Vestpod - Emilie Bellet, Women and Money

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How Much Do People Have In Their Pension Pot?

Hint: Men have 3 times more than women.

The size of the average pension pot in the UK is about £50,000. But surprise, surprise - this isn’t spread equally between both sexes. Men are saving an average of £73,600, compared to just £24,900 for women, according to Aegon.

Just like our old friend the gender pay gap, the reason for this is the incompatibility of high-earning, leadership roles with family life, meaning women take more career breaks, earn less and often rely on a male chief-breadwinner to look after them in retirement (and indeed make all the decisions about pensions).

With all your outgoings, putting yet more money aside each month may seem like a pipe dream. And sometimes, such as when you’re still repaying debts, it is. But just like last week’s tips for getting started with investment, the key thing is not to feel excluded from the conversation. Arm yourself with the facts: keep abreast of news stories about changes in pension rules (you know those stories: the ones you never quite have time to read…), take control of your budget, think realistically about the future, and before long you could see those tax-free pension savings growing out faster than your roots.


Photo by rawpixel.com on Unsplash.