it being over-hyped, but even if it is, that doesn't mean current companies will benefit. With many transformative technologies there was a bubble with many losing their shirt before the transformation happened. Think dot-com and the Victorian railway boom.
I have money in equities that are moderately risky, but that is part of wider savings, property and of course my NHS pension, so an acceptable level of risk. Depending on your own assets elsewhere this may well not suit you.
Sleep well!
Yes, if it's money for a core retirement income, and someone's outlook is pessimistic or risk averse, there's a strong argument for looking for an annuity (for at least a good proportion of it), rates being relatively high at the moment compared with recent decades. Indeed if you anticipate some sort of collapse, to which a return to near zero rates would be very predictable, then an annuity is almost a no-brainer, unless you wish to retain significant flexibility over how and when you take the money.
In the latter case, there are a stack of funds that don't aim for stellar returns but should offer some protection on the downside; examples include Troy Trojan, BNY Mellon real return, Ruffer, the Rothschild RIT fund, and others. Or research a mix of steady well established companies that aren't going to go under, and pay a reliable dividend, and just sit and wait. But always DYOR.
Personally, I'd avoid putting significant money in the US right now, but then that's been my stance all year, so far not a hugely profitable one except for a few short bursts of profit when Trump was at his worst.
I honestly think he’s best off consulting an IFA.
All of us are different and have different domestics situations and different priorities.
We have been warned. Reform will be mini-me Trump 2.0 for the UK. DOGE, corrupting the civil service to rig the figures, crony business mates in the Cabinet etc etc.
How is the country to be administered if the "majority" of civil servants are fired?
Zia Yusuf
@ZiaYusufUK · 3h Enough talk of hiring in the civil service. The majority will be fired.
We have been warned. Reform will be mini-me Trump 2.0 for the UK. DOGE, corrupting the civil service to rig the figures, crony business mates in the Cabinet etc etc.
Obviously one question is whether - even if anyone still thinks now that it would be good to be seen as a miniTrump - they will still think that after three more years of this presidency, especially taking into account three more years of cognitive decline on top of the current craziness.
A cryptocurrency company made an ad making fun of the mess Britain finds itself. The ad was banned by the ASA
Promoting a financial investment without highlighting the risks?
That would be illegal that would
Is it not just promoting the platform ?
No different to how investment platforms advertise ?
But investment platforms have the text at the end “investments can go up and down and you may not get all your money back, etc etc”
I have managed to accumulate a few hundred thousands in pensions. I am thinking about retiring in maybe 4 years once I get the old age pension. I am increasingly anxious about where to put this money over the next few years. Our economy is a mess and getting poorer by the day. It is hard to see much growth that is not generated (short term) by debt. Very few opportunities for growth.
The western economy as a whole is not in a good place. That moron is in the White House with his ridiculous tariffs, his attack on the statistics, his appalling Big Beautiful Bill which threatens even the US's stability and financial strength, the damage he is doing is incalculable. China is wildly overexposed to a debt bubble and in danger of a collapse. Safe havens are hard to find.
If my pension funds are worth more than they are today in 4 years time I will be pleasantly surprised. If the environment for pensions is as favourable then as it is today with a major tax free lump sum and generous contributions to my pension fund on payments I would be astonished. The numbers simply do not add up.
So how do I protect myself from the chaos and crisis that is coming? It keeps me awake at night.
I am a doctor, not a pensions advisor, so take my advice with a shovel full of salt.
I think it likely that bond yields will remain high, and interest rates positive, though if you are particularly risk adverse then consider index linked bonds, the UK government ones being RPI linked. A return to real positive interest rates bodes well for annuity, which are now a better buy than they have been for years when you do cash in.
In short, the government paying out a lot of interest is good news for savers like you, if not for the taxpayer.
I think the possibility of a financial crash in the next few years is significant. While in the short term US stocks are on a sugar rush, underlying economic news is not good there, the indicators are being manipulated by Trump. The Crypto-bubble is an obvious Ponzi scheme that will pop at some point, and bubbles typically expand fastest just before they do.
AI may well be the future, though I am not the only one who is sceptical about it being over-hyped, but even if it is, that doesn't mean current companies will benefit. With many transformative technologies there was a bubble with many losing their shirt before the transformation happened. Think dot-com and the Victorian railway boom.
I have money in equities that are moderately risky, but that is part of wider savings, property and of course my NHS pension, so an acceptable level of risk. Depending on your own assets elsewhere this may well not suit you.
Sleep well!
"I am not the only one skeptical about it being over-hyped" is doing a of confusing there
It sounds like you think it DESERVES to be hyped, but that is surely not what you meant to say. Is it?
I think it is being over-hyped as an investment, but perhaps not as a technology.
Sorry if I wasn't very clear, just having a cuppa as a break from cutting my lawn for only the second time in 2 months. The drought seems over in Leics with more rain tomorrow and Monday.
Fair enough. And that's probably a politer response than I deserve after being quite feisty. I blame the lack of booze, I have discovered that being more sober actually makes me MORE combative - alcohol mellows me
I agree that it is a risky investment. I've looked at the early years of electricity, and power companies rose and fell with dramatic speed in the first decades. It was not obvious who would survive
Like electrcity, however (only more so) the technological revolution is real and will change all our lives
The glaring problem is that inference takes real resources which cost real money, and doesn't much benefit from economies of scale once you get beyond a trivial level.
The $300bn valuation of OpenAI based on yesterday's raise doesn't seem so terrifying when measured by the standards of Facebook or Google 15 years ago... it's "only" 23x their $13bn ARR, after all. But once Facebook and Google scaled enough to cover their (admittedly huge) overheads, the rest was pure profit.
OpenAI are nowhere near that - even if they sell $200 of tokens a month to everyone on the planet, their margins will still be negative for the foreseeable future.
The tech is real, and I'm sure someone will eventually work out how to pay for it. But we've not had an economic boom based on a linear cost of scaling for a very long time - not semiconductors, not personal computing, not networking, not dot com, not web 2.0, not crypto. Does anyone really know how to value it?
A cryptocurrency company made an ad making fun of the mess Britain finds itself. The ad was banned by the ASA
Promoting a financial investment without highlighting the risks?
That would be illegal that would
Is it not just promoting the platform ?
No different to how investment platforms advertise ?
But investment platforms have the text at the end “investments can go up and down and you may not get all your money back, etc etc”
I have managed to accumulate a few hundred thousands in pensions. I am thinking about retiring in maybe 4 years once I get the old age pension. I am increasingly anxious about where to put this money over the next few years. Our economy is a mess and getting poorer by the day. It is hard to see much growth that is not generated (short term) by debt. Very few opportunities for growth.
The western economy as a whole is not in a good place. That moron is in the White House with his ridiculous tariffs, his attack on the statistics, his appalling Big Beautiful Bill which threatens even the US's stability and financial strength, the damage he is doing is incalculable. China is wildly overexposed to a debt bubble and in danger of a collapse. Safe havens are hard to find.
If my pension funds are worth more than they are today in 4 years time I will be pleasantly surprised. If the environment for pensions is as favourable then as it is today with a major tax free lump sum and generous contributions to my pension fund on payments I would be astonished. The numbers simply do not add up.
So how do I protect myself from the chaos and crisis that is coming? It keeps me awake at night.
I am a doctor, not a pensions advisor, so take my advice with a shovel full of salt.
I think it likely that bond yields will remain high, and interest rates positive, though if you are particularly risk adverse then consider index linked bonds, the UK government ones being RPI linked. A return to real positive interest rates bodes well for annuity, which are now a better buy than they have been for years when you do cash in.
In short, the government paying out a lot of interest is good news for savers like you, if not for the taxpayer.
I think the possibility of a financial crash in the next few years is significant. While in the short term US stocks are on a sugar rush, underlying economic news is not good there, the indicators are being manipulated by Trump. The Crypto-bubble is an obvious Ponzi scheme that will pop at some point, and bubbles typically expand fastest just before they do.
AI may well be the future, though I am not the only one who is sceptical about it being over-hyped, but even if it is, that doesn't mean current companies will benefit. With many transformative technologies there was a bubble with many losing their shirt before the transformation happened. Think dot-com and the Victorian railway boom.
I have money in equities that are moderately risky, but that is part of wider savings, property and of course my NHS pension, so an acceptable level of risk. Depending on your own assets elsewhere this may well not suit you.
Sleep well!
Yes, if it's money for a core retirement income, and someone's outlook is pessimistic or risk averse, there's a strong argument for looking for an annuity (for at least a good proportion of it), rates being relatively high at the moment compared with recent decades. Indeed if you anticipate some sort of collapse, to which a return to near zero rates would be very predictable, then an annuity is almost a no-brainer, unless you wish to retain significant flexibility over how and when you take the money.
In the latter case, there are a stack of funds that don't aim for stellar returns but should offer some protection on the downside; examples include Troy Trojan, BNY Mellon real return, Ruffer, the Rothschild RIT fund, and others. Or research a mix of steady well established companies that aren't going to go under, and pay a reliable dividend, and just sit and wait. But always DYOR.
Personally, I'd avoid putting significant money in the US right now, but then that's been my stance all year, so far not a hugely profitable one except for a few short bursts of profit when Trump was at his worst.
I honestly think he’s best off consulting an IFA.
All of us are different and have different domestics situations and different priorities.
I think as well as individual financial circumstances, one needs to consider what you actually want to do in retirement.
Firstly you need to be coldly actuarial on how long you will live. Of course no one can be certain, but actuaries are actually quite good at these things, better in many ways than my own profession. Then consider how many of those years are going to be in good health. It is important to have some idea of this for planning.
My experience (and I have many older patients) is that once over 80 the desire for travel and consumer goods is pretty much gone, though health related expenditure may rise. I would therefore recommend front loading the pension withdrawals so that you have a higher income between the ages of 67-80 than afterwards.
A cryptocurrency company made an ad making fun of the mess Britain finds itself. The ad was banned by the ASA
Promoting a financial investment without highlighting the risks?
That would be illegal that would
Is it not just promoting the platform ?
No different to how investment platforms advertise ?
But investment platforms have the text at the end “investments can go up and down and you may not get all your money back, etc etc”
I have managed to accumulate a few hundred thousands in pensions. I am thinking about retiring in maybe 4 years once I get the old age pension. I am increasingly anxious about where to put this money over the next few years. Our economy is a mess and getting poorer by the day. It is hard to see much growth that is not generated (short term) by debt. Very few opportunities for growth.
The western economy as a whole is not in a good place. That moron is in the White House with his ridiculous tariffs, his attack on the statistics, his appalling Big Beautiful Bill which threatens even the US's stability and financial strength, the damage he is doing is incalculable. China is wildly overexposed to a debt bubble and in danger of a collapse. Safe havens are hard to find.
If my pension funds are worth more than they are today in 4 years time I will be pleasantly surprised. If the environment for pensions is as favourable then as it is today with a major tax free lump sum and generous contributions to my pension fund on payments I would be astonished. The numbers simply do not add up.
So how do I protect myself from the chaos and crisis that is coming? It keeps me awake at night.
I am a doctor, not a pensions advisor, so take my advice with a shovel full of salt.
I think it likely that bond yields will remain high, and interest rates positive, though if you are particularly risk adverse then consider index linked bonds, the UK government ones being RPI linked. A return to real positive interest rates bodes well for annuity, which are now a better buy than they have been for years when you do cash in.
In short, the government paying out a lot of interest is good news for savers like you, if not for the taxpayer.
I think the possibility of a financial crash in the next few years is significant. While in the short term US stocks are on a sugar rush, underlying economic news is not good there, the indicators are being manipulated by Trump. The Crypto-bubble is an obvious Ponzi scheme that will pop at some point, and bubbles typically expand fastest just before they do.
AI may well be the future, though I am not the only one who is sceptical about it being over-hyped, but even if it is, that doesn't mean current companies will benefit. With many transformative technologies there was a bubble with many losing their shirt before the transformation happened. Think dot-com and the Victorian railway boom.
I have money in equities that are moderately risky, but that is part of wider savings, property and of course my NHS pension, so an acceptable level of risk. Depending on your own assets elsewhere this may well not suit you.
