Start training on the 3rd of August really excited about it because it's a totally new sector for me & I plan to be awesome at it.

Start training for ChildLine in September too. I'm equally excited about that. When looking at jobs I saw an advert for a job with LifeLine - also a crisis phone line - & the salary was up to 24k, for 19 hours per week! Which is obviously amazing. I see myself doing the voluntary ChildLine for a year then moving over to a paid role with LifeLine & its very attractive salary.

Kills me to say this but I just failed the driving test.

Some chick put me off & I fucked up. I knew I'd fucked it from that point & it stressed me out for the rest of it. I tried to be positive but the result of the fuck up made me fuck up a few more times.

The worst thing is I was out with my instructor for an hour beforehand & was literally flawless.

Ah well, not everything is gunna to plan. Just gotta do it again.

how did some chick put you off-was it the instructor?
good news on the job anyway!

She pulled out & I never anticipated her so I stalled & shit, a total fuck up. I accept responsibility though.

Yeah really excited about the job & I'm envisioning a very positive future. The driving situation is a bit of a setback that pisses me off but it's not the end of the world I suppose.

Driving wouldn't even be that big of a requirement if it weren't for visiting my child 50 miles away. My new job is just over a 5 minute walk away so it's not an issue in that regard.

Hey lads. As you'll know from a couple of posts ago I secured myself the best job I've ever had & I am genuinely super excited about it.

I received a preparation pack this morning in the post with all the details of the job & policies etc etc etc.

I don't have any issues really, in fact the package has made me more excited about starting work in this unfamiliar sector. However there is one thing I'm not 100% sure about...

One part of it is a pension plan. It is called the Group Personal Pension Plan (GPPP+)

"Government legislation sets out minimum standards in terms of employees that are to be auto enrolled and the level of contributions that are to be paid..

..you will be automatically included in the pension plan from your first day of employment, unless your contract details otherwise."

It goes on to explain how it works blah blah (although I'm not clear) & the example it gives is that the 6% you personally contribute to your pension plan, from your gross salary, is matched by the company. Then after 5 years they increase it to 6% plus 3% added to my 6%. Then after 10 years 6% plus 6%.

Benefits such as a payout to a recipient of my choice should i die, of 7 times my salary, is included.

However, i am not interested in any of that kind of nonsense. I mean, I am 30 fucking years old - the last thing on my mind is how much retirement money I'll have in 35 years!!! Nor is dying anytime soon on my agenda.

I've worked out that my "contributions" would be just over £900 of my gross pay (which is pretty much coming from my take home pay) which I'm not willing to give up.

Does any of you know what this is all about or is it useful to me, aside from in 35 years when i reach pension age?

What if i leave the company sooner, even in 2 years for example, do i collect my contributions no hassle?

I don't like this idea & I want to opt out. Tell me stuff..

Yes because you are a scatty fucker who can't be trusted to save up on his own so you need a pension to automate it for you!

No, they live in your pension fund until such time as you can claim your cash free lump sum and purchase an annuity both in old age.

My most recent conversation with my accountant on this is that you have to enrol, then can opt out. You have to opt out every 3 years.

My personal opinion of private pensions is that they sound awesome because of the "tax free" part, the matching of contributions…etc, but have downsides too.

Currently you get 25% of the fund when you retire, it used to be a lot more and there is nothing to stop the government lowering it again. The fund can sink dramatically just before maturity in the event of a crash like the dot com bubble bursting, or the financial crisis of 2008. With the remaining 75% you buy a financial product called an "annuity" which calculates how long u r likely to live etc and pays you a bit of the 75% each month until you croak. You pay income tax on that income each month! If you croak soon the pension fund wins, if you croak late you win. Some pensions will be paid over in part to spouses in the event you croak, depends on the contract.

So yeah, they aren't for me but most financial advisors would recommend it so I'd be inclined to listen to them rather than me!

Well that shit can go & get fucked! I'll probably be loaded in 35 years anyway (if I'm still alive) so a, very depressing sounding, pension fund can take a big fuck off tablet.

We're automatically enrolled with this company but I've requested an opting out form.

Just appears to me as a third form of taxing on top of tax & national insurance.

Fuck that shit. Just fuck it.

Without getting into a huge discussion on the ins & outs of it, IMO I would strongly recommend a pension. At 30 years old, how much is your current pension worth?

I started mine at 22 & 11 years later I'm already wary that its not currently worth enough.

Exactly.....what's the point sacrificing money that's more useful to me now than the absolutely dejecting & miserable idea of my pension when on top of said depressing thought you are even more depressed at the end when at the end you realize you've been saving half your life for fuck all. On top of that you're not even allowed it all in one go if what postscript said is true.

Myself & an old mate plan to put our heads together at some point within the next few years, ideally sooner but realistically we have many other commitments needing completed first for example my degree. He has dabbled in the practical side of business having toyed with some small mobile phone related ventures. Whereas I've studied business & financial management therefore possessing the knowledge to set up & run at least a small business... We have potential to make a good team. It's worth a punt, we just need to have the proper sit-down & come up with an idea, & likely about 2 or 3k each to put up.

That's why I'm not bothering about a pension fund. We might be successful & as a result be loaded with all the monies.

Saying the word pension out loud in any sentence that also involves my very distant future makes me want to kill myself.

"Realize deeply the present moment is all you ever have. Make the now the primary focus of your life" - Eckhart Tolle

Because fuck pensions

Each to their own; I just think it's very foolish not to plan for your future. As I said I started mine 11 years ago & even current projections show my income from age 65 onwards on a yearly basis isn't going to be that great, so as the years go on I try and put any additional spare money into it.

You say your not worried about what happens in 35 years time........then the time comes and you realise you have nothing to live on other than your state pension and you think "Oh fuck, why didn't I plan for this". I find it pretty alarming at age 30 you don't have anything put away already. If your planning to fund this by other means as well as live a decent normal life; you potentially need to be earning a 6 figure sum on a yearly basis. You have to think about the whole reason pensions exist in the first place.

One other small point, with no offence meant: Studying Business & Financial Management doesn't neccessarily give you the knowledge to start and run your own business; you get people with Masters degrees who are in the same boat. There's a big difference between the classroom and the real world.

As i said, each to their own, you've already made up your mind - was just something to point out.