Has everybody invested their ISA money?.

Lucky you Frank that you were able to work and pay in to a pension for 39 years. And your wife? Did she have the same option? Did she have to stop work to care for you children - or were you rich enough to employ a nanny? If things were to have been reversed and she were now a widow would she be as fortunate as you are now?

In our case we had a good nursery looking after the children so my wife built up a good pension but the fees were high and she obviously took maternity leave.
My parents put her down as the beneficiary to their will if I had not been alive at the time and she was the beneficiary to her own parents estate.
She would have also got half my pension.
She would have had a lot more than the state pension but I don't think she would have got as much as me.

Frank

Granny23 - You have put down my thoughts exactly. Some of us are struggling with our pensions, watching our little bit of savings disappear. My son worked out how much I could spend each week without worrying and I have a certain sum to spend on shopping, car repairs, extras like the plumber, gardener, (can't manage it), entertainment (hah), etc. and believe me there is nothing left to buy ISA's with

Frank that was so rude and intrusive. Women, as previously mentioned, were not always in a position to save each month. I think you will find that the vast majority of GNs did not have a charmed life, able to wine, dine, party and save towards a fabulous retirement.

I can remember when mortgages were 15% and it was a struggle to pay the money each month, never mind thinking about saving. We were not all in a position to get a reduced mortgage because we worked in a BS or bank.

I think that you should give some thought to those, for varying reasons, are less fortunate than yourself and do not have the London and state pensions as well as savings.

Hear hear, agree with this Charleygirl

peaches41

I don't have a gardener, I wash my car and do my own cleaning.
It is a large house and garden.

Frank

Well bully for you. Unfortunately I am disabled.

Same here!i have to have a cleaner and Gardner. Last time I tried to plug the vacuum in I fell over and couldn't get up again. There was blood everywhere from where I had skinned my arm a d I was very shaken. (I also demolished a coffee table on the way down) and I HAD NOT HAD ANY WINE!

And just how was Frank supposed to know that peaches41?

@Galen: Isn't it frustrating, I hope you're ok now

Makes you feel bloody useless. I didn't even dare hold my DGD unless I was sitting down.

I know