Sleep well!
"I am not the only one skeptical about it being over-hyped" is doing a of confusing there
It sounds like you think it DESERVES to be hyped, but that is surely not what you meant to say. Is it?
I think it is being over-hyped as an investment, but perhaps not as a technology.
Sorry if I wasn't very clear, just having a cuppa as a break from cutting my lawn for only the second time in 2 months. The drought seems over in Leics with more rain tomorrow and Monday.
Fair enough. And that's probably a politer response than I deserve after being quite feisty. I blame the lack of booze, I have discovered that being more sober actually makes me MORE combative - alcohol mellows me
I agree that it is a risky investment. I've looked at the early years of electricity, and power companies rose and fell with dramatic speed in the first decades. It was not obvious who would survive
Like electrcity, however (only more so) the technological revolution is real and will change all our lives
The glaring problem is that inference takes real resources which cost real money, and doesn't much benefit from economies of scale once you get beyond a trivial level.
The $300bn valuation of OpenAI based on yesterday's raise doesn't seem so terrifying when measured by the standards of Facebook or Google 15 years ago... it's "only" 23x their $13bn ARR, after all. But once Facebook and Google scaled enough to cover their (admittedly huge) overheads, the rest was pure profit.
OpenAI are nowhere near that - even if they sell $200 of tokens a month to everyone on the planet, their margins will still be negative for the foreseeable future.
The tech is real, and I'm sure someone will eventually work out how to pay for it. But we've not had an economic boom based on a linear cost of scaling for a very long time - not semiconductors, not personal computing, not networking, not dot com, not web 2.0, not crypto. Does anyone really know how to value it?
As it happens, we've just spent the day with a real tech expert (*), and one of the things we chatted about was AI. His view was similar to mine; that it would be a bigger version of the DotCom bubble. He also opined that the sooner the bust comes, the better it will be for everyone.
As your last paragraph states, that does not mean the current tech is not without value. Just that the current tech is worth nowhere near what is being invested.
A cryptocurrency company made an ad making fun of the mess Britain finds itself. The ad was banned by the ASA
Promoting a financial investment without highlighting the risks?
That would be illegal that would
Is it not just promoting the platform ?
No different to how investment platforms advertise ?
But investment platforms have the text at the end “investments can go up and down and you may not get all your money back, etc etc”
I have managed to accumulate a few hundred thousands in pensions. I am thinking about retiring in maybe 4 years once I get the old age pension. I am increasingly anxious about where to put this money over the next few years. Our economy is a mess and getting poorer by the day. It is hard to see much growth that is not generated (short term) by debt. Very few opportunities for growth.
The western economy as a whole is not in a good place. That moron is in the White House with his ridiculous tariffs, his attack on the statistics, his appalling Big Beautiful Bill which threatens even the US's stability and financial strength, the damage he is doing is incalculable. China is wildly overexposed to a debt bubble and in danger of a collapse. Safe havens are hard to find.
If my pension funds are worth more than they are today in 4 years time I will be pleasantly surprised. If the environment for pensions is as favourable then as it is today with a major tax free lump sum and generous contributions to my pension fund on payments I would be astonished. The numbers simply do not add up.
So how do I protect myself from the chaos and crisis that is coming? It keeps me awake at night.
I am a doctor, not a pensions advisor, so take my advice with a shovel full of salt.
I think it likely that bond yields will remain high, and interest rates positive, though if you are particularly risk adverse then consider index linked bonds, the UK government ones being RPI linked. A return to real positive interest rates bodes well for annuity, which are now a better buy than they have been for years when you do cash in.
In short, the government paying out a lot of interest is good news for savers like you, if not for the taxpayer.
I think the possibility of a financial crash in the next few years is significant. While in the short term US stocks are on a sugar rush, underlying economic news is not good there, the indicators are being manipulated by Trump. The Crypto-bubble is an obvious Ponzi scheme that will pop at some point, and bubbles typically expand fastest just before they do.
AI may well be the future, though I am not the only one who is sceptical about it being over-hyped, but even if it is, that doesn't mean current companies will benefit. With many transformative technologies there was a bubble with many losing their shirt before the transformation happened. Think dot-com and the Victorian railway boom.
I have money in equities that are moderately risky, but that is part of wider savings, property and of course my NHS pension, so an acceptable level of risk. Depending on your own assets elsewhere this may well not suit you.
Sleep well!
Yes, if it's money for a core retirement income, and someone's outlook is pessimistic or risk averse, there's a strong argument for looking for an annuity (for at least a good proportion of it), rates being relatively high at the moment compared with recent decades. Indeed if you anticipate some sort of collapse, to which a return to near zero rates would be very predictable, then an annuity is almost a no-brainer, unless you wish to retain significant flexibility over how and when you take the money.
In the latter case, there are a stack of funds that don't aim for stellar returns but should offer some protection on the downside; examples include Troy Trojan, BNY Mellon real return, Ruffer, the Rothschild RIT fund, and others. Or research a mix of steady well established companies that aren't going to go under, and pay a reliable dividend, and just sit and wait. But always DYOR.
Personally, I'd avoid putting significant money in the US right now, but then that's been my stance all year, so far not a hugely profitable one except for a few short bursts of profit when Trump was at his worst.
I honestly think he’s best off consulting an IFA.
All of us are different and have different domestics situations and different priorities.
I think as well as individual financial circumstances, one needs to consider what you actually want to do in retirement.
Firstly you need to be coldly actuarial on how long you will live. Of course no one can be certain, but actuaries are actually quite good at these things, better in many ways than my own profession. Then consider how many of those years are going to be in good health. It is important to have some idea of this for planning.
My experience (and I have many older patients) is that once over 80 the desire for travel and consumer goods is pretty much gone, though health related expenditure may rise. I would therefore recommend front loading the pension withdrawals so that you have a higher income between the ages of 67-80 than afterwards.
The other one I find very interesting is the budgeting conversation.
I can’t be the only one who sees the alleged minimum/moderate/comfortable retirement income figures and thinks they seem very arbitrary, and often rather pessimistic. I appreciate these things are guidelines and are not meant to be completely literal, and different circumstances will apply, but the idea that a circa £32k annual spend (or 42k for a couple!) assuming no mortgage, will only get you one holiday and a weekend away, and 2 meals out a month, seems wildly out of whack.
A cryptocurrency company made an ad making fun of the mess Britain finds itself. The ad was banned by the ASA
Promoting a financial investment without highlighting the risks?
That would be illegal that would
Is it not just promoting the platform ?
No different to how investment platforms advertise ?
But investment platforms have the text at the end “investments can go up and down and you may not get all your money back, etc etc”
I have managed to accumulate a few hundred thousands in pensions. I am thinking about retiring in maybe 4 years once I get the old age pension. I am increasingly anxious about where to put this money over the next few years. Our economy is a mess and getting poorer by the day. It is hard to see much growth that is not generated (short term) by debt. Very few opportunities for growth.
The western economy as a whole is not in a good place. That moron is in the White House with his ridiculous tariffs, his attack on the statistics, his appalling Big Beautiful Bill which threatens even the US's stability and financial strength, the damage he is doing is incalculable. China is wildly overexposed to a debt bubble and in danger of a collapse. Safe havens are hard to find.
If my pension funds are worth more than they are today in 4 years time I will be pleasantly surprised. If the environment for pensions is as favourable then as it is today with a major tax free lump sum and generous contributions to my pension fund on payments I would be astonished. The numbers simply do not add up.
So how do I protect myself from the chaos and crisis that is coming? It keeps me awake at night.
I am a doctor, not a pensions advisor, so take my advice with a shovel full of salt.
I think it likely that bond yields will remain high, and interest rates positive, though if you are particularly risk adverse then consider index linked bonds, the UK government ones being RPI linked. A return to real positive interest rates bodes well for annuity, which are now a better buy than they have been for years when you do cash in.
In short, the government paying out a lot of interest is good news for savers like you, if not for the taxpayer.
I think the possibility of a financial crash in the next few years is significant. While in the short term US stocks are on a sugar rush, underlying economic news is not good there, the indicators are being manipulated by Trump. The Crypto-bubble is an obvious Ponzi scheme that will pop at some point, and bubbles typically expand fastest just before they do.
AI may well be the future, though I am not the only one who is sceptical about it being over-hyped, but even if it is, that doesn't mean current companies will benefit. With many transformative technologies there was a bubble with many losing their shirt before the transformation happened. Think dot-com and the Victorian railway boom.
I have money in equities that are moderately risky, but that is part of wider savings, property and of course my NHS pension, so an acceptable level of risk. Depending on your own assets elsewhere this may well not suit you.
Sleep well!
Yes, if it's money for a core retirement income, and someone's outlook is pessimistic or risk averse, there's a strong argument for looking for an annuity (for at least a good proportion of it), rates being relatively high at the moment compared with recent decades. Indeed if you anticipate some sort of collapse, to which a return to near zero rates would be very predictable, then an annuity is almost a no-brainer, unless you wish to retain significant flexibility over how and when you take the money.
In the latter case, there are a stack of funds that don't aim for stellar returns but should offer some protection on the downside; examples include Troy Trojan, BNY Mellon real return, Ruffer, the Rothschild RIT fund, and others. Or research a mix of steady well established companies that aren't going to go under, and pay a reliable dividend, and just sit and wait. But always DYOR.
Personally, I'd avoid putting significant money in the US right now, but then that's been my stance all year, so far not a hugely profitable one except for a few short bursts of profit when Trump was at his worst.
I honestly think he’s best off consulting an IFA.
All of us are different and have different domestics situations and different priorities.
I think as well as individual financial circumstances, one needs to consider what you actually want to do in retirement.
Firstly you need to be coldly actuarial on how long you will live. Of course no one can be certain, but actuaries are actually quite good at these things, better in many ways than my own profession. Then consider how many of those years are going to be in good health. It is important to have some idea of this for planning.
My experience (and I have many older patients) is that once over 80 the desire for travel and consumer goods is pretty much gone, though health related expenditure may rise. I would therefore recommend front loading the pension withdrawals so that you have a higher income between the ages of 67-80 than afterwards.
The huge unknown is the cost of any social care. If you have a partner/spouse who lives in the same house then you may sadly need maybe ≈ £125K stashed to fund two years in a care home near the end. Otherwise you are reliant on either selling the property and spouse downsizing or face the local council paying and therefore choosing the care home you will be in. It will not be good unless you can top up fees and persuade them to send you elsewhere. Two years is the rough average time iirc you will require. V hard to plan for longer as Reeves ditched the cap that had cross-party agreement as soon as she took office.
Sorry to be bleak but this is the reality of the current situation.
We have been warned. Reform will be mini-me Trump 2.0 for the UK. DOGE, corrupting the civil service to rig the figures, crony business mates in the Cabinet etc etc.
How is the country to be administered if the "majority" of civil servants are fired?
Zia Yusuf
@ZiaYusufUK · 3h Enough talk of hiring in the civil service. The majority will be fired.
A cryptocurrency company made an ad making fun of the mess Britain finds itself. The ad was banned by the ASA
Promoting a financial investment without highlighting the risks?
That would be illegal that would
Is it not just promoting the platform ?
No different to how investment platforms advertise ?
But investment platforms have the text at the end “investments can go up and down and you may not get all your money back, etc etc”
I have managed to accumulate a few hundred thousands in pensions. I am thinking about retiring in maybe 4 years once I get the old age pension. I am increasingly anxious about where to put this money over the next few years. Our economy is a mess and getting poorer by the day. It is hard to see much growth that is not generated (short term) by debt. Very few opportunities for growth.
The western economy as a whole is not in a good place. That moron is in the White House with his ridiculous tariffs, his attack on the statistics, his appalling Big Beautiful Bill which threatens even the US's stability and financial strength, the damage he is doing is incalculable. China is wildly overexposed to a debt bubble and in danger of a collapse. Safe havens are hard to find.
If my pension funds are worth more than they are today in 4 years time I will be pleasantly surprised. If the environment for pensions is as favourable then as it is today with a major tax free lump sum and generous contributions to my pension fund on payments I would be astonished. The numbers simply do not add up.
