Mrs Bear Posted September 1, 2011 Share Posted September 1, 2011 id rather be doing that u *****, at least starving and getting diseases are natural, sure its not nice, but its human nature to have people die around you, having 30k debt and a mortgage with not even any kids isnt If my daughter's still got them, maybe I'll forward you some photos of people dying (literally) of cholera in Ethiopia a couple of years ago. She took them in order to try to get the govt. to do something instead of pretending there was no problem (election coming up). Perhaps you'd like to try dying in a miserable little hut in a parched, brown landscape with not even enough uncontaminated water to make up the rehydration sachets. Not until she finally got hold of some b*ggered bowsers, had them fixed in 24 hours and trucked water in. At the risk of sounding like my granny, try counting your blessings once in a while. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bearbearbear Posted September 1, 2011 Share Posted September 1, 2011 28, live in Maidenhead, work in London as an Actuary at an insurance company. Package including pension contributions and bonus is about 90k. Partner earns about 50k with bonus working in IT. Didn't used to save anything as was too busy enjoying life but missus wants to buy a house at some point so now saving abut 20k a year now but not that interested in buying as think prices are ridiculous. Fed up of VI too and wish the Government would allow the market to build the houses we need. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terribad Posted September 1, 2011 Share Posted September 1, 2011 Another one Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bearbearbear Posted September 1, 2011 Share Posted September 1, 2011 Another one Another one what? Haven't read the entire thread - will do so now... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terribad Posted September 1, 2011 Share Posted September 1, 2011 Another one what? Haven't read the entire thread - will do so now... The thread started off soothing the concerns of young folk who percieved themselves to be hard done by, only to have lots of first time posters appear to tell everyone they earn 100k a year in their 20s. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dervis Posted September 1, 2011 Share Posted September 1, 2011 If my daughter's still got them, maybe I'll forward you some photos of people dying (literally) of cholera in Ethiopia a couple of years ago. She took them in order to try to get the govt. to do something instead of pretending there was no problem (election coming up). Perhaps you'd like to try dying in a miserable little hut in a parched, brown landscape with not even enough uncontaminated water to make up the rehydration sachets. Not until she finally got hold of some b*ggered bowsers, had them fixed in 24 hours and trucked water in. At the risk of sounding like my granny, try counting your blessings once in a while. Hear hear! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bearbearbear Posted September 1, 2011 Share Posted September 1, 2011 The thread started off soothing the concerns of young folk who percieved themselves to be hard done by, only to have lots of first time posters appear to tell everyone they earn 100k a year in their 20s. I guess its the way the jobs market has changed over the last 30 years; skills are now relatively much more valuable than experience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
efdemin Posted September 1, 2011 Share Posted September 1, 2011 I guess its the way the jobs market has changed over the last 30 years; skills are now relatively much more valuable than experience. No, you're just very lucky to be earning that much before you're 30. And I mean lucky - you are probably very bright and sociable, network well, live in the SE, blah, blah, blah but even with all that you need an element of luck to make it. Skills will get a high price in the right niche (e.g. footballers), skills in the 'wrong' niche will get f-all. Everyone else is somewhere in-between. Experience is maybe not worth as much as it was when jobs for life were the norm but it's still worth something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richrich Posted September 1, 2011 Share Posted September 1, 2011 No, you're just very lucky to be earning that much before you're 30. And I mean lucky - you are probably very bright and sociable, network well, live in the SE, blah, blah, blah but even with all that you need an element of luck to make it. Skills will get a high price in the right niche (e.g. footballers), skills in the 'wrong' niche will get f-all. Everyone else is somewhere in-between. Experience is maybe not worth as much as it was when jobs for life were the norm but it's still worth something. Experience still matters, but you need the 'right' kind of experience. As you say, 'niche' is important, as in subject matter / industry. There's an element of luck in everything in life. But since you cannot control luck, you might as well put the energy towards better preparing yourself, to seize the opportunity when it comes. What's the old saying? Luck (opportunity) favours those that are prepared. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bearbearbear Posted September 1, 2011 Share Posted September 1, 2011 No, you're just very lucky to be earning that much before you're 30. And I mean lucky - you are probably very bright and sociable, network well, live in the SE, blah, blah, blah but even with all that you need an element of luck to make it. Skills will get a high price in the right niche (e.g. footballers), skills in the 'wrong' niche will get f-all. Everyone else is somewhere in-between. Experience is maybe not worth as much as it was when jobs for life were the norm but it's still worth something. I would say that I am very lucky that I have wonderful parents who badgered me so hard about education, I am also lucky that I was born very able. Very little else has been luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
