We’ve seen the future – and it’s long, we’re poorer and there’s not a bank branch in sight

One thousand years ago, life expectancy was about 30 years. In 30 years’ time, someone will be born who could live to 1,000.

This causes a problem for the pensions industry and governments.

It’s tough enough finding an income for a few months without working, never mind 935 years.

This is the kind of problem experts have been grappling with lately and some of the results are emerging.

On the table are joys such as working until you’re 105 years old, abolishing the State pension or coming up with ill-conceived alternatives such as the pointless Lifetime Isa.

Most likely, if you’re under 30 now, you’ll probably retire at 70, or under 45 and you’ll work till you’re 68.

The triple lock guarantee that ensures the State pension rises by inflation, earnings or 2.5% , whichever is higher, could be scrapped because the Government is ideologically against raising taxes to pay for it. Pensioners will be worse off without a solid alternative.

Britain’s pensions used to be best in the world. Like a lot of things, we’ve slipped down that league table too. Women especially continue to lose out.

But pensions are boring, right? Not when Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce and Georgie Frost get their hands on the subject.

Also on this week’s show…

• Bank branches? Honestly, when was the last time you went into bank branch? What’s the point of them in 2017? More than 1,000 have closed in the past 12 months and the new thing of paying in cheques by photo could finish the rest off.

• You’re young, you earn money but never enough. Do you rent / buy a home or pay into a pension - or both?

• Inflation – it’s higher expected. Will Brexit make it spiral out of control and why did we move from to CPI from RPI?

• You CAN be a successful investor. If our new guide isn’t the easiest to read, most informative one you’ve read – we failed. We don’t think we did. Allow its author Simon to explain why investing is easier and more profitable than you might think.

And finally…

Ebay contracts aren’t binding. You can make anonymous joke bids that you never have to honour. It must be time for the online auction house to behave like an auction house.

Enjoy

#brexit #economy #money #pensions