So how do I protect myself from the chaos and crisis that is coming? It keeps me awake at night.
If you were an Austrian lawyer in 1912, pretty much every option was terrible.
Surely that 120 must be for a tie, it looks like it's going to rain for at least half of tomorrow. England can bat out another hour today and 4h tomorrow to get a draw.
This is a 5 day match that began on Thursday, so there is Monday, as well
Oh yeah shit, completely forgot that it's only day three.
On what I suspect may be the last serious post of the night, this is quite good on Kruger's speech - looking at the question underneath, and taking it beyond just religion. What does a Christian Society mean at this time? :
T. S. ELIOT got it just right when he argued that a Christian society would be one in which “the natural end of man — virtue and well-being in community — would be acknowledged for all, and the supernatural end — beatitude — for those who have eyes to see it."
The importance of this definition is, first of all, in its rejection of individualism; for the end is well-being in community, for everyone. Then, what startles the modern mind is the inclusion of the word “virtue” — but this is just what our society needs now. Virtue cannot be imposed by the State, which can only make laws. But, unless virtue, or what we might call fundamental decency, is a feature of society, the part played by the State will be little better than that of a cage to stop us tearing one another apart.
In recent decades, our society and its governments have been shaped by a combination of market and social liberalism. In other words, the only value that has been recognised is that of free choice, both in the market to buy what you want, and in personal life to do what you want.
This is Lord Harries, former Bishop of Oxford. I don't agree with his whole piece, but it is interesting. At that site it is 2 free articles per month.
(I'm assuming the TS Eliot quote is from "The idea of a Christian society", 1928.)
A cryptocurrency company made an ad making fun of the mess Britain finds itself. The ad was banned by the ASA
Promoting a financial investment without highlighting the risks?
That would be illegal that would
Is it not just promoting the platform ?
No different to how investment platforms advertise ?
But investment platforms have the text at the end “investments can go up and down and you may not get all your money back, etc etc”
I have managed to accumulate a few hundred thousands in pensions. I am thinking about retiring in maybe 4 years once I get the old age pension. I am increasingly anxious about where to put this money over the next few years. Our economy is a mess and getting poorer by the day. It is hard to see much growth that is not generated (short term) by debt. Very few opportunities for growth.
The western economy as a whole is not in a good place. That moron is in the White House with his ridiculous tariffs, his attack on the statistics, his appalling Big Beautiful Bill which threatens even the US's stability and financial strength, the damage he is doing is incalculable. China is wildly overexposed to a debt bubble and in danger of a collapse. Safe havens are hard to find.
If my pension funds are worth more than they are today in 4 years time I will be pleasantly surprised. If the environment for pensions is as favourable then as it is today with a major tax free lump sum and generous contributions to my pension fund on payments I would be astonished. The numbers simply do not add up.
So how do I protect myself from the chaos and crisis that is coming? It keeps me awake at night.
If you were an Austrian lawyer in 1912, pretty much every option was terrible.
Sorry.
Well, gee ta Robert. That is exactly the sort of encouragement I was looking for (not).
Two hours later - during which time I've sunbathed, eaten a custard tart, done an hour's hard writing, emailed several friends, and checked the refurb of my flat - and basically all you've done is talk about me
As a narcissist, this pleases me
As an observer of human nature, I say FFS get a life you losers and stop wanking on about someone you've never even met. You're pitifully obsessed, especially @IanB2, @kjh and @occasionalranter
There is literally something wrong with you, and I mean that in a kind way
I don't think you get how every one of your posts is so ironic.
I haven't posted for 1 hr and 25 min, during which time I have been busy with a chain saw.
You are President Javier Milei, and I claim my £5.
@taz beat you to it. In the pub now so have put the chainsaw down. I can't be the only one on PB to wield a chainsaw and axe.
I was carrying an axe when I asked one of the guys installing one of our stoves how it was going. He said it was going fine, but he always says that to anyone carrying an axe.
We have been warned. Reform will be mini-me Trump 2.0 for the UK. DOGE, corrupting the civil service to rig the figures, crony business mates in the Cabinet etc etc.
How is the country to be administered if the "majority" of civil servants are fired?
Zia Yusuf
@ZiaYusufUK · 3h Enough talk of hiring in the civil service. The majority will be fired.
Sadly, I don't see Reform as having the wit or imagination to being anything other than Trump 2.0. I suspect they're be manically following a formula the moment everyone in the US is desperate to disown it.
On what I suspect may be the last serious post of the night, this is quite good on Kruger's speech - looking at the question underneath, and taking it beyond just religion. What does a Christian Society mean at this time? :
T. S. ELIOT got it just right when he argued that a Christian society would be one in which “the natural end of man — virtue and well-being in community — would be acknowledged for all, and the supernatural end — beatitude — for those who have eyes to see it."
The importance of this definition is, first of all, in its rejection of individualism; for the end is well-being in community, for everyone. Then, what startles the modern mind is the inclusion of the word “virtue” — but this is just what our society needs now. Virtue cannot be imposed by the State, which can only make laws. But, unless virtue, or what we might call fundamental decency, is a feature of society, the part played by the State will be little better than that of a cage to stop us tearing one another apart.
In recent decades, our society and its governments have been shaped by a combination of market and social liberalism. In other words, the only value that has been recognised is that of free choice, both in the market to buy what you want, and in personal life to do what you want.
This is Lord Harries, former Bishop of Oxford. I don't agree with his whole piece, but it is interesting. At that site it is 2 free articles per month.
(I'm assuming the TS Eliot quote is from "The idea of a Christian society", 1928.)
Virtue is not restricted to Christiians of course, but I would suggest that what he is describing is the benefit of virtuous behaviour to society in general. There was a good article on this recently in the Atlantic
A cryptocurrency company made an ad making fun of the mess Britain finds itself. The ad was banned by the ASA
Promoting a financial investment without highlighting the risks?
That would be illegal that would
Is it not just promoting the platform ?
No different to how investment platforms advertise ?
But investment platforms have the text at the end “investments can go up and down and you may not get all your money back, etc etc”
I have managed to accumulate a few hundred thousands in pensions. I am thinking about retiring in maybe 4 years once I get the old age pension. I am increasingly anxious about where to put this money over the next few years. Our economy is a mess and getting poorer by the day. It is hard to see much growth that is not generated (short term) by debt. Very few opportunities for growth.
The western economy as a whole is not in a good place. That moron is in the White House with his ridiculous tariffs, his attack on the statistics, his appalling Big Beautiful Bill which threatens even the US's stability and financial strength, the damage he is doing is incalculable. China is wildly overexposed to a debt bubble and in danger of a collapse. Safe havens are hard to find.
If my pension funds are worth more than they are today in 4 years time I will be pleasantly surprised. If the environment for pensions is as favourable then as it is today with a major tax free lump sum and generous contributions to my pension fund on payments I would be astonished. The numbers simply do not add up.
So how do I protect myself from the chaos and crisis that is coming? It keeps me awake at night.
I am a doctor, not a pensions advisor, so take my advice with a shovel full of salt.
I think it likely that bond yields will remain high, and interest rates positive, though if you are particularly risk adverse then consider index linked bonds, the UK government ones being RPI linked. A return to real positive interest rates bodes well for annuity, which are now a better buy than they have been for years when you do cash in.
In short, the government paying out a lot of interest is good news for savers like you, if not for the taxpayer.
I think the possibility of a financial crash in the next few years is significant. While in the short term US stocks are on a sugar rush, underlying economic news is not good there, the indicators are being manipulated by Trump. The Crypto-bubble is an obvious Ponzi scheme that will pop at some point, and bubbles typically expand fastest just before they do.
AI may well be the future, though I am not the only one who is sceptical about it being over-hyped, but even if it is, that doesn't mean current companies will benefit. With many transformative technologies there was a bubble with many losing their shirt before the transformation happened. Think dot-com and the Victorian railway boom.
I have money in equities that are moderately risky, but that is part of wider savings, property and of course my NHS pension, so an acceptable level of risk. Depending on your own assets elsewhere this may well not suit you.
Sleep well!
Yes, if it's money for a core retirement income, and someone's outlook is pessimistic or risk averse, there's a strong argument for looking for an annuity (for at least a good proportion of it), rates being relatively high at the moment compared with recent decades. Indeed if you anticipate some sort of collapse, to which a return to near zero rates would be very predictable, then an annuity is almost a no-brainer, unless you wish to retain significant flexibility over how and when you take the money.
In the latter case, there are a stack of funds that don't aim for stellar returns but should offer some protection on the downside; examples include Troy Trojan, BNY Mellon real return, Ruffer, the Rothschild RIT fund, and others. Or research a mix of steady well established companies that aren't going to go under, and pay a reliable dividend, and just sit and wait. But always DYOR.
Personally, I'd avoid putting significant money in the US right now, but then that's been my stance all year, so far not a hugely profitable one except for a few short bursts of profit when Trump was at his worst.
I honestly think he’s best off consulting an IFA.
All of us are different and have different domestics situations and different priorities.
I think as well as individual financial circumstances, one needs to consider what you actually want to do in retirement.
Firstly you need to be coldly actuarial on how long you will live. Of course no one can be certain, but actuaries are actually quite good at these things, better in many ways than my own profession. Then consider how many of those years are going to be in good health. It is important to have some idea of this for planning.
My experience (and I have many older patients) is that once over 80 the desire for travel and consumer goods is pretty much gone, though health related expenditure may rise. I would therefore recommend front loading the pension withdrawals so that you have a higher income between the ages of 67-80 than afterwards.
The huge unknown is the cost of any social care. If you have a partner/spouse who lives in the same house then you may sadly need maybe ≈ £125K stashed to fund two years in a care home near the end. Otherwise you are reliant on either selling the property and spouse downsizing or face the local council paying and therefore choosing the care home you will be in. It will not be good unless you can top up fees and persuade them to send you elsewhere. Two years is the rough average time iirc you will require. V hard to plan for longer as Reeves ditched the cap that had cross-party agreement as soon as she took office.
Sorry to be bleak but this is the reality of the current situation.
And when planning for care, please do NOT expect any more help to come from the State in terms of capping fees etc cos it's not going to happen. It will cost too much and both major parties are unwilling to address it for that reason.
A cryptocurrency company made an ad making fun of the mess Britain finds itself. The ad was banned by the ASA
Promoting a financial investment without highlighting the risks?
That would be illegal that would
Is it not just promoting the platform ?
No different to how investment platforms advertise ?
But investment platforms have the text at the end “investments can go up and down and you may not get all your money back, etc etc”
I have managed to accumulate a few hundred thousands in pensions. I am thinking about retiring in maybe 4 years once I get the old age pension. I am increasingly anxious about where to put this money over the next few years. Our economy is a mess and getting poorer by the day. It is hard to see much growth that is not generated (short term) by debt. Very few opportunities for growth.
The western economy as a whole is not in a good place. That moron is in the White House with his ridiculous tariffs, his attack on the statistics, his appalling Big Beautiful Bill which threatens even the US's stability and financial strength, the damage he is doing is incalculable. China is wildly overexposed to a debt bubble and in danger of a collapse. Safe havens are hard to find.
If my pension funds are worth more than they are today in 4 years time I will be pleasantly surprised. If the environment for pensions is as favourable then as it is today with a major tax free lump sum and generous contributions to my pension fund on payments I would be astonished. The numbers simply do not add up.
So how do I protect myself from the chaos and crisis that is coming? It keeps me awake at night.
I am a doctor, not a pensions advisor, so take my advice with a shovel full of salt.
I think it likely that bond yields will remain high, and interest rates positive, though if you are particularly risk adverse then consider index linked bonds, the UK government ones being RPI linked. A return to real positive interest rates bodes well for annuity, which are now a better buy than they have been for years when you do cash in.
In short, the government paying out a lot of interest is good news for savers like you, if not for the taxpayer.
I think the possibility of a financial crash in the next few years is significant. While in the short term US stocks are on a sugar rush, underlying economic news is not good there, the indicators are being manipulated by Trump. The Crypto-bubble is an obvious Ponzi scheme that will pop at some point, and bubbles typically expand fastest just before they do.