efdemin Posted September 1, 2011 Share Posted September 1, 2011 I would say that I am very lucky that I have wonderful parents who badgered me so hard about education, I am also lucky that I was born very able. Very little else has been luck. Well, you would say that if you hadn't been unlucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terribad Posted September 1, 2011 Share Posted September 1, 2011 Now now, be nice. You don't know the individual circumstances of these priced-out billionaires. Have some sympathy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bearbearbear Posted September 1, 2011 Share Posted September 1, 2011 Well, you would say that if you hadn't been unlucky. So all success is luck? You can't just be very able and willing to work pretty hard? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
efdemin Posted September 1, 2011 Share Posted September 1, 2011 So all success is luck? You can't just be very able and willing to work pretty hard? I'm not saying all success is pure luck but there are too many sharks who will exploit an able and willing (and possibly naive) hard worker. You have to be fortunate to work in an environment where you get to keep most of the value you add. Or have a bloody good union. I'm still under 35 (just) and I'm doing ok - low 40K's. I've had some interesting jobs and managed to travel to some interesting places along the way. I've see enough of big corporations to know that your carefully planned out future can be turned on its head by some senior VP suddenly changing their mind one day though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bearbearbear Posted September 1, 2011 Share Posted September 1, 2011 I'm not saying all success is pure luck but there are too many sharks who will exploit an able and willing (and possibly naive) hard worker. You have to be fortunate to work in an environment where you get to keep most of the value you add. Or have a bloody good union. I'm still under 35 (just) and I'm doing ok - low 40K's. I've had some interesting jobs and managed to travel to some interesting places along the way. I've see enough of big corporations to know that your carefully planned out future can be turned on its head by some senior VP suddenly changing their mind one day though. I guess the actuarial qualification does serve as a useful barrier to entry to the profession which helps inflate wage levels. Can't say I like big corporations either - I choose who I work for extremely carefully - they tend to be small and don't have levels of useless VPs clogging things up... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neverland Posted September 1, 2011 Share Posted September 1, 2011 28, live in Maidenhead, work in London as an Actuary at an insurance company. Package including pension contributions and bonus is about 90k. Partner earns about 50k with bonus working in IT. Didn't used to save anything as was too busy enjoying life but missus wants to buy a house at some point so now saving abut 20k a year now but not that interested in buying as think prices are ridiculous. Fed up of VI too and wish the Government would allow the market to build the houses we need. As Gin and Platonic said on about page 5 (or was it 15?) of this thread...it should have been titled: "LISTEN TO ME AND VALIDATE MY LIFE!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neverland Posted September 1, 2011 Share Posted September 1, 2011 The thread started off soothing the concerns of young folk who percieved themselves to be hard done by, only to have lots of first time posters appear to tell everyone they earn 100k a year in their 20s. Interesting thing is that if these posters are real (which I am sceptical about in several cases) then there is plenty of demand out there for a small supply of home sales I myself know a few people in your age group who make this kind of money and haven't yet bought (yes, they are all in the SE/London area...) Together with the BTL brigade, they could act to keep prices high....provided supply is kept low by rock bottom interest rates limiting forced sellers It reinforces my personal belief that we won't see significant house price falls without significant interest rate increases Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richrich Posted September 1, 2011 Share Posted September 1, 2011 Interesting thing is that if these posters are real (which I am sceptical about in several cases) then there is plenty of demand out there for a small supply of home sales I myself know a few people in your age group who make this kind of money and haven't yet bought (yes, they are all in the SE/London area...) Together with the BTL brigade, they could act to keep prices high....provided supply is kept low by rock bottom interest rates