TheNoSnowMan

Some interesting replies thus far. Thank you for that. I've got some thinking to do.

I've worked for the same company now since 2005 and was enrolled into their workplace pension scheme at the end of that year. The company contributes 5% of my salary each month regardless of what I put in. For the first 2 years I was paying in 10%. In September 2007 I bought my gaff and decided I needed the extra money and stopped paying in. After a fairly big pay increase just over a year ago I started putting 10% in again and have done so since. Didn't think much of it until I got my forecast a few months back telling me that at the rate I was going I could have a pot of around £205k which would be a yearly income of £6.5k at 65. I know that pensions are crap these days but I didn't realise they were this bad. I earn just under the national average (£25k give or take a couple) and 10% is the absolute maximum I am prepared to give up per month. Thing is, it's money I could use now instead on getting jobs round the house done, more money to overpay the mortgage with... etc etc. I've spoken to a few people and keep getting mixed messages - mainly baby boomers like my Dad are adamant that I must have a pension otherwise I'll have nothing in old age. On the other hand I've spoken to lads at work in their mid to late 40's who think pensions are a waste of time and they're plan is to either sell their (paid off) house and invest the money or buy another house outright and rent it out. I, personally, have no intention of doing the latter and even the former I'm not so sure about as you'd need a sh!t load to invest to be able to cover the rent and living costs. So what do you lot think I should do? Am I just pissing money up the wall while waiting for a future government to raid what I've saved - or is Martin Lewis right and I'm doing the right thing?

What a c0ck up!

Must be the weather wot dunnit.

What did she say? I had a workmate talking over her as I was trying to hear her crap about property.

Am I'm right in thinking that NW are in receipt of FLS? When I moved my savings to them about a year ago I was getting 2%. It then dropped to 1.7% early 2013 and then to 1.2% around June. Absolute crap.

NW are using FLS aren't they? No wonder they don't need savers.

As I have my current account and mortgage with Nationwide I normally login at least once a week to check my finances (as one does). I was just about to go into my current account when this caught my eye Never seen the Borrow More button before. At first, I thought maybe NW think I've now got sufficient equity to offer me a MEW (not that I would). Then it occurred to me that maybe they're really trying to get people like me off their old variable rate (base rate +2%). Getting people to MEW is quite a crafty method especially if enough empty heads think HPI is really happening and want the new car/holiday/extension/pair of t1ts etc etc. What does everyone else think?

Construction growth 2.5% vs 1.9% Q2 Hurray... More unaffordable rabbit hutches. How much more was Government spending compared to growth this quarter I wonder?

A lot of agreement is coming from younger women as they've woken up to the BS of 'you can have it all'. All that's changed is they're now trapped wage slaves whether they like it or not. The only real winners have been the governments (more taxes), banks (increases in house prices/debt) and militant feminists (gaining media careers).

I agree. Shame the elites didn't. They wanted all women to be wage slaves too while pushing babies into state run childcare so the indoctrination could begin at the earliest possible stage. And it's worked out so well.

Is there really ever a good time, financially, to have kids? If you want kids, you should have kids and not delay it until the wife is full of cobwebs just so you can maintain your current lifestyle for a little longer.

JOY FOR HOMEOWNERS AS ENERGY PRICES SOAR! If not, why not?

Hamish, I would never of recognised you! (only joking... You're winkie, he's w@nker)