AI may well be the future, though I am not the only one who is sceptical about it being over-hyped, but even if it is, that doesn't mean current companies will benefit. With many transformative technologies there was a bubble with many losing their shirt before the transformation happened. Think dot-com and the Victorian railway boom.
I have money in equities that are moderately risky, but that is part of wider savings, property and of course my NHS pension, so an acceptable level of risk. Depending on your own assets elsewhere this may well not suit you.
Sleep well!
Yes, if it's money for a core retirement income, and someone's outlook is pessimistic or risk averse, there's a strong argument for looking for an annuity (for at least a good proportion of it), rates being relatively high at the moment compared with recent decades. Indeed if you anticipate some sort of collapse, to which a return to near zero rates would be very predictable, then an annuity is almost a no-brainer, unless you wish to retain significant flexibility over how and when you take the money.
In the latter case, there are a stack of funds that don't aim for stellar returns but should offer some protection on the downside; examples include Troy Trojan, BNY Mellon real return, Ruffer, the Rothschild RIT fund, and others. Or research a mix of steady well established companies that aren't going to go under, and pay a reliable dividend, and just sit and wait. But always DYOR.
Personally, I'd avoid putting significant money in the US right now, but then that's been my stance all year, so far not a hugely profitable one except for a few short bursts of profit when Trump was at his worst.
I honestly think he’s best off consulting an IFA.
All of us are different and have different domestics situations and different priorities.
I think as well as individual financial circumstances, one needs to consider what you actually want to do in retirement.
Firstly you need to be coldly actuarial on how long you will live. Of course no one can be certain, but actuaries are actually quite good at these things, better in many ways than my own profession. Then consider how many of those years are going to be in good health. It is important to have some idea of this for planning.
My experience (and I have many older patients) is that once over 80 the desire for travel and consumer goods is pretty much gone, though health related expenditure may rise. I would therefore recommend front loading the pension withdrawals so that you have a higher income between the ages of 67-80 than afterwards.
When you retire, assuming you are still in good health, you will want to enjoy your retirement, so your expenditure will be higher. When you reach your mid 70s you will want to travel less, so your expenditure will reduce. When you reach your early to mid 80s you will need to employ people to look after your home and garden, and will need to spend more on health mitigation, so your expenditure will increase again. A SIPP will give you more flexibility of income than an annuity.
However, do you want to spend all your money or leave it to your descendants? An annuity may suit if you’re not wanting to leave an inheritance.
A good IFA is worth more than their fees. Ask your contacts for recommendations if you don’t already have a trusted IFA. Hint. The adviser from your bank is maybe not the best person to advise you.
What’s your attitude to risk? If it’s low, don’t take chances.
Time in the market is better than timing the market.
I have been retired for over 7 years. Over those 7 years I have continually worried about the markets, and whether I should exit to cash. I have remained invested. The growth in my fund has so far matched my income, but I accept that may not always be the case.
We have been warned. Reform will be mini-me Trump 2.0 for the UK. DOGE, corrupting the civil service to rig the figures, crony business mates in the Cabinet etc etc.
How is the country to be administered if the "majority" of civil servants are fired?
Zia Yusuf
@ZiaYusufUK · 3h Enough talk of hiring in the civil service. The majority will be fired.
Reform cannot be a mini me Trump 2.0 because the civil service is very different to that of the US. In the US the new president appoints their own whereas here they continue to serve even if there is a change of party.
And REFORM will not be able to fire any one who disagrees with them as that will bring masses of employment tribunals.
The blob cannot be so easily defeated in Britain.
Then there's the matter of the House of Lords, and REFORM won't have anywhere near a majority there, whereas the GOP controls Congress as well as the presidency and more or less the political SCOTUS.
A cryptocurrency company made an ad making fun of the mess Britain finds itself. The ad was banned by the ASA
Promoting a financial investment without highlighting the risks?
That would be illegal that would
Is it not just promoting the platform ?
No different to how investment platforms advertise ?
But investment platforms have the text at the end “investments can go up and down and you may not get all your money back, etc etc”
I have managed to accumulate a few hundred thousands in pensions. I am thinking about retiring in maybe 4 years once I get the old age pension. I am increasingly anxious about where to put this money over the next few years. Our economy is a mess and getting poorer by the day. It is hard to see much growth that is not generated (short term) by debt. Very few opportunities for growth.
The western economy as a whole is not in a good place. That moron is in the White House with his ridiculous tariffs, his attack on the statistics, his appalling Big Beautiful Bill which threatens even the US's stability and financial strength, the damage he is doing is incalculable. China is wildly overexposed to a debt bubble and in danger of a collapse. Safe havens are hard to find.
If my pension funds are worth more than they are today in 4 years time I will be pleasantly surprised. If the environment for pensions is as favourable then as it is today with a major tax free lump sum and generous contributions to my pension fund on payments I would be astonished. The numbers simply do not add up.
So how do I protect myself from the chaos and crisis that is coming? It keeps me awake at night.
I am a doctor, not a pensions advisor, so take my advice with a shovel full of salt.
I think it likely that bond yields will remain high, and interest rates positive, though if you are particularly risk adverse then consider index linked bonds, the UK government ones being RPI linked. A return to real positive interest rates bodes well for annuity, which are now a better buy than they have been for years when you do cash in.
In short, the government paying out a lot of interest is good news for savers like you, if not for the taxpayer.
I think the possibility of a financial crash in the next few years is significant. While in the short term US stocks are on a sugar rush, underlying economic news is not good there, the indicators are being manipulated by Trump. The Crypto-bubble is an obvious Ponzi scheme that will pop at some point, and bubbles typically expand fastest just before they do.
AI may well be the future, though I am not the only one who is sceptical about it being over-hyped, but even if it is, that doesn't mean current companies will benefit. With many transformative technologies there was a bubble with many losing their shirt before the transformation happened. Think dot-com and the Victorian railway boom.
I have money in equities that are moderately risky, but that is part of wider savings, property and of course my NHS pension, so an acceptable level of risk. Depending on your own assets elsewhere this may well not suit you.
Sleep well!
Yes, if it's money for a core retirement income, and someone's outlook is pessimistic or risk averse, there's a strong argument for looking for an annuity (for at least a good proportion of it), rates being relatively high at the moment compared with recent decades. Indeed if you anticipate some sort of collapse, to which a return to near zero rates would be very predictable, then an annuity is almost a no-brainer, unless you wish to retain significant flexibility over how and when you take the money.
In the latter case, there are a stack of funds that don't aim for stellar returns but should offer some protection on the downside; examples include Troy Trojan, BNY Mellon real return, Ruffer, the Rothschild RIT fund, and others. Or research a mix of steady well established companies that aren't going to go under, and pay a reliable dividend, and just sit and wait. But always DYOR.
Personally, I'd avoid putting significant money in the US right now, but then that's been my stance all year, so far not a hugely profitable one except for a few short bursts of profit when Trump was at his worst.
I honestly think he’s best off consulting an IFA.
All of us are different and have different domestics situations and different priorities.
I think as well as individual financial circumstances, one needs to consider what you actually want to do in retirement.
Firstly you need to be coldly actuarial on how long you will live. Of course no one can be certain, but actuaries are actually quite good at these things, better in many ways than my own profession. Then consider how many of those years are going to be in good health. It is important to have some idea of this for planning.
My experience (and I have many older patients) is that once over 80 the desire for travel and consumer goods is pretty much gone, though health related expenditure may rise. I would therefore recommend front loading the pension withdrawals so that you have a higher income between the ages of 67-80 than afterwards.
The huge unknown is the cost of any social care. If you have a partner/spouse who lives in the same house then you may sadly need maybe ≈ £125K stashed to fund two years in a care home near the end. Otherwise you are reliant on either selling the property and spouse downsizing or face the local council paying and therefore choosing the care home you will be in. It will not be good unless you can top up fees and persuade them to send you elsewhere. Two years is the rough average time iirc you will require. V hard to plan for longer as Reeves ditched the cap that had cross-party agreement as soon as she took office.
Sorry to be bleak but this is the reality of the current situation.
If your spouse is still living in the house, the local authority can’t evict them to pay for care fees. They will accumulate and be deducted from your estate when you die.
We have been warned. Reform will be mini-me Trump 2.0 for the UK. DOGE, corrupting the civil service to rig the figures, crony business mates in the Cabinet etc etc.
How is the country to be administered if the "majority" of civil servants are fired?
Zia Yusuf
@ZiaYusufUK · 3h Enough talk of hiring in the civil service. The majority will be fired.
Reform cannot be a mini me Trump 2.0 because the civil service is very different to that of the US. In the US the new president appoints their own whereas here they continue to serve even if there is a change of party.
And REFORM will not be able to fire any one who disagrees with them as that will bring masses of employment tribunals.
The blob cannot be so easily defeated in Britain.
It won’t be easy but it must be done or else we are finished
Parliament is sovereign and can repeal all employment laws, if needs be
We have been warned. Reform will be mini-me Trump 2.0 for the UK. DOGE, corrupting the civil service to rig the figures, crony business mates in the Cabinet etc etc.
How is the country to be administered if the "majority" of civil servants are fired?
Zia Yusuf
@ZiaYusufUK · 3h Enough talk of hiring in the civil service. The majority will be fired.
Reform cannot be a mini me Trump 2.0 because the civil service is very different to that of the US. In the US the new president appoints their own whereas here they continue to serve even if there is a change of party.
And REFORM will not be able to fire any one who disagrees with them as that will bring masses of employment tribunals.
The blob cannot be so easily defeated in Britain.
It won’t be easy but it must be done or else we are finished
Parliament is sovereign and can repeal all employment laws, if needs be
I would support any government that sacked all civil servants and made them reapply for their jobs. It already happens in local government.
On what I suspect may be the last serious post of the night, this is quite good on Kruger's speech - looking at the question underneath, and taking it beyond just religion. What does a Christian Society mean at this time? :
T. S. ELIOT got it just right when he argued that a Christian society would be one in which “the natural end of man — virtue and well-being in community — would be acknowledged for all, and the supernatural end — beatitude — for those who have eyes to see it."
The importance of this definition is, first of all, in its rejection of individualism; for the end is well-being in community, for everyone. Then, what startles the modern mind is the inclusion of the word “virtue” — but this is just what our society needs now. Virtue cannot be imposed by the State, which can only make laws. But, unless virtue, or what we might call fundamental decency, is a feature of society, the part played by the State will be little better than that of a cage to stop us tearing one another apart.
In recent decades, our society and its governments have been shaped by a combination of market and social liberalism. In other words, the only value that has been recognised is that of free choice, both in the market to buy what you want, and in personal life to do what you want.
This is Lord Harries, former Bishop of Oxford. I don't agree with his whole piece, but it is interesting. At that site it is 2 free articles per month.
(I'm assuming the TS Eliot quote is from "The idea of a Christian society", 1928.)
Virtue is not restricted to Christiians of course, but I would suggest that what he is describing is the benefit of virtuous behaviour to society in general. There was a good article on this recently in the Atlantic
We need to work together with people of other faiths and no faith to affirm certain fundamentals that are, sadly, lacking at the moment. These are that we are moral beings, that life is a moral struggle, and that, whether or not we think we are ultimately accountable to God, we are accountable to one another.
Harries is also exploring where we are, agreeing with Kruger that there is a base of Christian values from history, but where it is now that society is pluralistic - and that we also need a non-religious base for the values our society needs to exist. (Some would reach for the Golden Rule.)
As I see it, Kruger is trying to reach back - as I said - 100 years philosophically, to remake that as the future. Harries is a contrast, which is why he is an interesting foil.
Left the pub and there were two families admiring the Cobra. On chap said he would love a ride in it so I said get in. I don't think he believed I was going to give him a spin. I love doing that.
I took it to a car show a few weeks ago and let kids sit in it while dad's took photos. I think it made the dad's day more than the kids.
Greer on Canada: "Sometimes we hear statistics like, 'Oh, there's only one kilogram of fentanyl coming over the border.' What that tells me is there's not enough enforcement. That's not a point in favor. That means not enough is doing on to stop this. We know there's more." https://x.com/atrupar/status/1951256939121266780
Woke people will still be asking, "yeah, but, what does 'Woke' mean?" when it lies totally dead and prostrate on the floor with more knives in its back than Julius Caesar.
