Thursday 30 December 2010 Official statistics from the Department for Work and Pensions predict that 10.6 million people ie 1 in 6 of the population, alive today will live to be 100 years old - with many even surviving until 110 years old! Improved diets, living conditions and medical advancements are driving the dramatic demographic transformation. Of the 10.6 million people, around 3 million are currently under 16. Around 5.5 million are between 16 and 50, and around 1.3 million are between 51 and 65. The remaining 0.8 million are already over 65 years old and will live for at least another 35 years! This is obviously going to have a major impact on our pensions, among other things, with the very serious question being levied as to how much we are all going to need to save to see us through our retirement years. It now seems more important than ever to give serious thought to pension planning! Saturday 1 January 2011 Today, a government fuel duty increase put another 0.76p on to the cost of both petrol and diesel (but it seemed more than that at the pumps didn’t it?). And, on 4 January the rise in VAT from 17.5% to 20% will mean another price rise at the pumps! The AA estimates that the two increases will add around 3.5p to the cost of a litre of both petrol and diesel. The average price of unleaded petrol in the UK stands at 124.16p according to Experian Catalist. This time last year petrol was at 107.74p and diesel at 109.46p. Diesel currently costs an average of 128.35p a litre - some five pence below its record high of July 2008. The RAC foundation pointed out that fuel tax would rise even further in April! This makes it all the more necessary to make fuel savings. See our free ebook below, which includes a section on doing just that. Monday 3 January We have seen with just these two topical articles above, how much more strain the economic climate is going to put on everybody - whether it is the need to put more money away for a longer retirement, or simply having to pay out more for everyday goods and services. This now makes it all the more important to make savings on everyday purchases, wherever possible. In this regard we are happy to be able to offer you (and your friends) a free ebook guide to saving money. In fact we’ve set a novel and interesting challenge, with a serious edge, to save £2,011 in 2011. The ebook describes a variety of different ways to help you save money, and not only includes advice on the topical matter of saving money on fuel, but it also shows how you can get tax relief from the government to increase the savings you make - which falls in line with the other topical article above about planning a pension. We are sure you will find this ebook beneficial. You can download a free copy by popping your name and email address in the form on the front page. Click the ebook image here and it will take you there.

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Monday 28 February Recent press articles have highlighted that Britain’s older generation faces a grim future because of falling incomes, rising prices and higher unemployment, which is threatening to plunge the over 50s into poverty! Newspapers reporting on the Saga quarterly report (published Feb 2011) show that instead of contemplating a comfortable retirement, nearly two in three of those aged over 50 say the rising cost of living is their biggest fear. And, 28% believe their standard of living has fallen in the past year. The worst affected are those closest to retirement as the economic turmoil, and low interest rates, mean their pensions are unlikely to deliver the income they were expecting. Unemployment rates in the 50-64 age group have increased by 69% since the recession began, according to the Saga report. One in three of the people surveyed said their health was worsening as their standard of living falls. And many older people are having to cut back on luxuries, with 44% having fewer meals out while 25% are having fewer holidays.