How much pension for a comfortable life?

I still don't know why the original post was made - nobody can advise someone else anyway on what makes a comfortable retirement. Everyone is different and has different ideas on what constitutes a good retirement. Most people just make the best of what they have but the poster seems to have much more than enough. As for not touching savings/inheritance money, WHY THE HELL NOT!

I think that your husband is right about £30K would provide you with comfortable living.

I'm sure that you would be happier if you stopped over thinking your finances and just enjoyed what is left of your life. Time is not on your side. Give your job up and tell hubby that you got the sack/been made redundant. Lighten up - you have loadsa money!

We have a simple system what's mine is hers and whats hers is hers.
That works quite well for us too wobbly

Hubby was under the changed rules. NO married mans allowance

The married man's allowance is a tax allowance that has now been abolished except for those born before 6 April 1935 and I understand that your husband is under 81.
However, I understand that you can reduce your tax bill in retirement by the non-taxpayer transferring part of their tax allowance to the taxpayer (Marriage Allowance).

We had always worked on the fact he had paid in and he would get a married mans allowance for me because that is what we were told back in the 1980's/ 90's.
I understand that to mean that you were expecting to receive a reduced pension based on your DH's contributions because you paid the old 'married woman's' lower rate of NI contributions.
I thought that most working women had realised by the 1980/90s that this was not a good idea and started paying the full stamp.

Bear in mind, too, if you've got vast amounts of savings, you won't be able to claim any benefits but your house might be falling down around your ears. Such insecurity!! Taking it too far.

I live in a retirement flat, so I won't have to worry about downsizing in the future. I get £11300 State Pension and £9100 Private Pension, which is enough to live comfortably but not extravagantly. That's £20400 total, with £2700 going in charges for the flat. The next largest outgoing is regular contributions to my church and other sponsorship at £2200.

I suppose I'm fairly poorly off compared with people who go on cruises, but I don't know people like that. I know people like Vicky - she and her husband are currently sleeping on the pavement after their tent was vandalised. Compared to them I'm really rich.

What does it matter? You're rich!

I have no one to blame but myself as I made no private pension provision whatsoever.

I have myself to blame too. I didnt make any pension provision. I had for a while a job with a pension attached and I left the job. The pension was frozen and I will get a small amount from it apparently. So I am also reliant on the state pension.

My state pension is under the new rules ( I am a 1950's born woman and I got caught in it) and so I have to work until I am 66 and get 35 years NI to qualify for that new state pension - which is as everyone keeps saying £155 a week (£8K a year). But if you dont get the 35 years in it is cut. Its all the little rules they do not tell you.

Just consider the many thousands who'd like to go home to retire in their cultural homeland but find if they do so they will have their UK State pension frozen. Consequently they stay back in the UK costing the Budget £ billions in costs like the NHS winter power subsidies that might other wise be saved if these people were encouraged by non freezing of their pensions to migrate back to their cultural homeland www.theguardian.com/money/2015/aug/15/keith-vaz-frozen-pensions#comment-57557177 ; www.voice-online.co.uk/article/time-fix-great-pensions-anomaly These people are forced to receive some pension money with which to live on but are forced by an appalling British pension policy www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/money/article4104695.ece to loose their cultural background.

Do you always operate separately abbey?

We never operated separately and still do not. It was the DWP who told him it was his single mans pension ( he asked about the married mans pension because he retired at the time when some were getting single pensions and some were still getting married mans pensions depending on age and birthday. Hubby was under the changed rules. NO married mans allowance). He was told it was his pension and I would have to work and make my own NI contributions for my own pension. Thats where it started really.

We had always worked on the fact he had paid in and he would get a married mans allowance for me because that is what we were told back in the 1980's/ 90's.

Many thousands of people only have their state pension to live on including my parents. There are also thousands of women affected by rise in state pension age who won't get this pension until age 66 and have to keep working regardless of ill health etc. There are also thousands of women on their own some due to widowhood or divorce trying to make ends meet. £28k a year with no mortgage and substantial savings ? This is significantly more than most people have. I suggest you enjoy your life and count your blessings.