A cryptocurrency company made an ad making fun of the mess Britain finds itself. The ad was banned by the ASA
Promoting a financial investment without highlighting the risks?
That would be illegal that would
Is it not just promoting the platform ?
No different to how investment platforms advertise ?
But investment platforms have the text at the end “investments can go up and down and you may not get all your money back, etc etc”
I have managed to accumulate a few hundred thousands in pensions. I am thinking about retiring in maybe 4 years once I get the old age pension. I am increasingly anxious about where to put this money over the next few years. Our economy is a mess and getting poorer by the day. It is hard to see much growth that is not generated (short term) by debt. Very few opportunities for growth.
The western economy as a whole is not in a good place. That moron is in the White House with his ridiculous tariffs, his attack on the statistics, his appalling Big Beautiful Bill which threatens even the US's stability and financial strength, the damage he is doing is incalculable. China is wildly overexposed to a debt bubble and in danger of a collapse. Safe havens are hard to find.
If my pension funds are worth more than they are today in 4 years time I will be pleasantly surprised. If the environment for pensions is as favourable then as it is today with a major tax free lump sum and generous contributions to my pension fund on payments I would be astonished. The numbers simply do not add up.
So how do I protect myself from the chaos and crisis that is coming? It keeps me awake at night.
I am a doctor, not a pensions advisor, so take my advice with a shovel full of salt.
I think it likely that bond yields will remain high, and interest rates positive, though if you are particularly risk adverse then consider index linked bonds, the UK government ones being RPI linked. A return to real positive interest rates bodes well for annuity, which are now a better buy than they have been for years when you do cash in.
In short, the government paying out a lot of interest is good news for savers like you, if not for the taxpayer.
I think the possibility of a financial crash in the next few years is significant. While in the short term US stocks are on a sugar rush, underlying economic news is not good there, the indicators are being manipulated by Trump. The Crypto-bubble is an obvious Ponzi scheme that will pop at some point, and bubbles typically expand fastest just before they do.
AI may well be the future, though I am not the only one who is sceptical about it being over-hyped, but even if it is, that doesn't mean current companies will benefit. With many transformative technologies there was a bubble with many losing their shirt before the transformation happened. Think dot-com and the Victorian railway boom.
I have money in equities that are moderately risky, but that is part of wider savings, property and of course my NHS pension, so an acceptable level of risk. Depending on your own assets elsewhere this may well not suit you.
Sleep well!
Yes, if it's money for a core retirement income, and someone's outlook is pessimistic or risk averse, there's a strong argument for looking for an annuity (for at least a good proportion of it), rates being relatively high at the moment compared with recent decades. Indeed if you anticipate some sort of collapse, to which a return to near zero rates would be very predictable, then an annuity is almost a no-brainer, unless you wish to retain significant flexibility over how and when you take the money.
In the latter case, there are a stack of funds that don't aim for stellar returns but should offer some protection on the downside; examples include Troy Trojan, BNY Mellon real return, Ruffer, the Rothschild RIT fund, and others. Or research a mix of steady well established companies that aren't going to go under, and pay a reliable dividend, and just sit and wait. But always DYOR.
Personally, I'd avoid putting significant money in the US right now, but then that's been my stance all year, so far not a hugely profitable one except for a few short bursts of profit when Trump was at his worst.
I honestly think he’s best off consulting an IFA.
All of us are different and have different domestics situations and different priorities.
I think as well as individual financial circumstances, one needs to consider what you actually want to do in retirement.
Firstly you need to be coldly actuarial on how long you will live. Of course no one can be certain, but actuaries are actually quite good at these things, better in many ways than my own profession. Then consider how many of those years are going to be in good health. It is important to have some idea of this for planning.
My experience (and I have many older patients) is that once over 80 the desire for travel and consumer goods is pretty much gone, though health related expenditure may rise. I would therefore recommend front loading the pension withdrawals so that you have a higher income between the ages of 67-80 than afterwards.
The huge unknown is the cost of any social care. If you have a partner/spouse who lives in the same house then you may sadly need maybe ≈ £125K stashed to fund two years in a care home near the end. Otherwise you are reliant on either selling the property and spouse downsizing or face the local council paying and therefore choosing the care home you will be in. It will not be good unless you can top up fees and persuade them to send you elsewhere. Two years is the rough average time iirc you will require. V hard to plan for longer as Reeves ditched the cap that had cross-party agreement as soon as she took office.
Sorry to be bleak but this is the reality of the current situation.
If your spouse is still living in the house, the local authority can’t evict them to pay for care fees. They will accumulate and be deducted from your estate when you die.
If your cat is still living in the house, what then? Asking for a friend.... 👀
Woke people will still be asking, "yeah, but, what does 'Woke' mean?" when it lies totally dead and prostrate on the floor with more knives in its back than Julius Caesar.
It's such a disingenuous question and no surprise that the slum lord Matt W is asking about it.
A cryptocurrency company made an ad making fun of the mess Britain finds itself. The ad was banned by the ASA
Promoting a financial investment without highlighting the risks?
That would be illegal that would
Is it not just promoting the platform ?
No different to how investment platforms advertise ?
But investment platforms have the text at the end “investments can go up and down and you may not get all your money back, etc etc”
I have managed to accumulate a few hundred thousands in pensions. I am thinking about retiring in maybe 4 years once I get the old age pension. I am increasingly anxious about where to put this money over the next few years. Our economy is a mess and getting poorer by the day. It is hard to see much growth that is not generated (short term) by debt. Very few opportunities for growth.
The western economy as a whole is not in a good place. That moron is in the White House with his ridiculous tariffs, his attack on the statistics, his appalling Big Beautiful Bill which threatens even the US's stability and financial strength, the damage he is doing is incalculable. China is wildly overexposed to a debt bubble and in danger of a collapse. Safe havens are hard to find.
If my pension funds are worth more than they are today in 4 years time I will be pleasantly surprised. If the environment for pensions is as favourable then as it is today with a major tax free lump sum and generous contributions to my pension fund on payments I would be astonished. The numbers simply do not add up.
So how do I protect myself from the chaos and crisis that is coming? It keeps me awake at night.
I am a doctor, not a pensions advisor, so take my advice with a shovel full of salt.
I think it likely that bond yields will remain high, and interest rates positive, though if you are particularly risk adverse then consider index linked bonds, the UK government ones being RPI linked. A return to real positive interest rates bodes well for annuity, which are now a better buy than they have been for years when you do cash in.
In short, the government paying out a lot of interest is good news for savers like you, if not for the taxpayer.
I think the possibility of a financial crash in the next few years is significant. While in the short term US stocks are on a sugar rush, underlying economic news is not good there, the indicators are being manipulated by Trump. The Crypto-bubble is an obvious Ponzi scheme that will pop at some point, and bubbles typically expand fastest just before they do.
AI may well be the future, though I am not the only one who is sceptical about it being over-hyped, but even if it is, that doesn't mean current companies will benefit. With many transformative technologies there was a bubble with many losing their shirt before the transformation happened. Think dot-com and the Victorian railway boom.
I have money in equities that are moderately risky, but that is part of wider savings, property and of course my NHS pension, so an acceptable level of risk. Depending on your own assets elsewhere this may well not suit you.
Sleep well!
Yes, if it's money for a core retirement income, and someone's outlook is pessimistic or risk averse, there's a strong argument for looking for an annuity (for at least a good proportion of it), rates being relatively high at the moment compared with recent decades. Indeed if you anticipate some sort of collapse, to which a return to near zero rates would be very predictable, then an annuity is almost a no-brainer, unless you wish to retain significant flexibility over how and when you take the money.
In the latter case, there are a stack of funds that don't aim for stellar returns but should offer some protection on the downside; examples include Troy Trojan, BNY Mellon real return, Ruffer, the Rothschild RIT fund, and others. Or research a mix of steady well established companies that aren't going to go under, and pay a reliable dividend, and just sit and wait. But always DYOR.
Personally, I'd avoid putting significant money in the US right now, but then that's been my stance all year, so far not a hugely profitable one except for a few short bursts of profit when Trump was at his worst.
I honestly think he’s best off consulting an IFA.
All of us are different and have different domestics situations and different priorities.
I think as well as individual financial circumstances, one needs to consider what you actually want to do in retirement.
Firstly you need to be coldly actuarial on how long you will live. Of course no one can be certain, but actuaries are actually quite good at these things, better in many ways than my own profession. Then consider how many of those years are going to be in good health. It is important to have some idea of this for planning.
My experience (and I have many older patients) is that once over 80 the desire for travel and consumer goods is pretty much gone, though health related expenditure may rise. I would therefore recommend front loading the pension withdrawals so that you have a higher income between the ages of 67-80 than afterwards.
When you retire, assuming you are still in good health, you will want to enjoy your retirement, so your expenditure will be higher. When you reach your mid 70s you will want to travel less, so your expenditure will reduce. When you reach your early to mid 80s you will need to employ people to look after your home and garden, and will need to spend more on health mitigation, so your expenditure will increase again. A SIPP will give you more flexibility of income than an annuity.
However, do you want to spend all your money or leave it to your descendants? An annuity may suit if you’re not wanting to leave an inheritance.
A good IFA is worth more than their fees. Ask your contacts for recommendations if you don’t already have a trusted IFA. Hint. The adviser from your bank is maybe not the best person to advise you.
What’s your attitude to risk? If it’s low, don’t take chances.
Time in the market is better than timing the market.
I have been retired for over 7 years. Over those 7 years I have continually worried about the markets, and whether I should exit to cash. I have remained invested. The growth in my fund has so far matched my income, but I accept that may not always be the case.
Everybody is different. Again, find a good IFA.
Hope that helps.
Fairliered
Retired IFA
And another thing. If anyone, of any age, and of any state of health, hasn’t arranged a Power of Attorney, do it NOW!! This is the most important advice I can give. My cousin’s mother developed dementia, without arranging a will or power of attorney. Her estate, not being complicated, was settled fairly easily. Before she died, she had to go into a care home. Her son could not access her bank accounts, and had to pay for her care from his own account until he was able to arrange authority from the Office of the Public Guardian (Court of Protection in England). It cost him around £3,000. Even placing assets in trust may not be as effective as arranging a Power of Attorney.
Do it now! If anyone, of any age, hasn’t at least contacted their lawyer on Monday morning, I will be extremely upset.
I hope I haven’t sounded too Leonish, but THIS IS IMPORTANT!!!
Left the pub and there were two families admiring the Cobra. On chap said he would love a ride in it so I said get in. I don't think he believed I was going to give him a spin. I love doing that.
I took it to a car show a few weeks ago and let kids sit in it while dad's took photos. I think it made the dad's day more than the kids.
I was speaking to a friend this afternoon at a local beer festival who has restored an Alfasud. Has anyone ever seen an Alfasud with no rust!
For my cycle trip in France it looks like I am going to have to spend a night in Calais (agggh, cock up by me). I asked for bike friendly hotels in Calais. It quite specifically identified in Calais Premier Inn (no they are not there, but they are bike friendly) and a Spanish hotel.
I usually just roll up and ask for a room. Then ask if there is anywhere to store the bike. Every hotel has a nook somewhere - sometimes a ballroom. I've cycled 7 European countries end-to-end and only had a problem once.
A cryptocurrency company made an ad making fun of the mess Britain finds itself. The ad was banned by the ASA
Promoting a financial investment without highlighting the risks?
That would be illegal that would
Is it not just promoting the platform ?
No different to how investment platforms advertise ?
But investment platforms have the text at the end “investments can go up and down and you may not get all your money back, etc etc”
I have managed to accumulate a few hundred thousands in pensions. I am thinking about retiring in maybe 4 years once I get the old age pension. I am increasingly anxious about where to put this money over the next few years. Our economy is a mess and getting poorer by the day. It is hard to see much growth that is not generated (short term) by debt. Very few opportunities for growth.
The western economy as a whole is not in a good place. That moron is in the White House with his ridiculous tariffs, his attack on the statistics, his appalling Big Beautiful Bill which threatens even the US's stability and financial strength, the damage he is doing is incalculable. China is wildly overexposed to a debt bubble and in danger of a collapse. Safe havens are hard to find.
