wish I could afford one

I don't think the EU has anything to do with this TBH so I don't think there is a dilemma here. They are a documented rules based organisation and are very clear on what can and can't be done. How else do 27/28 countries move forward. The options the UK had available to them were well known prior to the referendum and are still well known. Pick one and the EU will approve. The problem we have made for ourselves is the misnomer that we can have some cake and eat it which is unfortunately not on the EU pick'n'mix list. That is a UK based problem that I can't right now see is going to be solved anytime soon.

I'm assuming that deal would be a BRINO vs remain. The remainers will still remain so they'd out number the moderate leavers. The question then is what would the hard Brexiteers vote for? Anyway we might as well be howling at the moon as I can't see how Corbyn will win an election. Now if they did a VONC appointing someone like Ken Clarke to get a deal that is satisfactory to both the EU and Parliament with a confirmatory referendum in there it would be interesting. That's also not going to happen though as Corbyn actually doesn't care about Brexit. He's neither remain or leave. From what I've seen he just cares about becoming Prime Minister...

Isn't it whatever is the opposite to the Tories on the day? That's what opposition parties do. They could have voted for the WA but didn't.

That's interesting given he'd only get 34% of the vote. Do you have a link? Wondering if that majority includes the DUP and those that have had the whip removed. If it's without the DUP then he could jettison NI and stick his border in the sea. EU negotiation solved but would he get enough votes in parliament...

It took me 34 years to figure it out. Nobody in my family or circle of friends does or has done anything like it. I therefore had no one to learn from. I have one meaningful friend who is on a downshifting journey which is really interesting but quite a recent thing. I stay at the blog, although less of it in recent times I admit, not to tell people what to do but simply to share a journey. I wish I could have stumbled across something like it 20-25 years ago. It would have changed my life for the better. If it helps change one person for the better then it will have all been worth it.

To what though? Not enough majority for anything to happen including Brexit. It'll just end up a p*ssing contest resulting in no change.

Which still won't change anything. Still can't get enough majority for Brexit and not enough majority to revoke. Can kicking it is.

I'm still learning to step away from the spreadsheet... Still update my position weekly as a hangover from when I was working to reach FIRE. Agree re cash. Equities might lose wealth in real terms. The way the economy is currently planned cash is 'guaranteed' to lose in real terms. Full disclosure: 15% of my wealth is currently sitting in cash. I also have some NS&I ILSC's. It's specifically there as 3 years worth of spending which will hopefully shield me from market volatility and for a home purchase which I know I have to get done within the next 9-12 months or I'm at risk of 'missing out'.

So 'Brexit' parties on 46% and 'Remain' parties on 49%. We go to an election and get that as a result. Nothing will be solved. Parliament will still be paralysed. It seems to me that there is no Brexit solution. Do we now just kick the can down the road for a century or two...

I finished 2018 down 3.6% which I wouldn't call horrendous. Not good I agree but not horrendous. I agree the last 3 months gave up all and more of the first 9 months. Since I started tracking, including year to date, I've had 10 up years and 2 down years. Worse down was 13.6% in 2008 and best up was 22.2%. -3.6% is not worth even talking about compared to those others. We are of course all using different units of measure though. I'm a long term investor so am interested in performance over my lifetime. The MSM is of course looking for headlines so measures, without dividends, in minutes, hours or days...

Additionally, not one of those red indices is a total return index meaning dividends aren't included which are important. FTSE100 currently yielding about 4.5% while a diversified global equity tracker (VWRL) is yielding 2.2%. Of course I have no idea which way the market will go next. Maybe to zero but I wouldn't bet on that. What I do know is that year to date my total portfolio (equities, gold, property, bonds, gilts, cash) return has been about 11.1% and since I started investing in late 2007 it's been 6.6%.

So he wants to start a new EU with the UK and Ireland being the first members. Maybe we could then add other partners like France, Germany, Spain... Oh, hang on don't we already have one of those. The world truly has gone mad.

FTSE100 only a few percent higher than where it was in 1999 in nominal terms. Thinking inflation and the pound buys only about 58% of what it did back then so it's still down a looong way. Divi yield on the FTSE100 currently about 4.7% and on the FTSE250 about 3.1%. I still have about 20% of my wealth tied up in both indices. It's going to be interesting if the global economy holds up but the Brexit sh*t show continues unabated. Might be a few more Greene King's sold off to foreign buyers. I'm sleeping soundly knowing I didn't vote for any of it.

I'm looking for a purpose these days so maybe we could both manage it...

I think they will means test it via two tests: A total assets test minus the value of the home you live; and An income test Fail either of those tests and computer says no. I don't think they will just look at pension provision. They'll look for anybody who has taken overall responsibility for themselves.

Good to hear from you DC. It's been a while. As you know: Every penny I earned to build my wealth has been done so within the productive economy which actually makes a contribution to this country. While I've of course minimised my tax through ISA's and SIPP's I've still paid far more in than I'll ever get out. On that note I've never taken a penny in welfare even during a period of unemployment. I've only ever consumed enough to bring me true value. This also has the effect of minimising my impact on this great planet. My behaviour within that is also as environmentally conscious as it can be through minimisation of resources use through to selecting providers that have as green a credentials as I can find. As I accrued wealth I never entered into the BTL game. My FIRE plan also has me never taking a penny from the state. What would you suggest I should have done differently?

That's not socialism. That's poor policy, poor implementation/maintenance of policy and poor leadership. Socialism is if it all goes horribly wrong you'll be ok...

We could also do with a healthy dose of family supporting family still seen in many of the Med countries.

Not saying yours was and it sounds like you weren't wishing that on others either. Apologies. Do you agree though that a collapse like you mention hurts many and probably not those that caused it proportionately? Agree with you that at the end of the day somebody has to pay. That said, get away from UK renterism and it doesn't have to cost a lot to have a great life. That then means you don'y need huge capital to support it making less pressure to accrue vast sums of wealth. Didn't science fiction writers of the past forecast less work and better lives. We seem to be going the other way.

I believe it's actually £8,767. Times that by 2 (husband and wife), add in a paid for home plus a small compounding DC pension (for when the first pops their clogs in time) and I'm sure many could live happily ever after. I also assume no state pension.

Interested to know if you are doing anything about it?

Lots of EU and more socialist countries in the top right along with the US model. The UK really does have to hang its head in shame.

It's certainly policy but I don't think it's been written into law yet. Can't comment about LISA's as I've only read about it in reference to private pensions.

That's the short termism and globalisation problems both being demonstrated nicely.

This is why I'm always concerned for those who say I love my work and will never want to retire. People love their work right up until the point they don't IMHO. I also think that as we age our tolerance for BS dwindles which certainly contributes. In my case I saw the writing on the wall in about 2007. At some point between then and now my meaningful worked turned into a job. I'm just so glad I had an option which wasn't stay at it for another 29 years (age 75)!!