limiting forced sellers It reinforces my personal belief that we won't see significant house price falls without significant interest rate increases It's real, i am telling ya. I just validated for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neverland Posted September 1, 2011 Share Posted September 1, 2011 It's real, i am telling ya. I just validated for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackgoose Posted September 1, 2011 Share Posted September 1, 2011 So all success is luck? You can't just be very able and willing to work pretty hard? I would hardly say that you need to be 'very able' to become an actuary and do a victory speech thanking parents for help etc. It is still quite a bog standard professional job, that is more mathematical than say law or accountancy. Also, I have heard it said that there is only one group that are more boring than accountants - actuaries. It pays more than most, but is hardly spectacular by city standards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bearbearbear Posted September 1, 2011 Share Posted September 1, 2011 As Gin and Platonic said on about page 5 (or was it 15?) of this thread...it should have been titled: "LISTEN TO ME AND VALIDATE MY LIFE!" - I really don't need any validation but happy for you to validate my life if you want? I know I'm very well paid on any measure but I don't feel very rich; the houses I would like to buy are all way out of my reach. Sure I could choose to buy some two up, two down house in a bad part of town but I really don't want to live there... I have been a property bear since I was 20 - my conviction that house prices must fall significantly was based on my understanding of economics but as the last 8 years have passed I had started to lose faith. I don't think we'll see very large nominal price falls - that would require IR hikes and a Government not afraid to let banks repossess, or a massive house building program. I just can't see it happening... What will happen is what is happening currently; large real term falls as inflation rips... people who get salary rises whilst it happens will be homebuyers in 5 years... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bearbearbear Posted September 1, 2011 Share Posted September 1, 2011 I would hardly say that you need to be 'very able' to become an actuary and do a victory speech thanking parents for help etc. It is still quite a bog standard professional job, that is more mathematical than say law or accountancy. Also, I have heard it said that there is only one group that are more boring than accountants - actuaries. It pays more than most, but is hardly spectacular by city standards. I never feel like work is bog standard or boring, although obviously it is 70% sat at a computer, building, analysing and reporting on models so not as exciting as a sky-diver instructor or something... On an hours worked basis it pays very well - could earn more being a quant but never fancied 100 hour weeks - what's the point? Happy for society to view the profession as the most boring in existence - anything that limits new actuaries is good for me. Let's not let the truth get in the way of a good urban myth eh? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richrich Posted September 1, 2011 Share Posted September 1, 2011 I never feel like work is bog standard or boring, although obviously it is 70% sat at a computer, building, analysing and reporting on models so not as exciting as a sky-diver instructor or something... On an hours worked basis it pays very well - could earn more being a quant but never fancied 100 hour weeks - what's the point? Happy for society to view the profession as the most boring in existence - anything that limits new actuaries is good for me. Let's not let the truth get in the way of a good urban myth eh? Quant - it's more likely 8:30 - 19:00 x5, i won't call that 100 hours a week. Even desk based. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neverland Posted September 1, 2011 Share Posted September 1, 2011 I know I'm very well paid on any measure but I don't feel very rich; the houses I would like to buy are all way out of my reach. Sure I could choose to buy some two up, two down house in a bad part of town but I really don't want to live there... I'm trying not to sound like a housing troll but its quite usual that the first home you can afford to buy isn't a detached four bed mansion In my personal experience wealth is more a matter of greed and luck than intelligence or hard work, in a large part because income taxes are so high in the UK I think I have less sympathy for you because you are have the option to buy a home but choose not to, rather than not have the option to buy at all Thats just a financial decision (probably worked out on an actuarial basis?) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bearbearbear Posted September 1, 2011 Share Posted September 1, 2011 Quant - it's more likely 8:30 - 19:00 x5, i won't call that 100 hours a week. Even desk based. I don't know the entire market obviously but the two quants I know from university both regularly do 70 hour weeks. I reckon I could manage that (though still not fun). But when bonuses are being decided, things are bad, or someone has an "amazing" new idea; its full hands to the pump and those weeks come in at 100 hours - just couldn't face it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.