If my pension funds are worth more than they are today in 4 years time I will be pleasantly surprised. If the environment for pensions is as favourable then as it is today with a major tax free lump sum and generous contributions to my pension fund on payments I would be astonished. The numbers simply do not add up.
So how do I protect myself from the chaos and crisis that is coming? It keeps me awake at night.
I am a doctor, not a pensions advisor, so take my advice with a shovel full of salt.
I think it likely that bond yields will remain high, and interest rates positive, though if you are particularly risk adverse then consider index linked bonds, the UK government ones being RPI linked. A return to real positive interest rates bodes well for annuity, which are now a better buy than they have been for years when you do cash in.
In short, the government paying out a lot of interest is good news for savers like you, if not for the taxpayer.
I think the possibility of a financial crash in the next few years is significant. While in the short term US stocks are on a sugar rush, underlying economic news is not good there, the indicators are being manipulated by Trump. The Crypto-bubble is an obvious Ponzi scheme that will pop at some point, and bubbles typically expand fastest just before they do.
AI may well be the future, though I am not the only one who is sceptical about it being over-hyped, but even if it is, that doesn't mean current companies will benefit. With many transformative technologies there was a bubble with many losing their shirt before the transformation happened. Think dot-com and the Victorian railway boom.
I have money in equities that are moderately risky, but that is part of wider savings, property and of course my NHS pension, so an acceptable level of risk. Depending on your own assets elsewhere this may well not suit you.
Sleep well!
Yes, if it's money for a core retirement income, and someone's outlook is pessimistic or risk averse, there's a strong argument for looking for an annuity (for at least a good proportion of it), rates being relatively high at the moment compared with recent decades. Indeed if you anticipate some sort of collapse, to which a return to near zero rates would be very predictable, then an annuity is almost a no-brainer, unless you wish to retain significant flexibility over how and when you take the money.
In the latter case, there are a stack of funds that don't aim for stellar returns but should offer some protection on the downside; examples include Troy Trojan, BNY Mellon real return, Ruffer, the Rothschild RIT fund, and others. Or research a mix of steady well established companies that aren't going to go under, and pay a reliable dividend, and just sit and wait. But always DYOR.
Personally, I'd avoid putting significant money in the US right now, but then that's been my stance all year, so far not a hugely profitable one except for a few short bursts of profit when Trump was at his worst.
I honestly think he’s best off consulting an IFA.
All of us are different and have different domestics situations and different priorities.
I think as well as individual financial circumstances, one needs to consider what you actually want to do in retirement.
Firstly you need to be coldly actuarial on how long you will live. Of course no one can be certain, but actuaries are actually quite good at these things, better in many ways than my own profession. Then consider how many of those years are going to be in good health. It is important to have some idea of this for planning.
My experience (and I have many older patients) is that once over 80 the desire for travel and consumer goods is pretty much gone, though health related expenditure may rise. I would therefore recommend front loading the pension withdrawals so that you have a higher income between the ages of 67-80 than afterwards.
When you retire, assuming you are still in good health, you will want to enjoy your retirement, so your expenditure will be higher. When you reach your mid 70s you will want to travel less, so your expenditure will reduce. When you reach your early to mid 80s you will need to employ people to look after your home and garden, and will need to spend more on health mitigation, so your expenditure will increase again. A SIPP will give you more flexibility of income than an annuity.
However, do you want to spend all your money or leave it to your descendants? An annuity may suit if you’re not wanting to leave an inheritance.
A good IFA is worth more than their fees. Ask your contacts for recommendations if you don’t already have a trusted IFA. Hint. The adviser from your bank is maybe not the best person to advise you.
What’s your attitude to risk? If it’s low, don’t take chances.
Time in the market is better than timing the market.
I have been retired for over 7 years. Over those 7 years I have continually worried about the markets, and whether I should exit to cash. I have remained invested. The growth in my fund has so far matched my income, but I accept that may not always be the case.
Everybody is different. Again, find a good IFA.
Hope that helps.
Fairliered
Retired IFA
And another thing. If anyone, of any age, and of any state of health, hasn’t arranged a Power of Attorney, do it NOW!! This is the most important advice I can give. My cousin’s mother developed dementia, without arranging a will or power of attorney. Her estate, not being complicated, was settled fairly easily. Before she died, she had to go into a care home. Her son could not access her bank accounts, and had to pay for her care from his own account until he was able to arrange authority from the Office of the Public Guardian (Court of Protection in England). It cost him around £3,000. Even placing assets in trust may not be as effective as arranging a Power of Attorney.
Do it now! If anyone, of any age, hasn’t at least contacted their lawyer on Monday morning, I will be extremely upset.
I hope I haven’t sounded too Leonish, but THIS IS IMPORTANT!!!
I absolutely agree and it is relatively easy to do it on line
Our children have POA over our property and financial affairs, and health and welfare, as you need both
A cryptocurrency company made an ad making fun of the mess Britain finds itself. The ad was banned by the ASA
Promoting a financial investment without highlighting the risks?
That would be illegal that would
Is it not just promoting the platform ?
No different to how investment platforms advertise ?
But investment platforms have the text at the end “investments can go up and down and you may not get all your money back, etc etc”
I have managed to accumulate a few hundred thousands in pensions. I am thinking about retiring in maybe 4 years once I get the old age pension. I am increasingly anxious about where to put this money over the next few years. Our economy is a mess and getting poorer by the day. It is hard to see much growth that is not generated (short term) by debt. Very few opportunities for growth.
The western economy as a whole is not in a good place. That moron is in the White House with his ridiculous tariffs, his attack on the statistics, his appalling Big Beautiful Bill which threatens even the US's stability and financial strength, the damage he is doing is incalculable. China is wildly overexposed to a debt bubble and in danger of a collapse. Safe havens are hard to find.
If my pension funds are worth more than they are today in 4 years time I will be pleasantly surprised. If the environment for pensions is as favourable then as it is today with a major tax free lump sum and generous contributions to my pension fund on payments I would be astonished. The numbers simply do not add up.
So how do I protect myself from the chaos and crisis that is coming? It keeps me awake at night.
I am a doctor, not a pensions advisor, so take my advice with a shovel full of salt.
I think it likely that bond yields will remain high, and interest rates positive, though if you are particularly risk adverse then consider index linked bonds, the UK government ones being RPI linked. A return to real positive interest rates bodes well for annuity, which are now a better buy than they have been for years when you do cash in.
In short, the government paying out a lot of interest is good news for savers like you, if not for the taxpayer.
I think the possibility of a financial crash in the next few years is significant. While in the short term US stocks are on a sugar rush, underlying economic news is not good there, the indicators are being manipulated by Trump. The Crypto-bubble is an obvious Ponzi scheme that will pop at some point, and bubbles typically expand fastest just before they do.
AI may well be the future, though I am not the only one who is sceptical about it being over-hyped, but even if it is, that doesn't mean current companies will benefit. With many transformative technologies there was a bubble with many losing their shirt before the transformation happened. Think dot-com and the Victorian railway boom.
I have money in equities that are moderately risky, but that is part of wider savings, property and of course my NHS pension, so an acceptable level of risk. Depending on your own assets elsewhere this may well not suit you.
Sleep well!
Yes, if it's money for a core retirement income, and someone's outlook is pessimistic or risk averse, there's a strong argument for looking for an annuity (for at least a good proportion of it), rates being relatively high at the moment compared with recent decades. Indeed if you anticipate some sort of collapse, to which a return to near zero rates would be very predictable, then an annuity is almost a no-brainer, unless you wish to retain significant flexibility over how and when you take the money.
In the latter case, there are a stack of funds that don't aim for stellar returns but should offer some protection on the downside; examples include Troy Trojan, BNY Mellon real return, Ruffer, the Rothschild RIT fund, and others. Or research a mix of steady well established companies that aren't going to go under, and pay a reliable dividend, and just sit and wait. But always DYOR.
Personally, I'd avoid putting significant money in the US right now, but then that's been my stance all year, so far not a hugely profitable one except for a few short bursts of profit when Trump was at his worst.
I honestly think he’s best off consulting an IFA.
All of us are different and have different domestics situations and different priorities.
I think as well as individual financial circumstances, one needs to consider what you actually want to do in retirement.
Firstly you need to be coldly actuarial on how long you will live. Of course no one can be certain, but actuaries are actually quite good at these things, better in many ways than my own profession. Then consider how many of those years are going to be in good health. It is important to have some idea of this for planning.
My experience (and I have many older patients) is that once over 80 the desire for travel and consumer goods is pretty much gone, though health related expenditure may rise. I would therefore recommend front loading the pension withdrawals so that you have a higher income between the ages of 67-80 than afterwards.
The huge unknown is the cost of any social care. If you have a partner/spouse who lives in the same house then you may sadly need maybe ≈ £125K stashed to fund two years in a care home near the end. Otherwise you are reliant on either selling the property and spouse downsizing or face the local council paying and therefore choosing the care home you will be in. It will not be good unless you can top up fees and persuade them to send you elsewhere. Two years is the rough average time iirc you will require. V hard to plan for longer as Reeves ditched the cap that had cross-party agreement as soon as she took office.
Sorry to be bleak but this is the reality of the current situation.
If your spouse is still living in the house, the local authority can’t evict them to pay for care fees. They will accumulate and be deducted from your estate when you die.
If your cat is still living in the house, what then? Asking for a friend.... 👀
A cryptocurrency company made an ad making fun of the mess Britain finds itself. The ad was banned by the ASA
Promoting a financial investment without highlighting the risks?
That would be illegal that would
Is it not just promoting the platform ?
No different to how investment platforms advertise ?
But investment platforms have the text at the end “investments can go up and down and you may not get all your money back, etc etc”
I have managed to accumulate a few hundred thousands in pensions. I am thinking about retiring in maybe 4 years once I get the old age pension. I am increasingly anxious about where to put this money over the next few years. Our economy is a mess and getting poorer by the day. It is hard to see much growth that is not generated (short term) by debt. Very few opportunities for growth.
The western economy as a whole is not in a good place. That moron is in the White House with his ridiculous tariffs, his attack on the statistics, his appalling Big Beautiful Bill which threatens even the US's stability and financial strength, the damage he is doing is incalculable. China is wildly overexposed to a debt bubble and in danger of a collapse. Safe havens are hard to find.
If my pension funds are worth more than they are today in 4 years time I will be pleasantly surprised. If the environment for pensions is as favourable then as it is today with a major tax free lump sum and generous contributions to my pension fund on payments I would be astonished. The numbers simply do not add up.
So how do I protect myself from the chaos and crisis that is coming? It keeps me awake at night.
I am a doctor, not a pensions advisor, so take my advice with a shovel full of salt.
I think it likely that bond yields will remain high, and interest rates positive, though if you are particularly risk adverse then consider index linked bonds, the UK government ones being RPI linked. A return to real positive interest rates bodes well for annuity, which are now a better buy than they have been for years when you do cash in.
In short, the government paying out a lot of interest is good news for savers like you, if not for the taxpayer.
I think the possibility of a financial crash in the next few years is significant. While in the short term US stocks are on a sugar rush, underlying economic news is not good there, the indicators are being manipulated by Trump. The Crypto-bubble is an obvious Ponzi scheme that will pop at some point, and bubbles typically expand fastest just before they do.
AI may well be the future, though I am not the only one who is sceptical about it being over-hyped, but even if it is, that doesn't mean current companies will benefit. With many transformative technologies there was a bubble with many losing their shirt before the transformation happened. Think dot-com and the Victorian railway boom.
I have money in equities that are moderately risky, but that is part of wider savings, property and of course my NHS pension, so an acceptable level of risk. Depending on your own assets elsewhere this may well not suit you.
Sleep well!
Yes, if it's money for a core retirement income, and someone's outlook is pessimistic or risk averse, there's a strong argument for looking for an annuity (for at least a good proportion of it), rates being relatively high at the moment compared with recent decades. Indeed if you anticipate some sort of collapse, to which a return to near zero rates would be very predictable, then an annuity is almost a no-brainer, unless you wish to retain significant flexibility over how and when you take the money.