I'm amazed how much some people have to live on. But I seem to manage reasonably on my approx £8000 state pension per year, providing I am very careful.
I have no one to blame but myself as I made no private pension provision whatsoever.
Money does't worry me that much though. I love being retired and would not go back to work again for any amount.

I retired early in my 50s, as did OH, and we still have a mortgage to pay. Thought we were comfortable, not rich but happy until I read this thread. Now I think we are reasonably poor in comparison but hey I believe in that old adage, nobody on their death bed wishes they'd spent longer at work.

As a couple you now have a decent income. You will both have reasonable pensions. You have a huge amount of capital. You don't like your job but clearly could retire tomorrow if you choose.
So remind me please - what's the problem?
Far too much indulgence in financial navel-gazing. Shades of Scrooge gloating over his hoard!
Stop being so self-centred and get a life!!

With that amount of money in the bank , I have no idea what your husband is thinking!!
We could only dream of having so much money.
At 65 you have on average about 20 years left, I would be dividing what I had in the bank by 20 and spend most of it each year, you can't take it with you!!
You could live a fantastic retirement now, so many people don't have that luxury.

LUCKYGIRL....You said it all.
Capital is for spending not hording IMHO.
As one gets older one needs to pay for services, jobs etc that used to be done by oneself. That's what having money in old age is useful for.

My husband is 66 years old and he works. He went back to work , part time sub contracting, the day after brexit. I remember it well. he had been at home since 2008 when he was pushed off
(redundant) and couldnt get a job. His friend (same age but still working, painting and decorating) gave his name and phone number to a contractor he worked for who was fed up with not being able to get decent tradesmen. Hubby took one job on. He has been moving from job to job for the same bloke ever since.

So I cannot complain at hubby.He is doing his bit. I have not included the paid work in my calculations above.

Seems to me that you should retire and enjoy your money. Life to short as it is.i gave up working 9 years ago and my husband did too. We have savings and an ISA not sure how that is going now as the bank rates have dropped considerably. We have holidays and have a car I don't drive though but we have a great bus service so I can get out and about on my own.

Both my husband and I had to give up work due to illnesses. I'm his case he successfully overcame three strokes, each time ambulances from work. So our income was drastically reduced. But we are alive and reasonably well. Recently we were in a very bad car accident and relatively unhurt, dear knows how. The car was wrecked and we were trapped. My point is, don't focus on money! I know where you're coming from, my man was of the same mind and ad similar upbringing. If you have your health and each other, enough to have a roof over your head, a warm house, and food in your belly you are rich! Honest, it is not worth the stress . And you have more than enough, enjoy some of it just now. We bought a second hand residential caravan and go to it to de stress most weekends. We don't know how long we have on this earth, so focus on the moment!

Sorry if this has already been posted I didn't read all previous comments. If you are a women born in the 1950s affected by the harsh, unfair steep rises to state pension age and now having to work an extra 6 years, please consider joining WASPI (Waspi Against State Pension Inequality) Facebook page to fight this injustice. Thank you.

We have a simple system what's mine is hers and whats her's is hers.

Always had a joint account since we were married and Mrs p sorts it all out. All I want to know is if we are in credit at the month end. We do talk about what we spend, but it is not necessary (unless of course it involves £1400 for the new ukulele that has just been reviewed and seems amazing -- drool)

But abbey has a huge amount of capital and savings which neither party seems willing to take into account. She would certainly be able to manage very well indeed.

NonnaW I think we assume everyone works like "us" but that is definitely not true. Many couples have a personal account and the a joint account for bills; some men "look after" the finances some women do. It is very varied.

I wonder if Abbey's OH is concerned about how she will manage when he is gone? That, at least, would make some sense.

I think you are getting the new state pension and the maximum basic for that is £155 x 52 or £8060pa vissos.

People can, but not all do, receive payments from SERPs, etc., which is presumably how your NSP is made up to £10,500. That would mean just under £47 a week in additional amounts which not everyone will get. There have been many schemes for these over the years but the Second State Pension (the latest version) ended in April this year and it is not intended to replace it. The intention is to have a clear, single State Pension - that is one reason why the new single tier one has been set at the level of the old one plus Pension Credit so that people do not have to claim benefit or pay extra to get £155 state pension.