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24% of singles believe they
will never be financially secure enough to retire
WITH the constantly rising costs of
living, it is clear that many Brits are concerned about how they will ever be
financially secure enough to retire. Peer to peer lending platform Lending Works
surveyed over 1,500 non retired adults in the UK (YouGov), whose results you can
see on their info graphic, and made some concerning discoveries.
There is clearly more of a worry amongst single adults that they will never be
in a financial position to be able to retire. 24% of single adults said they
believe they would never be in a secure enough position to finish work, compared
to 19% of those who are married or living with their partner. On top of this,
40% of those who were not in relationship said that they are currently unable to
put any money aside each month for their future, compared to 29% of those in
long term relationships, (married or co-habiting).
Aside from relationship status, the figures show that overall, 1 in 5 of those
who aren't yet retired; 22% gloomily believe that they'll never be financially
secure enough to retire. This suggests they have visions of working until they
drop, as they won't be able to afford to stop earning money. This pessimistic
view is highest in the 35 to 44 year old category, with 25% of them not seeing
themselves as ever being financially secure enough to retire, although only 17%
of 18 to 24 year olds, who technically have more time to start saving, agree.
And countrywide, the outlook is bleakest in the West Midlands (27%), perhaps due
to relatively high unemployment, compared to only 19% in London, where there
are, theoretically, more jobs.
The main reason, of course, that we can't see ourselves retiring is because we
can't afford to. Over a third of non retired adults; 34% don't save a single
penny towards retirement each month. Let's face it, it could be that when you've
got bills and rent to pay, you're trying to feed yourself and your family,
you've got to pay for your transport to work and you also want to have a social
life, sparing a few pence, or pounds, for the future tends to slip far down the
priority list… And women are guiltier of this than men, with 41% of non retired
females not saving towards retirement, compared to 26% of men.
So who does manage to put a few pennies away for a rainy day? Interestingly, the
survey found a correlation between retirement saving and choice of social media.
Over half of people who use LinkedIn; which, let's face it, is a career focused
network aimed at higher earning professionals; contribute 3% of their salary or
more to their pension pot each month. This drops to 32% for those who use
Facebook and Twitter; who, perhaps, tend to be younger and not as well
established yet in their careers; and 29% for those who use Google+.
"It's clear from this research that many Brits are quite pessimistic when it
comes to the future. It is also particularly concerning to see how many people
aren't planning adequately for their retirement, although it is perhaps somewhat
understandable given the slow economic recovery and poor returns on savings
currently available. But with a growing number of alternatives to the
established avenues for saving, there are still many ways in which consumers can
get on top of things, and thus leave themselves in good shape by the time they
reach traditional retirement age." commented Nick Harding, CEO and
co-founder of Lending
Works.
Do you agree with this? What are your
views? Please email us today, via:-
News24@SouthportReporter.Com with your thoughts on this issue...
Please note that all figures, unless
otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 2086 adults (1577
non retired). The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted
and are representative of all UK adults (aged 18+).
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