In the latter case, there are a stack of funds that don't aim for stellar returns but should offer some protection on the downside; examples include Troy Trojan, BNY Mellon real return, Ruffer, the Rothschild RIT fund, and others. Or research a mix of steady well established companies that aren't going to go under, and pay a reliable dividend, and just sit and wait. But always DYOR.
Personally, I'd avoid putting significant money in the US right now, but then that's been my stance all year, so far not a hugely profitable one except for a few short bursts of profit when Trump was at his worst.
I honestly think he’s best off consulting an IFA.
All of us are different and have different domestics situations and different priorities.
I think as well as individual financial circumstances, one needs to consider what you actually want to do in retirement.
Firstly you need to be coldly actuarial on how long you will live. Of course no one can be certain, but actuaries are actually quite good at these things, better in many ways than my own profession. Then consider how many of those years are going to be in good health. It is important to have some idea of this for planning.
My experience (and I have many older patients) is that once over 80 the desire for travel and consumer goods is pretty much gone, though health related expenditure may rise. I would therefore recommend front loading the pension withdrawals so that you have a higher income between the ages of 67-80 than afterwards.
When you retire, assuming you are still in good health, you will want to enjoy your retirement, so your expenditure will be higher. When you reach your mid 70s you will want to travel less, so your expenditure will reduce. When you reach your early to mid 80s you will need to employ people to look after your home and garden, and will need to spend more on health mitigation, so your expenditure will increase again. A SIPP will give you more flexibility of income than an annuity.
However, do you want to spend all your money or leave it to your descendants? An annuity may suit if you’re not wanting to leave an inheritance.
A good IFA is worth more than their fees. Ask your contacts for recommendations if you don’t already have a trusted IFA. Hint. The adviser from your bank is maybe not the best person to advise you.
What’s your attitude to risk? If it’s low, don’t take chances.
Time in the market is better than timing the market.
I have been retired for over 7 years. Over those 7 years I have continually worried about the markets, and whether I should exit to cash. I have remained invested. The growth in my fund has so far matched my income, but I accept that may not always be the case.
Everybody is different. Again, find a good IFA.
Hope that helps.
Fairliered
Retired IFA
And another thing. If anyone, of any age, and of any state of health, hasn’t arranged a Power of Attorney, do it NOW!! This is the most important advice I can give. My cousin’s mother developed dementia, without arranging a will or power of attorney. Her estate, not being complicated, was settled fairly easily. Before she died, she had to go into a care home. Her son could not access her bank accounts, and had to pay for her care from his own account until he was able to arrange authority from the Office of the Public Guardian (Court of Protection in England). It cost him around £3,000. Even placing assets in trust may not be as effective as arranging a Power of Attorney.
Do it now! If anyone, of any age, hasn’t at least contacted their lawyer on Monday morning, I will be extremely upset.
I hope I haven’t sounded too Leonish, but THIS IS IMPORTANT!!!
I absolutely agree and it is relatively easy to do it on line
Our children have POA over our property and financial affairs, and health and welfare, as you need both
Also full executors powers in our wills
We need to emphasise it to those who are currently young and fit, as well as those of us who are vintage and ready to be decanted.
A cryptocurrency company made an ad making fun of the mess Britain finds itself. The ad was banned by the ASA
Promoting a financial investment without highlighting the risks?
That would be illegal that would
Is it not just promoting the platform ?
No different to how investment platforms advertise ?
But investment platforms have the text at the end “investments can go up and down and you may not get all your money back, etc etc”
I have managed to accumulate a few hundred thousands in pensions. I am thinking about retiring in maybe 4 years once I get the old age pension. I am increasingly anxious about where to put this money over the next few years. Our economy is a mess and getting poorer by the day. It is hard to see much growth that is not generated (short term) by debt. Very few opportunities for growth.
The western economy as a whole is not in a good place. That moron is in the White House with his ridiculous tariffs, his attack on the statistics, his appalling Big Beautiful Bill which threatens even the US's stability and financial strength, the damage he is doing is incalculable. China is wildly overexposed to a debt bubble and in danger of a collapse. Safe havens are hard to find.
If my pension funds are worth more than they are today in 4 years time I will be pleasantly surprised. If the environment for pensions is as favourable then as it is today with a major tax free lump sum and generous contributions to my pension fund on payments I would be astonished. The numbers simply do not add up.
So how do I protect myself from the chaos and crisis that is coming? It keeps me awake at night.
I am a doctor, not a pensions advisor, so take my advice with a shovel full of salt.
I think it likely that bond yields will remain high, and interest rates positive, though if you are particularly risk adverse then consider index linked bonds, the UK government ones being RPI linked. A return to real positive interest rates bodes well for annuity, which are now a better buy than they have been for years when you do cash in.
In short, the government paying out a lot of interest is good news for savers like you, if not for the taxpayer.
I think the possibility of a financial crash in the next few years is significant. While in the short term US stocks are on a sugar rush, underlying economic news is not good there, the indicators are being manipulated by Trump. The Crypto-bubble is an obvious Ponzi scheme that will pop at some point, and bubbles typically expand fastest just before they do.
AI may well be the future, though I am not the only one who is sceptical about it being over-hyped, but even if it is, that doesn't mean current companies will benefit. With many transformative technologies there was a bubble with many losing their shirt before the transformation happened. Think dot-com and the Victorian railway boom.
I have money in equities that are moderately risky, but that is part of wider savings, property and of course my NHS pension, so an acceptable level of risk. Depending on your own assets elsewhere this may well not suit you.
Sleep well!
Yes, if it's money for a core retirement income, and someone's outlook is pessimistic or risk averse, there's a strong argument for looking for an annuity (for at least a good proportion of it), rates being relatively high at the moment compared with recent decades. Indeed if you anticipate some sort of collapse, to which a return to near zero rates would be very predictable, then an annuity is almost a no-brainer, unless you wish to retain significant flexibility over how and when you take the money.
In the latter case, there are a stack of funds that don't aim for stellar returns but should offer some protection on the downside; examples include Troy Trojan, BNY Mellon real return, Ruffer, the Rothschild RIT fund, and others. Or research a mix of steady well established companies that aren't going to go under, and pay a reliable dividend, and just sit and wait. But always DYOR.
Personally, I'd avoid putting significant money in the US right now, but then that's been my stance all year, so far not a hugely profitable one except for a few short bursts of profit when Trump was at his worst.
I honestly think he’s best off consulting an IFA.
All of us are different and have different domestics situations and different priorities.
I think as well as individual financial circumstances, one needs to consider what you actually want to do in retirement.
Firstly you need to be coldly actuarial on how long you will live. Of course no one can be certain, but actuaries are actually quite good at these things, better in many ways than my own profession. Then consider how many of those years are going to be in good health. It is important to have some idea of this for planning.
My experience (and I have many older patients) is that once over 80 the desire for travel and consumer goods is pretty much gone, though health related expenditure may rise. I would therefore recommend front loading the pension withdrawals so that you have a higher income between the ages of 67-80 than afterwards.
When you retire, assuming you are still in good health, you will want to enjoy your retirement, so your expenditure will be higher. When you reach your mid 70s you will want to travel less, so your expenditure will reduce. When you reach your early to mid 80s you will need to employ people to look after your home and garden, and will need to spend more on health mitigation, so your expenditure will increase again. A SIPP will give you more flexibility of income than an annuity.
However, do you want to spend all your money or leave it to your descendants? An annuity may suit if you’re not wanting to leave an inheritance.
A good IFA is worth more than their fees. Ask your contacts for recommendations if you don’t already have a trusted IFA. Hint. The adviser from your bank is maybe not the best person to advise you.
What’s your attitude to risk? If it’s low, don’t take chances.
Time in the market is better than timing the market.
I have been retired for over 7 years. Over those 7 years I have continually worried about the markets, and whether I should exit to cash. I have remained invested. The growth in my fund has so far matched my income, but I accept that may not always be the case.
Everybody is different. Again, find a good IFA.
Hope that helps.
Fairliered
Retired IFA
And another thing. If anyone, of any age, and of any state of health, hasn’t arranged a Power of Attorney, do it NOW!! This is the most important advice I can give. My cousin’s mother developed dementia, without arranging a will or power of attorney. Her estate, not being complicated, was settled fairly easily. Before she died, she had to go into a care home. Her son could not access her bank accounts, and had to pay for her care from his own account until he was able to arrange authority from the Office of the Public Guardian (Court of Protection in England). It cost him around £3,000. Even placing assets in trust may not be as effective as arranging a Power of Attorney.
Do it now! If anyone, of any age, hasn’t at least contacted their lawyer on Monday morning, I will be extremely upset.
I hope I haven’t sounded too Leonish, but THIS IS IMPORTANT!!!
I absolutely agree and it is relatively easy to do it on line
Our children have POA over our property and financial affairs, and health and welfare, as you need both
Also full executors powers in our wills
We need to emphasise it to those who are currently young and fit, as well as those of us who are vintage and ready to be decanted.
I have made exactly that point to my children (59 & 54 & 51) for themselves
I need to understand this, so I know what will be removed from my society, or unfunded.
Drop kerbs for wheel chair users are about supporting people with Diverse needs to be Included Equitably.
Are they all going to be dug up and replaced with normal kerbs at pedestrian crossings when Danny Kruger is PM?
(The question still stands, btw.)
I am not sure what you want people to tell you.
How about defining the meaning of 'racism'? It means something completely different to every single person, from narrow definitions to vastly stretched all-encompassing ones, yet there is a widespread effort to 'kick it out' of society and make all expressions of it or that might be construed as expressions of it unacceptable and even illegal. Nobody stops to ask how we should define it as if that's a kind of argument for doing nothing about it.
If you were building a successful society in a computer game simulation, would you build one where the population was encouraged to view itself as defined by its 'section' and encouraged in a sense of grievance and underprivilege relative to other groups? Would you build a society that felt guilty enough to borrow money on behalf of its own children to give to other countries whose ancestors its own ancestors were perceived to have wronged? Would you build a society focused on what divides it not what unites it, and produce citizens focused on what compensation they might be entitled to rather than what they could contribute? That refused to control its borders because to do so was perceived as racist? That refused to apply the law equally without favour because that was also perceived as racist? It would be game over pretty quickly.
Part 1: He delves into the history of the chamber, esp the original use of the chamber as St Stephen's Chapel.
Part 2: He says that there is yearning in Britain for meaning. He points out that secular states cannot provide this and it can go horribly wrong.
Part 3: The intercedent (name?) points out that the multifaith society we have is made possible by Britain being a Christian state as it provides the framework for secular/non-Christian spaces
Part 4: he points out that two religions are moving in: Islam and Woke. He skips over Islam but attacks Woke as a power hostile to family, communities and nations, and belives with some force that it should be destroyed and it should be a function of Parliament to destroy it
Part 5: He says that the strong gods are back, that worship of the Christian god is necessary to underpin rights and the nation
Part 6: A religious revival is necessary and that the state should be explicitly based on Christian teaching.
My first response is
Part 1: I disagree that the Church of England is the religion of "the country", as every Scot can attest. I'm not sure that England was the first Christian nation. He elides Britain and England.
Part 2: I agree that there is a yearning in Britain for meaning. I'm not sure that a secular state cannot provide this. I agree it can go horribly wrong.
Part 3: I was interested in this. It's plausible, but I don't know if it's true
Part 4: I disagree that Woke should be destroyed. I disagree that it should be a function of the state to destroy it.
Part 5: If pressed, I'd disagree with this
Part 6: I'd disagree with this. Give Caesar that which is Caesar's, give God that which is God's
Overall: Christian Nationalism in Britain, with Islam taking the place of Judaism as "tolerated ally" in the American version.
The speech deserves a longer response which I may not be in a position to give. Normally I would consider an article but RSS Conference is in September and I have no headspace. In the meantime I refer you to @Hyufd and @MattW's comments below[1][2]
Why do you disagree that Woke should be destroyed?
Coercion. People objected to woke because it violated free speech and preferred one group to another. Anti-woke, the "Woke Right", and other incarnations wish to violate free speech in the other direction and prefer another group. Both are two sides of the same coin: the wish to make society into what one side wants thru coercion. The better option is to enforce free speech and nondiscriminatory hiring, thereby letting woke wither without installing another plaster god in its place. But Britain being what it is, I doubt this will happen.
Woke people will still be asking, "yeah, but, what does 'Woke' mean?" when it lies totally dead and prostrate on the floor with more knives in its back than Julius Caesar.
It's such a disingenuous question and no surprise that the slum lord Matt W is asking about it.
How dare we question your all-purpose ambiguous rhetoric ?
Comments
I think it likely that bond yields will remain high, and interest rates positive, though if you are particularly risk adverse then consider index linked bonds, the UK government ones being RPI linked. A return to real positive interest rates bodes well for annuity, which are now a better buy than they have been for years when you do cash in.
In short, the government paying out a lot of interest is good news for savers like you, if not for the taxpayer.
I think the possibility of a financial crash in the next few years is significant. While in the short term US stocks are on a sugar rush, underlying economic news is not good there, the indicators are being manipulated by Trump. The Crypto-bubble is an obvious Ponzi scheme that will pop at some point, and bubbles typically expand fastest just before they do.
AI may well be the future, though I am not the only one who is sceptical about it being over-hyped, but even if it is, that doesn't mean current companies will benefit. With many transformative technologies there was a bubble with many losing their shirt before the transformation happened. Think dot-com and the Victorian railway boom.
I have money in equities that are moderately risky, but that is part of wider savings, property and of course my NHS pension, so an acceptable level of risk. Depending on your own assets elsewhere this may well not suit you.
Sleep well!
I haven't posted for 1 hr and 25 min, during which time I have been busy with a chain saw. Prior to that it was 40 min during which I was using a hedge cutter, prior to that another 30 min gap. Over the last 10 years I averaged 3 posts a day.
I am not here most of the time. I have a very busy and active life. Somehow that does not seem true for you who is practically glued to the keyboard and PB and seems to sit around all day posting to the internet in one country or another. And sunbathing, eating a custard tart and watching paint dry is hardly what I call tripping the light fantastic.
You have absolutely no self awareness at all.
Remember it has been Pimms O'Clock in Portugal for several hours now.
Oh sorry you are right.
But that's just me. You do you!
It sounds like you think it DESERVES to be hyped, but that is surely not what you meant to say. Is it?
Sorry if I wasn't very clear, just having a cuppa as a break from cutting my lawn for only the second time in 2 months. The drought seems over in Leics with more rain tomorrow and Monday.
A little like the apocryphal tale that more money was made in the Gold rush selling shovels than actually from the gold.
I agree that it is a risky investment. I've looked at the early years of electricity, and power companies rose and fell with dramatic speed in the first decades. It was not obvious who would survive
Like electrcity, however (only more so) the technological revolution is real and will change all our lives
In the latter case, there are a stack of funds that don't aim for stellar returns but should offer some protection on the downside; examples include Troy Trojan, BNY Mellon real return, Ruffer, the Rothschild RIT fund, and others. Or research a mix of steady well established companies that aren't going to go under, and pay a reliable dividend, and just sit and wait. But always DYOR.
Personally, I'd avoid putting significant money in the US right now, but then that's been my stance all year, so far not a hugely profitable one except for a few short bursts of profit when Trump was at his worst.
For my cycle trip in France it looks like I am going to have to spend a night in Calais (agggh, cock up by me). I asked for bike friendly hotels in Calais. It quite specifically identified in Calais Premier Inn (no they are not there, but they are bike friendly) and a Spanish hotel.
Holiday starts here!
The war in Ukraine has shown us that we need a strong economy to be able to afford food if prices spike unexpectedly, which is delivered by free trade and competition, not protection and subsidies. Trump's trade tariffs have had nothing whatever to do with our food supply - if anythiing, they've again shown the value of free trade in food as in everything else. And lockdown, besides showing us the stupidity of lockdown, also showed that our food supplies are actually pretty robust even under the most extreme circumstances. Having worked in Whitehall for many years in various capacities I have something of a nose for symptoms of a pointless department inventing spurious targets to justify its otherwise futile existence, and of its constituency, in this case the farmers, going along with it because it means higher prices and less competition. 70% seems completely arbitrary and nonsensical even by the standards of government goals.
How is the country to be administered if the "majority" of civil servants are fired?
Zia Yusuf
@ZiaYusufUK
·
3h
Enough talk of hiring in the civil service. The majority will be fired.
https://x.com/ZiaYusufUK/status/1951648491593191548
But the radio is wall to wall bloody football.
Where to look for a listen?
All of us are different and have different domestics situations and different priorities.
The problem is that Reform don't want that either, they want to run people's lives but just in their own way.
That is, the white cloud that Danny Kruger MP wishes to push out of publIC life and deny Government funding.
Something like that
The $300bn valuation of OpenAI based on yesterday's raise doesn't seem so terrifying when measured by the standards of Facebook or Google 15 years ago... it's "only" 23x their $13bn ARR, after all. But once Facebook and Google scaled enough to cover their (admittedly huge) overheads, the rest was pure profit.
OpenAI are nowhere near that - even if they sell $200 of tokens a month to everyone on the planet, their margins will still be negative for the foreseeable future.
The tech is real, and I'm sure someone will eventually work out how to pay for it. But we've not had an economic boom based on a linear cost of scaling for a very long time - not semiconductors, not personal computing, not networking, not dot com, not web 2.0, not crypto. Does anyone really know how to value it?
Firstly you need to be coldly actuarial on how long you will live. Of course no one can be certain, but actuaries are actually quite good at these things, better in many ways than my own profession. Then consider how many of those years are going to be in good health. It is important to have some idea of this for planning.
My experience (and I have many older patients) is that once over 80 the desire for travel and consumer goods is pretty much gone, though health related expenditure may rise. I would therefore recommend front loading the pension withdrawals so that you have a higher income between the ages of 67-80 than afterwards.
I need to understand this, so I know what will be removed from my society, or unfunded.
Drop kerbs for wheel chair users are about supporting people with Diverse needs to be Included Equitably.
Are they all going to be dug up and replaced with normal kerbs at pedestrian crossings when Danny Kruger is PM?
(The question still stands, btw.)
As your last paragraph states, that does not mean the current tech is not without value. Just that the current tech is worth nowhere near what is being invested.
(*) A Cambridge expert, of course.
I can’t be the only one who sees the alleged minimum/moderate/comfortable retirement income figures and thinks they seem very arbitrary, and often rather pessimistic. I appreciate these things are guidelines and are not meant to be completely literal, and different circumstances will apply, but the idea that a circa £32k annual spend (or
42k for a couple!) assuming no mortgage, will only get you one holiday and a weekend away, and 2 meals out a month, seems wildly out of whack.
Sorry to be bleak but this is the reality of the current situation.
But, I think they are the Punishment of God, needed to make the Conservatives, Lib Dems, and Labour radically improve their game.
Sorry.
Quickest way to make a second runway.
T. S. ELIOT got it just right when he argued that a Christian society would be one in which “the natural end of man — virtue and well-being in community — would be acknowledged for all, and the supernatural end — beatitude — for those who have eyes to see it."
The importance of this definition is, first of all, in its rejection of individualism; for the end is well-being in community, for everyone. Then, what startles the modern mind is the inclusion of the word “virtue” — but this is just what our society needs now. Virtue cannot be imposed by the State, which can only make laws. But, unless virtue, or what we might call fundamental decency, is a feature of society, the part played by the State will be little better than that of a cage to stop us tearing one another apart.
In recent decades, our society and its governments have been shaped by a combination of market and social liberalism. In other words, the only value that has been recognised is that of free choice, both in the market to buy what you want, and in personal life to do what you want.
It is now beginning to be recognised that a much thicker set of values is needed, and that free choice cannot and should not stand alone. "
https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2025/1-august/comment/analysis/analysis-is-it-time-to-return-to-christian-politics
This is Lord Harries, former Bishop of Oxford. I don't agree with his whole piece, but it is interesting. At that site it is 2 free articles per month.
(I'm assuming the TS Eliot quote is from "The idea of a Christian society", 1928.)
I was carrying an axe when I asked one of the guys installing one of our stoves how it was going. He said it was going fine, but he always says that to anyone carrying an axe.
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2025/07/cicero-happiness-best-life/683376/?gift=Q2xxhS27Csx4yHsp7QhJgZobmy1Li2zU2egSPY_yp-Y&utm_source=copy-link&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=share
However, do you want to spend all your money or leave it to your descendants? An annuity may suit if you’re not wanting to leave an inheritance.
A good IFA is worth more than their fees. Ask your contacts for recommendations if you don’t already have a trusted IFA. Hint. The adviser from your bank is maybe not the best person to advise you.
What’s your attitude to risk? If it’s low, don’t take chances.
Time in the market is better than timing the market.
I have been retired for over 7 years. Over those 7 years I have continually worried about the markets, and whether I should exit to cash. I have remained invested. The growth in my fund has so far matched my income, but I accept that may not always be the case.
Everybody is different. Again, find a good IFA.
Hope that helps.
Fairliered
Retired IFA
In the US the new president appoints their own whereas here they continue to serve even if there is a change of party.
And REFORM will not be able to fire any one who disagrees with them as that will bring masses of employment tribunals.
The blob cannot be so easily defeated in Britain.
Then there's the matter of the House of Lords, and REFORM won't have anywhere near a majority there, whereas the GOP controls Congress as well as the presidency and more or less the political SCOTUS.
REFORM will have many more checks and balances.
Parliament is sovereign and can repeal all employment laws, if needs be
We need to work together with people of other faiths and no faith to affirm certain fundamentals that are, sadly, lacking at the moment. These are that we are moral beings, that life is a moral struggle, and that, whether or not we think we are ultimately accountable to God, we are accountable to one another.
Harries is also exploring where we are, agreeing with Kruger that there is a base of Christian values from history, but where it is now that society is pluralistic - and that we also need a non-religious base for the values our society needs to exist. (Some would reach for the Golden Rule.)
As I see it, Kruger is trying to reach back - as I said - 100 years philosophically, to remake that as the future. Harries is a contrast, which is why he is an interesting foil.
https://x.com/ElectionMapsUK/status/1951682772411511032?t=XDzi7ls8tTbDmzZkJQwXlw&s=19
And as for Labour in Wales
https://x.com/BritainElects/status/1951644092087063012?t=0ijt6zgFYoFivvUrvOOESg&s=19
I took it to a car show a few weeks ago and let kids sit in it while dad's took photos. I think it made the dad's day more than the kids.
Greer on Canada: "Sometimes we hear statistics like, 'Oh, there's only one kilogram of fentanyl coming over the border.' What that tells me is there's not enough enforcement. That's not a point in favor. That means not enough is doing on to stop this. We know there's more."
https://x.com/atrupar/status/1951256939121266780
It's such a disingenuous question and no surprise that the slum lord Matt W is asking about it.
Do it now! If anyone, of any age, hasn’t at least contacted their lawyer on Monday morning, I will be extremely upset.
I hope I haven’t sounded too Leonish, but THIS IS IMPORTANT!!!
Our children have POA over our property and financial affairs, and health and welfare, as you need both
Also full executors powers in our wills
How about defining the meaning of 'racism'? It means something completely different to every single person, from narrow definitions to vastly stretched all-encompassing ones, yet there is a widespread effort to 'kick it out' of society and make all expressions of it or that might be construed as expressions of it unacceptable and even illegal. Nobody stops to ask how we should define it as if that's a kind of argument for doing nothing about it.
If you were building a successful society in a computer game simulation, would you build one where the population was encouraged to view itself as defined by its 'section' and encouraged in a sense of grievance and underprivilege relative to other groups? Would you build a society that felt guilty enough to borrow money on behalf of its own children to give to other countries whose ancestors its own ancestors were perceived to have wronged? Would you build a society focused on what divides it not what unites it, and produce citizens focused on what compensation they might be entitled to rather than what they could contribute? That refused to control its borders because to do so was perceived as racist? That refused to apply the law equally without favour because that was also perceived as racist? It would be game over pretty quickly.
So disingenuous...